For folks not traveling internationally, you can delete now!
For others -- On two trips, one to Italy and one to Ireland, I found
I could get by without a computer for email and simple web browsing
by using my GSM phone, a multi-band (both US and international
frequencies) Treo 600 (a PalmOS PDA/SmartPhone). I could also buy a
pay-as-you-go SIM for my phone which allowed me to have a local phone
number. I simply called my US GSM provider (T-Mobile) and had them
enable international roaming and give me the unlock code for using a
local SIM. Worked great! I'm committed to GSM.
But my problem is that I need a new phone now, and T-Mobile no longer
supports Treos. I may simply get an unlocked Treo (expensive!) or
move on to a new type of phone. I could also move to a different
provider, but T-Mobile has been so supportive in the past that I'm
somewhat resistant to moving to the only other US choice, Cingular.
(Another FRIAMer, Tom Johnson, is also looking at this dilemma ..
thus prompting this off-topic email.)
So my question is to all you GSM savvy, world traveler folks out there:
- What GSM multi-band phones do a good job with email and web?
- What have your experiences been using them for email/web while
traveling?
- Is Cingular OK in terms of international roaming agreements and
service?
Thanks!!!
-- Owen
Owen Densmore
http://backspaces.net - http://redfish.com - http://friam.org
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