How many of you actually use the wireless web feature on your cell phone?

In My Humble Opinion
1

With all the new TV commercials for the different cell carriers touting wireless web access as one of the main reasons to get thier cell phones, I got thinking.

I bought a Sprint PCS Samsumg SCH-3500 back in 99. It was the first phone with web access that I had had. I tried out the email and read the movie times all in the first day or two of having it, and after that I have never used the web features of any cell phone I have.

I am curious who these things are made for? They are so cumbersome and a pain in the ass to get around in that I can’t imagine anyone using them on a regular basis. Shit, I had a hard time reading my hotmail on the thing. And its so SLOOOWW…

How many of you use this feature of your cell phones? Do you like it? Can you really not wait a few minutes till you get to a web enabled computer to find out the value of your stock?

Also, while I have you here, how many of you use the text messaging feature of your phones? Doesn’t make anymore sense to me than the web stuff. Its a major pain in the ass to type out words on your cell, so why not just call the person you wanna talk to? You DO have a cell phone with you.

Is all this stuff just for kids who have nothing better to do with there time?

2

My Ericsson T20 (bought it last year) has WAP, I don’t know if that’s the same you’re referring to. Wireless Access Protocol, if I’m not mistaken.

It sucks. Hard.

Connections are slow, the screen actually is too small to read properly (3 lines), it disconnects with the WAP provider (a freebie, granted) about 3 times per minute. The information you can get on the WAP access is hardly worth the trouble - especially with Internet access at work and home.

Of course, the new technological developments are making things more interesting. What’s that new protocol called, UMTP or something? I’ve seen those phones, and they look snazzy. Colour screens, digital sound (real tunes as ring tones, et cetera), decent looking browser on board.

3

I use the WAP features on my Nokia. It’s handy for checking up on the football scores while I’m on a train or in the pub. I doubt I’ll ever use it for more than scores.

4

Same as Crusoe.

5

I use the AOL messenger feature on my Sprint PCS Kyocera sumthin-or-other when freesok’s home and I am elsewhere with the phone. It’s convenient when I’m running really late or a call comes for him because he doesn’t have to go to the payphone to call me. I haven’t used the wireless web itself. I can’t think of anything I’d need to see that couldn’t wait until I went home.

6

The last time I used the wireless web on my phone was on 9/11, when I couldn’t get to a TV or radio and I needed news. That was the one and only time that it was actually useful, so I’m glad it has that feature, but I would never use it regularly, because as others have said, it’s slow and difficult to use.

7

I use my Wireless Web at times. When I’m out of town, I use it to look up some restaurants, etc. I check my e-mail with it every so often and I can also sit on instant messager without using minutes and if someone needs to send a message, they can zap it to me. It has its uses but for the most part, I don’t take advantage of all of them.

Tibs.

8

The OP also mentioned text messaging. I reckon I get/send about ten messages for every call made/received. Cheaper than a typical call, and if you have and can get used to the predictive text facility it is no great hassle to fire off a couple of sentences.

9

I’ve used the SMS (short message service) for email - very very useful - fairly easy

I’ve used a cable to connect my phone to my:
1 - Palm for email - very useful - easy
2 - Palm for internet - somewhat useful - not easy
3 - Laptop for email - useful - easy
4 - laptop for internet - useful - easy.

I never bothered with direct internet on the 3 line phone as the palm is too small.

One thing about verizon wireless is that they include an isp for the phone which allows 14.4 connection (billed as regular conversation)

10

Text messaging is a vast industry in Europe. The popularity really surprised the providers; a recent figure I read put text messaging down as the source of 5% of the gross revenue of mobile telecoms providers.

This article has some interesting background on the history and growth of SMS…