Despite being apalled by those prices, I'm still considering getting GPRS service for my new work phone, which is with Telstra (I have no choice). After all, IM and email won't be _too_ bad (10 - 15c/message for email if I'm careful, and I use IMAP so I can be selective), and the main purpose would be to have ssh access to work's servers anyway. Prices like those offend me, but ... the service is mighty attractive, and I guess "what the market will bear" is the order of the day.
After paying $50 to check my mail one day (but hey, I was a passenger in the car at the time, so it had novelty value :) I've pretty much reserved GPRS for 'special occasions', it's probably cheaper to find someone willing to lend you a 'cup of internet', or scout out a local internet cafe you can plug into for an hour. And yes, you can get better deals than Telstra (who offer two different charging regimes).
Of course if you need it, it's easier to have it turned on and know that it works in advance than having to futz around setting it up when you're away from home. And also having one e-mail address that deals with all your important mail rather than all the list traffic you don't necessarily want to read urgently.
Have fun, Shay -- =========================== Shay Telfer ================================ Perth, Western Australia Technomancer Join Team Sungroper in the Opinions for hire [POQ] 2005 World Solar Challenge [EMAIL PROTECTED] fnord <http://sungroper.asn.au/>
