.........a cellphone question.

[Speedball]

Probably 99% of the people in the world are cellphone users, I'm the other 1% but I need to get one strictly for business. I just want something that is cheap and sounds as good as the big name brands....Cingular-Sprint...etc..., all the salesmen I talk to say theirs is the best.

Any thoughts about the one in the link? This one can be purchased from a Meijer store without a contract.

http://www.net10wireless.com/home_page.jsp?b=i&flash=YES&p=W&task=home_page

[dtel's daughter]

I would opt to get one through a company such as Sprint, Nextel, or Cingular. The problem with prepaid phones is the airtime. You buy them as you need them but there tends to be an out where the company takes so many minutes a day if the phone is used or not so you end up losing minutes. Also alot of the prepaid phones do not work in as many places as the phones through a national carrier. But then again that is what i have found.... You may do better talking to a few people in the area you live in and ask what they think about their cell company... Hope this helps

[Speedball]

......Thank You.

[dtel]

This is dtel's wife, he was logged in and I didn't realize it before I posted this:

Nextel and Sprint have merged. Depending on what your intended use with the phone is Nextel/Sprint offer free incoming calls.

This is a real nice plus for you and your clients/customers. If a client/customer calls you don't have to rush them off of the phone because you are being charged towards your total minute usuage. Also, you can control the minutes you are billed for since you only pay for outgoing calls.

I personally have tried a few, recently went back to Nextel. The walkie-talkie feature is really nice if you have business associates, clients or anyone else that has Nextel, this feature is free. ie. no time charged toward outgoing or incoming.

Most businesses went Nextel. For a while they were the only cell phone carrier with the walkie talkie feature. It is still probably the most widely chosen cell phone carrier for business. You can check out Sprint's website and Nextel's website, depending on the info you put in you may be redirected to Nextel Partners which is the same thing. They offer a variety of plans, if you need any advice let me know. The cell phone business is a "racket" so be careful.

BTW, you can order online with Nextel, no salesmen. Your telephone will come in about two to three days. A few of the plans come with a free phone.

[wstrickland1]

This is dtel's wife, he was logged in and I didn't realize it before I posted this:

Nextel and Sprint have merged. Depending on what your intended use with the phone is Nextel/Sprint offer free incoming calls.

This is a real nice plus for you and your clients/customers. If a client/customer calls you don't have to rush them off of the phone because you are being charged towards your total minute usuage. Also, you can control the minutes you are billed for since you only pay for outgoing calls.

I personally have tried a few, recently went back to Nextel. The walkie-talkie feature is really nice if you have business associates, clients or anyone else that has Nextel, this feature is free. ie. no time charged toward outgoing or incoming.

Most businesses went Nextel. For a while they were the only cell phone carrier with the walkie talkie feature. It is still probably the most widely chosen cell phone carrier for business. You can check out Sprint's website and Nextel's website, depending on the info you put in you may be redirected to Nextel Partners which is the same thing. They offer a variety of plans, if you need any advice let me know. The cell phone business is a "racket" so be careful.

BTW, you can order online with Nextel, no salesmen. Your telephone will come in about two to three days. A few of the plans come with a free phone.

and go Nextel if for nothing other than the commercial where the 2 idiots are dancing to Salt N Pepa. It's gettin kinda old but still funny.

[WMcD]

Well, it might work for you. But I wonder for how long. Tom and Ray (Click and Clack on NPR) say, "The stingey man pays the most." How true. I sometimes buy cheap stuff. Then find I have to go back and buy expensive stuff, which I should have done in the first place. So I pay more and feel stupid, to boot.

You might eventually find you have to use more features and want the standard or advanced units. Yes it is slippery slope, and things snowball. Still, there is no getting away from the way things are going.

I'm a bit behind the times right now. You're talking even worse.

I started with pay as you go, many years ago, like 10 years or more. A regular contract eventually made more sense and I went to AT&T (now Cingular).. Then a few years ago I was going to Europe and sprung for GSM, which is what they use over there.

It just so happens that my sister and brother-in-law and the kids use Cingular. And so do the big cheese at the office. I have some notion that it is better to all be on the same system. Something for you to think about.

There are good reasons to be fully loaded for bear in the business world. The clients and the competition sure are. If you show up with a budget system, some people might start thinking the wrong way.

I'll probably eventually spring for a PDA type with e-mail and internet and the nice big screen. I cringe at the cost. It is all but inevitable.

I can understand the hesitation. I thought a cell phone was a luxury. Then it really saved the day when I was stuck on a bus on Lake Shore Drive in a snowstorm and couldn't get to an important meeting. Funny, everyone else was snowed in too. I was in the communication loop though. It was cheap at twice the cost.

I thought text messaging was lame. Then I had to get a message to Itally and it saved the day.

I thought cell phone camera's were toys. But then I came across a scene which a client really liked to see.

The above are old history. In the future, the trend will be continued. To a large extent, like computers, you have to keep up with high school students.

So you can see where I'm going. This is a business tool. As such, it is worth the investment to get something good and learn all the new features.

Gil

[dtel's wife]

Nextel is not the cheapest cell phone carrier around. However, IMO they have some of the best customer service available, including a Retention Department. If you have a problem that can't be resolved with Nextel Customer Care, you can ask for the Retention Department.

Generally, the Retention Department will seek to resolve the problem quickly and compensate you if necessary. ie. extra minutes, upgraded phone, reduction in bill. I do believe they offer most, if not all of the amenities Gil has mentioned.

There are a few things to consider when chosing a carrier.

[Bill H.]

Speed,

For Our area, (I live in Terre Haute), Verizon is the Best choice. There smallest plan is 35 a month

with about 400 Minutes. Get the Nation wide plan that includes long Distance and Roaming.. Plus

free nights and weekends.

