fushigi

Imma, if Sprint would let us "add a line" to add an aircard to your phone's account for $10 or so a month, going that route would be a no-brainer. But as near as I can tell they do not (please correct me if I'm wrong).

The aircards run about $60 a month. For $720 a year I'd look into tethering as well.

__________________
- Fushigi

lilmexx323

Exactly my thoughts. That is too much for something I only need sometimes, but as I said it is great to have when you need it... Just not $720 a year great..

meyerweb

Lilmexx and Fushigi hit it. For occasional use I'm not going to sign a contract for an air card at $60 a month. I will happily pay PDA Net a $30 one time fee, however.

This is just one of the reasons I'm not sold on the Pre yet. I've got a lot of functionality on my 755p that it's not at all clear will be replicated on the Pre, at least at launch. Will the Pre calendar give me floating appts, multi-day reminders and sophisticated alarm controls like Datebk6 does? Will it have time and event based profiles controlling sound, brightness, and more (heck, I doubt it will have profiles at all)? Will it support tethering? Will it support turning the radio on and off at specific times? How well will it notify me of missed calls, VMs, etc., without me having to turn it on? Will it allow me to speed-dial a number from anywhere in any app (with Butler, my 755p will), or do I have to switch the phone app first? Does it have functionality like keycaps, or will I have to go back to the inefficiencies of hitting the function and shift buttons all the time? Will the contacts search be even close to as good as TakePhones?

The old Treo platform certainly has it's problems, but with the vast availability of software it can be used to create a fast, efficient, finely tuned workhorse. While the Pre is undeniably cool, and the multi-tasking will be nice, and the browser looks great, there are still a heck of a lot of unanswered questions about how well it's really going to work, and how well it's going to meet MY needs.

__________________
Bob Meyer
I'm out of my mind. But feel free to leave a message.

jbg7474

I use USBmodem with my 755p--it's a little bit slower via Bluetooth because the BT radio on my 755p sucks so badly. However, the USB connection is perfectly capable of the speeds delivered by EVDO rev 0. I can reliably get about 100KB/s download (800kbps). Better than my first DSL connection several years ago.

I agree with the other posters here: it's incredibly valuable when I need it, but I don't need it often enough to justify the expense of either paying Sprint monthly for the privilege or buying a separate card with its own plan. Even if it was only $30 per month, I wouldn't buy it. I pretty much only use it in an airport while waiting for a flight, and then only when I need to download a document or something. So perhaps total use is about 5 hours per month. I'll skip it if I have to pay extra.

__________________
Palm III-->Handspring Visor-->Sony Clie PEG-NR70-->no PDA
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
-->Palm Treo 755p-->Palm Pre

rc46

With my 800w I get fantastic PAM speeds. My wife has a Verizon card from work and tethering my 800w is almost always faster. I also use WiFi router that allows me to create a hot spot anywhere, and any time. Its very handy when I want to download something on my ipod touch or if I have a friend that needs to go online.

I'm sure the hackers will figure out how we can keep this very important functionality and have it with the Pre, but it may take some time.

__________________
Pilot 1000 -> Pilot 5000 ->Palm Pilot Professional -> HP 620LX -> TRG Pro -> Palm V -> Palm Vx -> Palm M505 -> Palm i705 -> Palm Tungsten|T -> Samsung i500 -> Treo 600->Treo 650 -> Treo 600-> Treo 700p ->Centro ->Treo 800w + Redfly C8n -> Palm Pre (Because Palm is Back!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
)

Merovingian

I see no qualms in tethering my 700Wx either via BT or USB. I'm already paying for 5gb's of data so whether I use it all on my phone or with my PC shouldn't matter as long as I stay within the 5gb threshold monthly.

Even if the Pre doesn't tether out of the box on day 1, it's only a matter of time before an app or mod comes out for it.

Mike5

Using a 3rd party like PDAnet, I heard you could get between 300-800k for speeds. I was told it was good for all basic stuff, but you needed the higher end of the range speeds to effectively use software like SlingBox, You Tube, etc.

Zyphlin

Most likely I'd imagine that, out of the box, the Pre's not going to do a vast majority of those things. No new software platform is going to match a decade old OS like Palm or WinMo. The question is more, how fast can they catch up. Apple caught up to a lot of the things software wise pretty quickly, though still isn't fully there due to a variety of limitations.

