Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Need a phone for wireless internet on MacBook

Machead III

Machead III

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 4, 2002
467
0
UK, France
Hey guys,

I currently have an Intel iMac and a Nokia N70. I got the N70 to check email, browse the web etc. while travelling, but as I am going to be travelling a lot more in the future, I'm gonna sell my iMac on eBay which should hopefully raise enough to break even on a new MacBook (waiting for C2D).

This means I no longer need a smartphone, so I'm thinking of downgrading from my N70 to a cheaper, sleeker phone that I can also use as a bluetooth modem for my MacBook.

Any suggestions? I like the design of the PEBL and SLVRs, but I haven't heard many good things about their compatiblity as a blueooth modem with Macs.
 
I still have a brick smartphone. When I hand it to people their faces warp in a mixture of nostalgia and pity. They say 'how old is this?' and are genuinely taken aback when I say it came out this year.

I don't necessarily feel the burning desire to creak open the laptop when I need to check something. I suppose it depends on your priorities.

Personally I'm a big fan of Sony Ericsson phones. Any of the current candybar-shaped models would be a decent choice to use as a GPRS modem. No experience at all of recent Motorola phones (I think the last one I had was a StarTAC, no kidding) so someone else will have to answer that one.
 
Machead III said:
Nobody here has a cell phone?
Click to expand...

It's not that I don't have one, it's that I'm so sick of them:rolleyes: They always get stolen, and are so common, not to mention the quality of some cellphones. I think they will eventually become disposable they are becoming so cheap:rolleyes:

Anyway, why don't you check Apple's iSync devices page. It gives a list of most phones compatible with OSX;)

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/isync/devices.html
 
Sesshi said:
I still have a brick smartphone. When I hand it to people their faces warp in a mixture of nostalgia and pity. They say 'how old is this?' and are genuinely taken aback when I say it came out this year.

I don't necessarily feel the burning desire to creak open the laptop when I need to check something. I suppose it depends on your priorities.

Personally I'm a big fan of Sony Ericsson phones. Any of the current candybar-shaped models would be a decent choice to use as a GPRS modem. No experience at all of recent Motorola phones (I think the last one I had was a StarTAC, no kidding) so someone else will have to answer that one.
Click to expand...

What phone is it?
 
iSync compatibility doesn't necessarily mean bluetooth modem functionality. But I'll check out that Ross Barkman link to see what might suit me from those.

I read that the Moto L7 was the "world's most Mac friendly mobile", so I guess that will suit my modem needs, though I'd rather a PEBL, but so far I have heard of no successful attempts to use that as a modem.

Question: if I get an EDGE compatible phone, will I be able to browse at 3G speeds?

On second though, being as I'll be in tropical Africa, I'd better get used to ~kbps ;)
 
Noooooo!!! EDGE is only really used in North America on their small number of GPRS service providers (e.g. T-Mobile as T-Mobile is European.)

In Europe they are skipping from 2.5g (GPRS) all the way upto UTMS (3G)

Motorolas are amoungst the buggiest phones available!! I've had a few Razrs and the L7 and they are crap. If you are travelling around get a Nokia, they are generally the better for stability and signal (except the Symbian Smart Phones).

Ericsson phones are okay I have the K800i with 3G which works great but can be a bit tempremental with Mac's (this is sony after all ;) )

GSM will be slow on modem, it will seem unbearable at times if you can get into a 3G area then i'd say get a 3G phone.
 
dextertangocci said:
It's not that I don't have one, it's that I'm so sick of them:rolleyes: They always get stolen, and are so common, not to mention the quality of some cellphones. I think they will eventually become disposable they are becoming so cheap:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

They already are. To that point, every time my Australian friend (living in the USA) goes home to see his mother, she just reaches into the mobile phone drawer, pulls out any old GSM unit that she or her husband has moved on from, and he trots down to the petrol station for a local pay as you go simm.

The only sad thing is that he hasn't caught up with his mum. His phone in the USA is both CDMA and locked. Go figure.
 
garybUK said:
Noooooo!!! EDGE is only really used in North America on their small number of GPRS service providers (e.g. T-Mobile as T-Mobile is European.)

In Europe they are skipping from 2.5g (GPRS) all the way upto UTMS (3G)

Motorolas are amoungst the buggiest phones available!! I've had a few Razrs and the L7 and they are crap. If you are travelling around get a Nokia, they are generally the better for stability and signal (except the Symbian Smart Phones).

Ericsson phones are okay I have the K800i with 3G which works great but can be a bit tempremental with Mac's (this is sony after all ;) )

GSM will be slow on modem, it will seem unbearable at times if you can get into a 3G area then i'd say get a 3G phone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, here in Europe 3G is pretty much a standard, and I'd never heard of EDGE, so I guess that's why.

The thought of 3G speeds on my lappy are nice, but when I think about it, even in the unlikely event I'll be somewhere with 3G coverage (I imagine 99% of Africa is firmly 2G), it's still very expensive.

I'm looking at launch2net's list of compatible phones.

I've almost settled on the Sony Ericsson W300i. It has bluetooth and is compatible as a modem, is Euro Triband so works anywhere in Africa, it's small, cheap and hey, it has EDGE too.


Does anyone know if the Sony Ericsson K510i works as a bluetooth modem with Macs?
 
Nokia c3-00

Hi all
I am admittedly not very technical but have been trying to connect my new nokia c3-00 to my macbook to get internet. Reason for this is i live on a tiny island and the local internet firm has run ou t of wireless boxes, so this is my only hope. Therefore I do not have AT&T or any other such big provider.

I managed to pair the devices reasonably ok, however when i try to connect from the nokia it says "service not supported by other device", but when i click 'connect to device' on the mac they do connect via Bluetooth.

next I click 'configure device' but almost immediately the bluetooth disconnects and it gives an error message.

Can anyone please take me through the process in dumbed down language?
Thanks in advance,
Hannah
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back