Data when fishing and links and such

[HURRICANEBOB]

Do you have an I-phone? If so what data plan do you have for 3G? How much data do you really use a month?

Does an I-phone also have the ability to wi-fi?

If you had you choice, would you have a laptop/or I-pad that has wi-fi and 3G, or just a phone with only 3G?

Oh.....the fishing stuff was just to get you excited

[peter]

Do you have an I-phone? If so what data plan do you have for 3G? How much data do you really use a month?

Does an I-phone also have the ability to wi-fi?

If you had you choice, would you have a laptop/or I-pad that has wi-fi and 3G, or just a phone with only 3G?

Oh.....the fishing stuff was just to get you excited

Blackberry with Sprint.
Unlimited phone, text and data $69/month
Gets internet most places I go.

Iphone-blackberry personal prefference
I like to push buttons to type and can't deal with tapping a touch screen.

[DJD]

Love my I-phone. Very entertaining while in the airport or just killing time. Has wifi and I love the fact that the ipod is standard on it so I get all my music with me.

Actually use it for business as well....like checking pdf drawings while out of the shop and on job sites.

I surf with mine at the house (wifi) for short periods and have my laptop 20 ft away. I never used another touch screen phone so I don't know how good or bad they are. I have the 3GS and the only thing I would change is the battery life because it kinds sukks.

Sending vids and pics via email or text is easy but I'm guessing all the smart phones are.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Love my I-phone. Very entertaining while in the airport or just killing time. Has wifi and I love the fact that the ipod is standard on it so I get all my music with me.

Actually use it for business as well....like checking pdf drawings while out of the shop and on job sites.

I surf with mine at the house (wifi) for short periods and have my laptop 20 ft away. I never used another touch screen phone so I don't know how good or bad they are. I have the 3GS and the only thing I would change is the battery life because it kinds sukks.

Sending vids and pics via email or text is easy but I'm guessing all the smart phones are.

DJ:

If you have say a 2 GB data account, and you are at home, using the Wi-fi (not the 3g), does the data you wi-fi count against your monthly data allowance, the 2 GB?

[HURRICANEBOB]

Blackberry with Sprint.
Unlimited phone, text and data $69/month
Gets internet most places I go.

Iphone-blackberry personal prefference
I like to push buttons to type and can't deal with tapping a touch screen.

I wondered about that. Trying to figure out if my fat fingers would be nimble enough for the small crackberry key pad, or if the ones on the touch screen would be easier. Think I'll hit a store and pay with their stuff for awhile.

When you internet on a blackberry, does the sreen size make it hard to see full pages, or can ya zoom pretty easily.

Thansk to all for info. Toying with phones, and then deciding if I want to go laptop or I-pad to compliment that. On the water, want to hit fishin.com, and want to get at news and weather. I want to get passed coming home to say where stuff is happening on C-land, instead, want to be able to take a break and show folks near real time what's up. I mean if it helps someone while they are on the lake, all the much better.

[DJD]

Sorry man I don't know since the company pays the bill on it. My understanding is that since we have the old plan we still have the unlimited activity.

[Col Forbin]

If you are looking at a phone for accessing the web - you can't beat the iphone. You are only charged data when using cellular data (3g), not wi-fi. The only problem with using them on the lake is you have to have a pretty good signal for it to work at an acceptable speed (most remote places do not even have 3g access/coverage yet), however it will still load up, but quite a bit slower. I have some places saved in my favorites and that helps the load speed (not searching) - I check mine regularly during the summer for Ky Dam flow. But honestly, I have the iphone works best for checking/sending email and accessing sites for quick veiwing - not really searching the web, although I do that on occassion. My wife has the 2g data plan on hers - and has never come close to going over - and she uses it often. I am grandfathered into the unlimmited plan they no longer offer.

I like the Ipads - I use one at work often. When using wi-fi they work really good. We use them to collect behavioral and educational data on a web-based data program. They are awesome for email, and OK for web viewing. I haven't got to use one on 3g, but I hear good things about it. However, we get limitted 3g coverage here - actually just got 3g here a couple of months ago - and it is improving.