I have a plan with 700 min free nights and weekends, plus with my daughter added. It is 69.99 + (the stupid federal + state + fcc .....taxes).............

Until last year I was just like you..........it is very convient to have.........

I say Verizon, because they are local, handy, and if service is needed they aren't too bad.

[CAS]

Well, it might work for you. But I wonder for how long. Tom and Ray (Click and Clack on NPR) say, "The stingey man pays the most." How true. I sometimes buy cheap stuff. Then find I have to go back and buy expensive stuff, which I should have done in the first place. So I pay more and feel stupid, to boot.

You might eventually find you have to use more features and want the standard or advanced units. Yes it is slippery slope, and things snowball. Still, there is no getting away from the way things are going.

I'm a bit behind the times right now. You're talking even worse.

I started with pay as you go, many years ago, like 10 years or more. A regular contract eventually made more sense and I went to AT&T (now Cingular).. Then a few years ago I was going to Europe and sprung for GSM, which is what they use over there.

It just so happens that my sister and brother-in-law and the kids use Cingular. And so do the big cheese at the office. I have some notion that it is better to all be on the same system. Something for you to think about.

There are good reasons to be fully loaded for bear in the business world. The clients and the competition sure are. If you show up with a budget system, some people might start thinking the wrong way.

I'll probably eventually spring for a PDA type with e-mail and internet and the nice big screen. I cringe at the cost. It is all but inevitable.

I can understand the hesitation. I thought a cell phone was a luxury. Then it really saved the day when I was stuck on a bus on Lake Shore Drive in a snowstorm and couldn't get to an important meeting. Funny, everyone else was snowed in too. I was in the communication loop though. It was cheap at twice the cost.

I thought text messaging was lame. Then I had to get a message to Itally and it saved the day.

I thought cell phone camera's were toys. But then I came across a scene which a client really liked to see.

The above are old history. In the future, the trend will be continued. To a large extent, like computers, you have to keep up with high school students.

So you can see where I'm going. This is a business tool. As such, it is worth the investment to get something good and learn all the new features.

Gil

And what's great about most all of the above features like text messaging, GSM, camera and others are all included even on the free phones these days. My mother is finally realizing she could use these features and upgraded to a nice camera phone (for free, of course). I remember when a backlit display was a great feature on my phone in the 90's.

[CAS]

Oh, and one more thing. Whatever company you go with you'll probably be just fine. What I mean is, it's a give and take depending on the comany/provider. For example:

ATT/Cingular - great customer service but poor coverage/reception nationwide (even though it appears the oposite on their brochures)

Sprint - outstanding coverage/reception but poor customer service (unless it's changed recently)

Verizon - great service and coverage but more expensive plans

Off brands - great priced plans but very expensive cell phones and fees while the major brands offer free phones.

These are all from personal usage experience. Your area may be slightly different but you understand the concept. It's such a competitive market that it usually equals out somehow. Just go with the one that's right for you. If you don't leave your area then it's useless to pay for a nationwide plan. If you don't talk during the week then get the lowest number of minutes but free weekends, etc. Gather all the brochures and mark the options you need.

Also, unless you use it VERY infrequently you'll probably make out better in the long runwith a plan instead of pay-as-you-go. Don't underestimate your usage. I've noticed the 50+ age group isn't quite as keen on them as the 50 and under, but this tool will eventually become a part of you. There's a reason 99% of us carry it with us like our car keys.

[Cal Blacksmith]

All the major players are about the same, the important thing is good coverage where you live and work. There is a "try out" time of about a week (check to make sure you know how long you have) to make sure the phone / service will work for you. In most places, one company will work better than the others. Use this time wisely to find which is best for you. The coverage maps are "not always accurate" to put it kindly [] Get a paid minutes plan. The sweet spot right now seems to be in 500 minutes range. We have 1000 plus free nights, weekends and long distance. I use the phone about 300 minutes a month, the wifes phone gets about 50 and the Sons gets about 1500 (including unlimited free nights and weekends)

[fini]

Virgin Mobile is good if you don't make many calls. Pay-as-you-go, you need to put $20 in every 90 days. Costly per minute ($.25), but no monthly plan. It uses Sprint's system. A buddy just got one of their phones for $20 from their website:

http://virginmobileusa.com/

You get $10 in airtime with that, too. Pretty much a no-brainer, IMHO.

[Piranha]

Just about everyone that I know uses a Cingular cellphone. I pay $39.99 a month for 1,000 anytime minutes, free nights and weekends, free mobile to mobile (Cingular subscribers only) and free long distance in the USA. I have never went over. The free mobile to mobile is the key selling point for me. Plus, my signal strength and reception are both excellent at home and office.

Don't expect good customer service though, they really suck at that! I hear other carriers are pretty bad too?

[boa12]

due to the intense competition, they all have about the same price for the same phones, services & features.

do some research & get the one that has the best signal strength in

your area, & where you go alot. it IS that simple.

P.S., usually it's verizon wireless (IMO & experience). []

[sdfan]

As someone above stated, check about the reception in your area. I live in east-central Florida. Over the years and different providers and phones, I found that in the area around where I live, there's a bit of a dead area around my house. Either no bars or maybe one or two within about a one mile radius of my house, which limited my ability to take advantage of free airtime at night and weekends, especially for long distance calls. I ended up finding that my current provider, T-mobile, gives me the most reliable(but not perfect) signal coverage. Good luck.

[seti]

Who do you talk to the most? Cingular or sprint cell users. Many of my friends have switched to cingular and my total used minutes went down drastically because so many calls were cingular to cingular and free so I reduced my plan.