I might finally get a cell phone input needed...

[tysonK]

So after entering my zip code I was looking at these. I really don't need a cell phone(minus the gate at Eric's house incident).

Nextel: I like the Local Instant Connect Plan(aka cheap bastard plan) 40/mo. And so far most of the phones I have seen on have been more expensive than just buying off the nextel site WTF? eBay Link for http://nextelonline.nextel.com/phone...mparison.shtml But I guess you don't have to sign a 2 year contract if you already have a phone ready to go?

Nextel Online


After searching different plans:

Verizon: verizon seems expensive, unless we were all verizon customers.

Verizon Wireless

cingulair is freakin cheap plus a free phone:

Cingular:

Cingular

T-Mobile: a little better than Nextel but no Walkie Talkie..

T-Mobile

[MattR]

Get a Nextel...Conform.

[Dean]

If you plan to dump your hard line, unlimited localis the only way to go I think. It is also possible that you could get rate discounts based on your employer, or someone else's employer. Heck, you could become one or Eric's long lost family members, or they could say they need one for their dog.

Nextel has direct conect but coverage in rural Nevada is not great.

Verizon probably has teh best coverage nationwide, including rural Nevada. (You want a tri-mode mode phone if you go Verizon in NV) UPS uses them.

Sprint is sort of on the same towers as Verizon, but digital only, so bad in rural NV you are hosed.

AT&T is in the rocess of converting everything to GSM, and just bought one of the next guys, so there network is a mess..

Cingular & T-Mobile, got no info for you. One of them just got sucked up by AT&T.

The bottom line is expectations. here is no such thing as a good Cel phone, a good Cel phone company, and good Cel phone Reps are like gold!

[Nick Koan]

Actually, its AT&T that just got bought out by Cingular, not the other way around.

The AT&T network is kind of a mess because some old AT&T phones (like mine) weren't compatible with some Cingular GSM towers. AT&T gave a lot of people (like me) free 'upgrades' to work on the Cingular network, but besides that feature, the phones were really downgrades.

I don't know about Cingular up here, but down in Southern California their service was great. Cingular probably has one of the best coverage maps in the US, and now that they have access to AT&T towers, its even better.

T-Mobile, unless something changed recently, uses most of Cingulars network, so coverage with T-Mobile is similar to Cingular.

Verizon has got great coverage too, probably on par with Cingular, but I've only known a few people that use them.

Nextel seems to be the way to go up here. Their coverage can be a bit spotty, but the network seems fine here in Reno.

I have AT&T right now, but my contract ends in 6-7 months. Its okay. Not the best service, but decent. Cingular is a little bit better, IMO, but since they are now one company, we'll see how long it takes for AT&T to get a lot of the cool features that Cingular has.

[tysonK]

Since I have day job where I can't use a phone, I don't really need anytime minutes that bad. I guess I really don't care about nationwide coverage either because I don't travel much and when I do I am not making calls to anyone. Nextel is looking good if I can find a cheap flip phone.

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by nKoan

I have AT&T right now, but my contract ends in 6-7 months. Its okay. Not the best service, but decent. Cingular is a little bit better, IMO, but since they are now one company, we'll see how long it takes for AT&T to get a lot of the cool features that Cingular has.

"cool features" like what?

[Nick Koan]

The rollover minutes is the main one. There were a few others that were neat, but not 100% necessary for me. I can't remember those off the top of my head right now, though.

[tysonK]

ok

[Dean]

Don't forget, Nights and weekends don't start until at least 7, and some as late as 9:00. And you may want to make calls at lunch, or break. Anytime minutes, or unlimited local is probably the way to go, and ditch your home phone to pay for some of it.

[qksubi]

Matt is ANIMAL 353am after the night we had you are my hero!!

[qksubi]

Oh yeah go nextel

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by Dean

Don't forget, Nights and weekends don't start until at least 7, and some as late as 9:00. And you may want to make calls at lunch, or break. Anytime minutes, or unlimited local is probably the way to go, and ditch your home phone to pay for some of it.

Well so far in 4 years I have not had to make a call at lunch or break but I will keep it in mind.

Yah I don't know when nights and weekends start with Nextel.

thanks

[qksubi]

they start at 9pm but all in coming calss are free and the 2-way is unlimted on the right package But my biggest advice to you is buy online and if you cant wait for the overnight shipping aviod the gray haired guy at nextel
by our house scott can vouch for that advice He is a giant dumbass

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by qksubi

they start at 9pm but all in coming calss are free and the 2-way is unlimted on the right package But my biggest advice to you is buy online and if you cant wait for the overnight shipping aviod the gray haired guy at nextel
by our house scott can vouch for that advice He is a giant dumbass

But can't you get a better deals at the store?

If you talk to the right person?

[qksubi]

I dont know! Just avoid old dude he f!@# scotts account real good talk to the girls there they both know there shit When I first got nextel I ordered it online sunday afternoon and got the phone on monday afternoon :shock:
opened the box follwed the directions and it was working in few seconds
But if you are interested in my phone we would have to go to the store so they can transfer the phones

[MattR]

Originally Posted by qksubi

Matt is ANIMAL 353am after the night we had you are my hero!!

You know it...