If all those things are top importance to you I can tell you now, most likely your best bet is to wait 6 months to a year on getting a Pre to let software developers start work. I imagine the majority of majorly used programs would be out within 6 months, year at most.

gilroykilroy

I currently tether my Instinct (even though it is not officially supported.) If the Pre cannot be tethered (BT is not an option for me due to higher battery drain) then I will stay with my Instinct. I commute on the train 2 hours a day so this is very important to me (but not something I am willing to buy as an additional card for my laptop.)

oceanrealm

I also use PDAnet to tether my 755p. It is invaluable at my job, as I am in a building (thick-walled) that barely picks up the work wireless signal. It's hit or miss. So I sometimes will use my 755p tethered to my laptop to go online (btw, the speeds are fine).

As the launch date nears, I am wondering if I will wait until there is a solution with the Pre. I may go ahead and buy it, but wait to activate it. I'm sure the first several weeks after the release will be wild and crazy on these Palm sites... with all sorts of attempts at workarounds, etc. By the way, I bought Palm stock back in February... so please, everyone else don't hesitate, but rather jump on the Pre bandwagon right away ;-)

Ti-maniac

Well I was bellyaching on the other post and saw this one. PAM is essential.

asforme

Just as an FYI, it may or may not matter to some of you, but Tethering is not in the TOS under the Simply Everything plan anyway, it requires an additional phone as modem plan.

General Terms of Service
Terms & Conditions
Details on Simply Everything Plan
Simply Everything

Derek Kessler

Then stick with whatever you've got now. Bellyaching's not going to help you do anything but get an ulcer.

__________________

NickDG

Like others who posted, I use tethering but not very often. But when I do use tethering it has been a life saver. I don't want to give that up. I use USB Modem on my Centro with speeds over 1mbps in good reception areas.

I am not really worried about it because I feel there will be a tethering app within a month after the release. I would like one that allows USB/BT/Wifi. Even though battery drain would be a problem, turning the Pre into a wifi hotspot with internet sharing would allow multiple people to connect at once. Just plug it into the wall if battery is a problem.

__________________
Palm Vx -> Treo 600 -> Treo 700p -> Centro -> Pre (Launch Phone 06/06/09)

ImmaSlave4U

I'm replying to this on my Instinct, and I'm curious if you care to share how you go about thethering w/ your Instinct?

__________________
"Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today, and you make your tomorrow." —L. Ron Hubbard

deesugar

One of the closest phones that resembles the Pre in it's capabilities and the way Sprint launched it (if the rumors are correct about the Pre) is the Instinct. The Instinct just like the Pre (unofficially) can only be added with an SE plan and just like the Pre it is capable of PAM and connects as a storage device.

It seems Instinct owners hacked it to do PAM on Sprints network quite easily and we might be able to do something similar when the Pre is finally out.

Watch the Video:

YouTube - Instinct as modem - Connect to the internet through your phone on Windows XP

Derek Kessler

Now that would be an awesome application, but I'm not sure that architectural limitations of the Pre would allow it. I can see doing a reverse link to a computer with the Pre masquerading as a router, but the problem comes with how client devices (laptop, phone, etc) and routers handle WiFi connections - the client device is designed to connect to one network at a time, whereas the router is designed to connect to multiple devices and serve as a bridge. Antennas and processors and bridges are at the very least notably different between the two device classes.

__________________

Ti-maniac

Guess you like to post the same thing in multiple locations.

cardfan

All i know is you can do this with WM devices using an app. Some nokia i think too. Turn into a wifi hotspot that is. Didn't apple have something similar but pulled the app?

Personally, i ordered a cradlepoint router that will do the same.

Eguy

On high end Intel Wifi cards, they now include a thing called MyFi which turns your laptop into a hotspot so you can use your laptop as a router. I will probably be using that. (I know its not from device to laptop like cradlepoint, its only from laptop to device)

__________________
Palm History: Palm III>IIIc>CLIÉ NR70v>CLIÉ TG50>Tungsten C>Treo 650>Treo 700p>Centro>Pre!! 6/5/09
Phone History: Way too long

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Sorry Timmy, SERO does not work with the Pre.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.