Honestly, I just had went through this debate the last couple of months. I thought I was going the Ipad route. However, once I started pricing them like I wanted (with the 3g and larger memory) I was going to spend close to and probably over $800 after taxes. And probably much more once I started adding accessories (card readers, case, keyboard/dock). I decided to go with a laptop (macbook pro). You can easily find a good laptop that is portable for the price of an IPad, that will do so much more (aside from the 3g access). However, I have an iphone for when I need to use it away from wi-fi.

[Col Forbin]

I wondered about that. Trying to figure out if my fat fingers would be nimble enough for the small crackberry key pad, or if the ones on the touch screen would be easier. Think I'll hit a store and pay with their stuff for awhile.

Forgot to mention this. Blackberry keypads are pretty easy to use. However, the iphone or most with touchscreen, you can rotate, and the keypad will landscape to make it as wide as the entire screen, more than doubling the size. I would just play with both and see what your comfortable with.

[peter]

I wondered about that. Trying to figure out if my fat fingers would be nimble enough for the small crackberry key pad, or if the ones on the touch screen would be easier. Think I'll hit a store and pay with their stuff for awhile.

When you internet on a blackberry, does the sreen size make it hard to see full pages, or can ya zoom pretty easily.

Thansk to all for info. Toying with phones, and then deciding if I want to go laptop or I-pad to compliment that. On the water, want to hit fishin.com, and want to get at news and weather. I want to get passed coming home to say where stuff is happening on C-land, instead, want to be able to take a break and show folks near real time what's up. I mean if it helps someone while they are on the lake, all the much better.

One of the newer blackberrys (torch) has a full screen (touch) and a key pad. Both this unit and the I phone allow you to browse the web about the same as you do on a computer and zooming in and out is easy. So if you do a lot of web browsing get one with a full touch screen, it will be easier.

At the lake I find myself texting some to commmunicate with other fishermen. I have a blackberry 8330 (smaller screen) and use the phone web browser to check the weather and look at weather radar maps when on the water. Many weather sites work well on this phone in column view. To post on this board the iphone or torch would be easier. Most newspapers and magazines are formatted to read well on the smaller screens. Makes for a handy companion when taking care of important business in the sitting position.

For the price 69/ month and the information I need, this phone works well for me. If I want to listen to Pandora(internet radio) at home or on the lake I can listen to it all day without worrying about going over the 2 gig data plan of ATT.

Also you can get a program for your phone called Tether ($50) that allows you to plug your phone into your laptop (usb or bluetooth) and use it as a modem to acess the internet on the lake. I have it but never use it...just easier to use the phone to read or type an email or check the weather.

I will guess that 85% of what you do on your new phone will be reading and typing so look closely at what phone is easiest for you to type on. Easy enough to compare at the ATT store.

[HURRICANEBOB]

To all, thanks very much for the insights. Looks like its going to be between the Blackberry and he Iphone. And Given the Col's advise, me thinks Ipad is toast and netbook or laptop tether is the lower bucks/higher capability way to go.

And when you think about 13 miles from Jamestown to the dam, I'll probably save money over my ole tin can and strings internet connection. String ain't cheap! I'd yell in my end, and the wife in the motel would listen on her tin can, then relay it by cell phone to her sister in Louisville, who would fire up her PC, and tell us when it was going to rain. Give that slow connection, now you know how I became called "HurricaneBob" for being out in the rain so much

[know1]

I have had both iPhone versions and now have an Android phone. I prefer the Android and won't go back to the iPhone, but it's not that big of a difference.

I have the unlimited plan, but I've looked into it and have never come anywhere close to the 2GB limit (not even half). I am usually under the 200MB ($15) plan as well.

When you're on WiFi, it does NOT count against your data limit.

I use my phone at home to surf the net more than I do my computer. Of course, I have optimized the way I surf so that I rarely have to go to any actual websites. I just feed everything I'm interested in to an RSS reader.

I will say that I do not understand the need for an iPad. It's just a bigger iPhone that can't make calls. Why bother?

[HURRICANEBOB]

I will say that I do not understand the need for an iPad. It's just a bigger iPhone that can't make calls. Why bother?

KNOW-GUY: You said it best, I agree on the Ipad thing. Thanks for the info on the "droid", was wondering about that.

All good info, and I appreciate it.

Just think, with a smart phone, I will be able to reply on fishin.com "while still at the bar".