Another Affiliate Abroad Question... Which Email Device? (Blackberry/PDA)

[vcm]

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Hi,

I'm looking for some advice about travelling whilst running an affiliate business.

I've been looking at blackberry's for use in America and Australia but it seems like an expensive option. I don't want a new phone contract, and according to the lovely lady in my local o2 store, I cannot just take out the email side of the contract, I have to get the full contract for £35.00 per month.

What would anyone else suggest as the cheapest method of sending email on the move? I have a wifi enabled PDA, but I was hoping to use a device that does not rely on wifi and can send email from anywhere.

The lady in the store did mention using my PDA to connect to a GPRS network to send email, but said it can be costly - anyone got any advice?

Also, If I bought a blackberry off ebay rather than through a network store, could I rig it up to just send emails???

I would really appreciate any advice you can offer, plus any other ideas for email on the move.

thanks guys,
Craig

[KirstyM]

I'm in Australia and I am using a telstra Next G datacard with my laptop.

The signal's so good I get coverage where normal mobile phones have nothing. You don't need a contract so long as you buy the Datacard outright ($400), then you can go on a casual data-based plan for as long as you are here. They start at $28 a month.

Perhaps too expensive for you, but its worth its weight in gold to me as I can now work wherever we go instead of relying on internet caffs.

[deadgoodundies]

I've got a 02 XDA exec and I love it, I can run the whole business from it if i need to.
If im in a wifi area I can connect to a network and send email, use skype for voicecalls, log into my sites etc.

As it's unlocked if im abroad I can just buy a cheap pay as you go sim so I can use GPRS - then either use hotmail/gmail (use opera browser as it's the best out there) etc or connect direct to my office email server to send and recieve emails.

[vcm]

KirstyM - Thanks for the input. This option is a bit pricey for the amount I will be using. Something I might consider when things get real busy!

I've got a 02 XDA exec and I love it, I can run the whole business from it if i need to.
If im in a wifi area I can connect to a network and send email, use skype for voicecalls, log into my sites etc.

As it's unlocked if im abroad I can just buy a cheap pay as you go sim so I can use GPRS - then either use hotmail/gmail (use opera browser as it's the best out there) etc or connect direct to my office email server to send and recieve emails.

This is a fantastic idea, thanks. I've just overlooked the xda for some reason. I like the idea of skypeing on this (Which I already do on my PDA) but the fact these have a qwerty keyboard is a great benefit.

What are the GPRS charges like for emailing? I like the idea of using a sim card from each country, but I'm not sure how expensive this will be for sending emails? Any ideas?

Thanks again, I'm off to scout ebay for one of these.

[Dynamoo]

I think there are just too many choices when it comes to things like this!

If you want to use POP3/SMTP mail then you can use just about any mobile device on the market, although if you swap the sim, you may have to adjust the SMTP settings.

You can also use webmail if you have a phone-friendly webmail service. That's even easier to use, but it's a bit slower and might lead to higher data charges.

If looking at a device that one important thing is whether or not you want a QWERTY keypad. WiFi is also useful but it sucks the life out of the battery.

Personally, I use a Nokia 770 internet tablet and webmail. That has WiFi and Bluetooth connections (you slave it to an existing Bluetooth phone). There's also the Nokia N800 which is a little better. These are really two tiny Linux computers.. you will need another phone with them but that can be anything at all you like as long as it has Bluetooth.

The O2 XDA was mentioned. That's just a rebadged HTC smartphone, and they have a very wide choice of devices.

If you want to use a device in the US, then look for something with at least quad-band GSM and EDGE data (they'll all have basic GPRS which is just dial-up speed). UMTS (aka WCDMA or 3G to you or me) is good, and all UMTS phones also fall back to GSM. HSDPA is a new thing.. that's very high speed data, some device are tri-band or dual-band HSPDA which is what you'll need in the US.

Confusing, huh?

Some things you can have a look at (in no particular order):

• RIM BlackBerry 8800
• HTC P4350
• Palm Treo 750
• HTC S620
• T-Mobile Ameo / HTC Advantage
• Samsung i600
• Sony Ericsson P990i
• Motorola Moto Q q9 (coming soon)
• Nokia E90 Communicator (coming soon)
• Nokia E61i (coming soon)
• HTC TyTN

If I had to choose one of those, I'd personally wait for the Nokia E90 with its nice wide screen.

Most people who dabble in the mobile industry regard GSMArena as being the "phone bible". There's also a very comprehensive Phone Finder and each handset usually has dozens of short reviews. That might help you to narrow down the search!

[Dynamoo]

Thanks again, I'm off to scout ebay for one of these.

eBay is an absolute hotbed of fraud when it comes to high-end mobile phones. I really wouldn't bother with it. I've got an example here - http://www.dynamoo.com/diary/ebay-scam.htm - so you can see a little of how they operate.