I would like to get a slot card to expand my ACER N50 (windows mobile
2003se) to have GPRS. Its a traditional PDA, I don't want to turn it into a
phone, just to have internet capabilities.

I currently use T-Mobile data plan so I am not worried about costs as I
would like to use that sim card in it.

I have seen GPRS compact flash cards available but am looking for
recommendations on a particular model for use on T-Mobile in the UK. Need
an inexpensive one too if there is such a thing.

Can anyone advise please?

There are several GPRS cards. I, however, would stay away from them because:

1. they don't support the far faster EDGE (T-Mo supports EDGE), let alone 3G
2. they either chew through your PDA's battery or, if they have an external
battery, are pretty fragile

That is, if you have a BT-enabled, EDGE and/or 3G-capable phone, a BT
connection between your PDA and the phone can prove much better,
particularly PDA battery life-wise. (And you will still be able to use the
CF slot for a memory expansion or other peripheres only available as CF
cards.)

However, if you still want to go the GPRS CF card route, take a look at
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=236&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
for some links to different solutions.

--


--
Werner "Menneisyys" Ruotsalainen - Microsoft MVP - Windows - Mobile Devices
Please see the Pocket PC Mag Expert Blog (including mine) at
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/ - you will definitely like it.


"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:47933b35$0$40787$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.oct anews.com...
>I would like to get a slot card to expand my ACER N50 (windows mobile
>2003se) to have GPRS. Its a traditional PDA, I don't want to turn it into
>a phone, just to have internet capabilities.
>
> I currently use T-Mobile data plan so I am not worried about costs as I
> would like to use that sim card in it.
>
> I have seen GPRS compact flash cards available but am looking for
> recommendations on a particular model for use on T-Mobile in the UK. Need
> an inexpensive one too if there is such a thing.
>
> Can anyone advise please?

"Werner "Menneisyys" Ruotsalainen [MVP - Windows - Mobile Devices]"
<!ei.maileja@kiitos!> wrote in message
news:u9RJiB2WIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> There are several GPRS cards. I, however, would stay away from them
> because:
>
> 1. they don't support the far faster EDGE (T-Mo supports EDGE), let alone
> 3G
> 2. they either chew through your PDA's battery or, if they have an
> external battery, are pretty fragile
>
> That is, if you have a BT-enabled, EDGE and/or 3G-capable phone, a BT
> connection between your PDA and the phone can prove much better,
> particularly PDA battery life-wise. (And you will still be able to use the
> CF slot for a memory expansion or other peripheres only available as CF
> cards.)
>
> However, if you still want to go the GPRS CF card route, take a look at
> http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=236&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
> for some links to different solutions.

HI Werner, both the pda and phone have bluetooth but I had issues connecting
them, I didn't think they were compatible or something. I shall try again
and see if I can get them to work.

"Werner "Menneisyys" Ruotsalainen [MVP - Windows - Mobile Devices]"
<!ei.maileja@kiitos!> wrote in message
news:u9RJiB2WIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> There are several GPRS cards. I, however, would stay away from them
> because:
>
> 1. they don't support the far faster EDGE (T-Mo supports EDGE), let alone
> 3G
> 2. they either chew through your PDA's battery or, if they have an
> external battery, are pretty fragile
>
> That is, if you have a BT-enabled, EDGE and/or 3G-capable phone, a BT
> connection between your PDA and the phone can prove much better,
> particularly PDA battery life-wise. (And you will still be able to use the
> CF slot for a memory expansion or other peripheres only available as CF
> cards.)

I finally worked out how to do the bluetooth connection and managed to get
it working fine, thankyou. I always thought that using bluetooth would
deplete the battery quicker though?

At 20 Jan 2008 22:34:26 +0000 Beck wrote:

> I finally worked out how to do the bluetooth connection and managed
> to get it working fine, thankyou. I always thought that using
> bluetooth would deplete the battery quicker though?

Probably not nearly as quickly as a GPRS card. BT is fairly low-power and
short-range, vs. the higher-power and longer-range transmitter in the GPRS
card.

Nope, an active BT connection is far more battery-friendly than driving a
GPRS card. The former takes 10-30 mA's; the latter at least an order of
magnitude more. (This is why I, in the first place, didn't recommend GPRS
cards at all and this is why some of these cards come with a built-in,
external rechargeable battery)

--


--
Werner "Menneisyys" Ruotsalainen - Microsoft MVP - Windows - Mobile Devices
Please see the Pocket PC Mag Expert Blog (including mine) at
http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/ - you will definitely like it.


"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:4793cc29$0$40787$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.oct anews.com...
>
> "Werner "Menneisyys" Ruotsalainen [MVP - Windows - Mobile Devices]"
> <!ei.maileja@kiitos!> wrote in message
> news:u9RJiB2WIHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> There are several GPRS cards. I, however, would stay away from them
>> because:
>>
>> 1. they don't support the far faster EDGE (T-Mo supports EDGE), let alone
>> 3G
>> 2. they either chew through your PDA's battery or, if they have an
>> external battery, are pretty fragile
>>
>> That is, if you have a BT-enabled, EDGE and/or 3G-capable phone, a BT
>> connection between your PDA and the phone can prove much better,
>> particularly PDA battery life-wise. (And you will still be able to use
>> the CF slot for a memory expansion or other peripheres only available as
>> CF cards.)
>
> I finally worked out how to do the bluetooth connection and managed to get
> it working fine, thankyou. I always thought that using bluetooth would
> deplete the battery quicker though?