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Microcap & Penny Stocks : Globalstar Telecommunications Limited GSAT -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: djane who wrote (5657)	7/11/1999 10:42:00 AM
From: djane	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29987

Review of Ericsson I888 world phone 28 JUNE 1999 Take-Along Tech: A world phone with a big plus Phone with built-in modem connects on five continents By Gary Krakow, MSNBC.com More Tech It seems Europe is leading the way these days when it comes to cellular phone design—smaller, lighter, better batteries, more features. The Ericsson I888 world phone is a prime example. Not only does it send and receive phone calls all over the world, but it has a built-in modem that lets you connect your laptop to your phone, wirelessly. The complete story EXPEDIA ADVERTISEMENT Tiny, quick, and reliable As a telephone, the I888 is similar to the Bosch World Phone that I tested last year. They're both digital GSM cellular phones that transmit and receive on the 1.8GHz band here in North America, and on the 900MHz band everywhere else. Simply put, that means you turn off your phone when you get on the plane in the States and turn it back on at your destination. No separate phones or phone numbers are necessary. When someone in the U.S. wants to reach you, all they have to do is dial your regular hometown cellular phone number, and it rings wherever you are (provided there is service, of course). The I888 itself is a solidly built little technological gem. It measures 5.1 by 1.9 by 0.8 inches (130 by 49 by 22 millimeters) and weighs in at 6.8 ounces (195 grams). It comes with a NiMH (nickel metal hydride) battery capable of 3–4 hours of talk time and 80 hours of standby capacity. And then there's that built-in modem card. It's electronically connected to the I888's infrared port. To use it, you don't need a separate modem card in your computer. And forget about having to carry around a bunch of connecting cords. Speaking of wires, the I888's power supply comes with a selection A/C adapter making it easy to plug in anywhere—a nice touch. The Bosch World Phone only came with a North American standard adapter. Fast for mail, slow for surfing I didn't get a chance to test the phone overseas, but I can report that it worked perfectly well here in the northeastern United States. I expect the same performance worldwide. Sound quality was near tops in its class. As for user-friendliness, I would rate the I888 good to very good. Its menu system was easier to use than most. As for using the modem, installation was easier than for some separate PC cards I've dealt with in the past. Run the IR port software (Ericsson provides a CD-ROM and floppies—another nice touch), aim the phone at your laptop, and watch everything install effortlessly. Then tell your computer you're using the I888 as your modem and press Connect. It's that simple. The whole ordeal took less than five minutes. I tried connecting to both my ISP and my office and it worked the first time, every time. Connection speed topped out at 9600 baud—great for e-mail but very slow for Web surfing. Remember, patience is a virtue. My digital service provider (Omnipoint) says they're hoping to raise the connection speed to 14,400 within the next few months; they're also experimenting with packet data technologies capable of providing connection speeds similar to the current hard-wired modems (56K). Competition on the way Ericsson also provides you with Mobile Office Suite software, consisting of a Phone Book Manager (Address Book, Dialer, and Phone Status Display) and a Message Manager (read, write, and send short text messages via phone). All looked great and were easy to master. Ericsson's I888 World Phone sells for US$199.95 from VoiceStream (western U.S.) and US$299.95 from Omnipoint (eastern U.S.). Service-plan prices (local, nationwide, and foreign) vary. At the moment, the I888 is one of the best cellular phones you can buy in the United States. In the next few months, however, expect phones with similar (and even improved) features from Nokia and Siemens. Nokia's nifty-looking 8800 series phones will also be able to browse the Internet. And the previous cellular phone that Siemens sold in the U.S., the S12, had the best radio section I've ever used. I hope they'll allow us to play with their new S25, too. We'll have to wait and see. More Tech Follow these links to see recent Take-Along Tech columns at MSNBC.com. When you're ready to return to Expedia.com, click the Back button on your browser. GPS: The ultimate companion on driving trips Garmin's mini-miracle, the GPS III, not only tells you where you are, but also shows you where you're going and where you've been. An afternoon with Sony's robot dog If you can't take your dog with you on a business trip, consider taking an Aibo, Sony's robotic pet. Blackberry: The ultimate wireless tool? The Blackberry combines the services of a pager with the convenience of a traveling e-mail account. ©1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Expedia Terms of Use