Tyson, I like my nextel a lot, mostly because of Direct Connect...The coverage locally is great, but like Dean said, Rural coverage is spotty.

My sister has a T Mobile and frickin loves it. It works everywhere and her coverage is bulletproof. I'd probably give T Mobile a try if I wasn't on board with Nextel.

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by MattR

You know it...

Tyson, I like my nextel a lot, mostly because of Direct Connect...The coverage locally is great, but like Dean said, Rural coverage is spotty.

My sister has a T Mobile and frickin loves it. It works everywhere and her coverage is bulletproof. I'd probably give T Mobile a try if I wasn't on board with Nextel.

Originally Posted by MattR

Get a Nextel...Conform.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is hot. like terminal.

Ok so I guess I will have to think about this some more.
argh

[tysonK]

So T-Mobile has a regional(sac/reno) plan for 3000 whenever minutes for 50/mo.

1.5 hours of talking a day to anywhere when in T-Mobile GSM coverage.

I know I would'nt use more than that, plus they have a free motorola flip phone.

hmm

Other wise they have unlmited nights an weekends and only 600 anytime minutes. but 10/mo cheaper.

BTW I am typing this all out kinda so I can help myself decide/remember you don't really have to reply. :wink:

[Nick Koan]

What flip phone are they giving away? Is it the v60 (or v66)?

[tysonK]

Originally Posted by nKoan

What flip phone are they giving away? Is it the v60 (or v66)?

v300 biatch.


http://www.tmobile.com/products/imag...60&class=phone

200.00 web only rebate.

[LetItRev]

So you guys are thinking the way I am. I am shopping for a "better" plan. I currently have Sprint, but am out of my contract obligation time period.

Sprint was my choice about 3 years ago as they had the best service in and around Tahoe City.

Now that I live in Reno, I find myself heading into areas where Sprint leaves me roaming. This is true as you head East of Reno and South of Fallon area. Roaming is expensive with Sprint.

I have also heard that AT&T is being bought out by Cingular or whoever, and that this may be the way to go as they will have the best coverage area overall. I like having service down 395 to LA and 95 to Vegas. Most of the way I'm roaming but I can get service if I need it.

Sprint stinks in the Kings Beach area of the lake. When I work at the Kings Beach Fire Station, I am roaming.

Many of my friends have Nextel and agree with Matt and the others about the coolness of direct connect and no charge for incoming calls. They also summize that service stinks with Nextel when you get out of metropolitan areas leaving you with no service at all; not even a roam signal.

Because I can't get my pie and eat it to, I have stayed with Sprint.

As stated earlier, all of them suck!

[sperry]

I started with Cingular. They jerked me around, so I left.

Got AT&T... they got bought by Cingular... so on principal, Cingular will not get my money.... so I left. Again.

Now I'm on Nextel. So far it rocks. My phone kicks das booty.

Here's a little summary:

Cingular: good GSM network, Nokia phones are pretty nice, but cheap feeling, customer service sucks... (I had free text messaging for like 2 years, suddenly they decided I didn't and I got a $90 charge on my bill. I told them turn the free messaging on or they were losing their customer. They lost their customer.)

AT&T: Started on their TDMA network. Decent coverage, but older technology (calls dropped, no internet access). I had a KICKASS v60 Motorola phone... best phone evar! Then I washed it in the laundry. Didn't have insurance. So I got a Panasonic mMode phone on AT&T's GSM network (no AT&T GSM Motorola's at the time). Phone was sweet on paper (badass color screen, built-in modem, camera), but mediocre in reality. AT&T's GSM network had less coverage than the TDMA, but now that AT&T phone log into Cingular's towers, the coverage is much better.

Nextel: Expensive... at least the plan I'm on now, however I get 1000 minutes, free incomming, free direct connect, free long distance, free nights/weekends, free internet, free text messages, and insurance. The direct connect feature is annoying to everyone that doesn't have it but having it rules, it's so convienent. Plus I finally have a sweet Motorola phone again... the i830 is like the v60 times two!

So, I'd suggest the Nextel, just because there are so many of us SECCS people that are getting on board, but it might be overkill for you... you might be cool w/ T-Mobile (which I've heard good things, but haven't had any direct experience w/ 'em).

[sp00ln]

I had sprint which I thought worked really well, but I was jump-roping in the ocean one day with a piece of seaweed and I noticed my phone floating away in the ocean - my social life soon died there after. Since I'm going to Japan in a month, my mom let me borrow her phone in the mean time, which is AT&T and it BLOWS. I hate their service, so I dont suggest them. Nextel would be cool, but only if everyone you know has nextel. If you dont know anyone, you cant remote them or anything, so what's the point? Also, I've heard horror stories on how you dont have any privacy cuz anyone can remote you whenever. So, it could potentially be a double sided sword. Althought I have never used them, I would highly suggest T-mobile. They're HUGE in europe - everyone has them. And I believe if you bought a phone here, you could use it there - no problem. Like I said, they're huge in europe and I believe they will be huge here too.... one day. If I were not going to Japan, I'd get T-Mobile.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by sp00ln

... I was jump-roping in the ocean one day with a piece of seaweed ...

wtf???

[Nick Koan]

yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing