I need to have internet connectivity aboard my boat. Otherwise, how can I write Navagear?
But I’m a cheapskate, and I don’t want to pay for some dedicated data plan I would only use on the boat. We’re happy with our ISP at home, so we don’t want to rock that particular boat.
I’ve finally got something up and running that DOESN’T require new equipment and an additional monthly payment. Essentially, it’s free; by which I mean I’m not paying any more to use the internet aboard my boat than I would have otherwise. See, I just changed over to T-Mobile, and got a new Shadow Smart Phone.
In addition to my phone service plan, I added the $19.99-per-month “Total Internet” data package. I would have added that anyway, since the Shadow is a Windows Mobile device, so there’s no added expense there.
Now I can connect my phone to the laptop with a USB cable, reconfigure Microsoft ActiveSync NOT to use USB, and then use the phone’s “Internet Sharing” (under Accessories) to connect.
And viola (or maybe I mean “walla“?): the laptop’s on the internet!
It ain’t perfect, but it’s damn good for the price. Here are the major drawbacks:
- Must be within T-Mobile coverage area. In Puget Sound, I am most of the time. How will it do from Sucia Island or on the Hood Canal? We’ll see.
- T-Mobile data speed, while reliable, is notoriously slow. No streaming music or video-on-demand for me. However, it’s still slightly better than the fastest dial-up access, so for text and static pictures, this is not a deal killer.
- It’s a bit of a bother to turn USB on and off within ActiveSync each time you want to change the phone between internet access and syncing. You can’t do both through the one USB connection, apparently. I’d love to learn that there’s a quick way to get around this.
So far, it’s working great, and the price was definitely right.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll miss the “free” minutes we shared when we were both customers of “the new ATT.” But I have minutes to burn, and I am glad that you have, once again, a reliable cell phone.
Now, when will those crabs be coming my way!
I’m not sure a Shadow is the best choice for a mobile phone on a boat. It would have been a good idea to consider a 3G phone. For boat use, I’d also want to consider the ability to have an external antenna and a touch screen for more advanced applications (like navigation). Finally, a 200 MHz CPU is at the very low-end for a smartphone.
All that said, the Shadow is a nice package and it’ll get you connected easily!
Hey Tim – send your mom some crabs and connect her up on Skype!
If the Shadow is anything like my T-Mobile Dash, there’s a little application in the accessories folder called “Internet Sharing.” Once you’ve told it to share it switches over automatically from synchronizing to using the data connection–no disabling of USB ActiveSync required.
Hey Jeffrey…what happened to that chart plotter app you made for smarto\phones? I’ve tried everything I could find on my old PocketPC phone, but most I’ve found are awkward and/or complex.
Aaron
Aaron – it’s coming – Palm will be first. Check out http://www.activemap.com for some real screen shots. It now rotates the chart for course-up display and integrates all charts together into single region files. It obviously also integrates to all of the http://www.activecaptain.com data.
The chart handling is working for WM/Professional (touchscreen version) today. I’m considering the smartphone version (non-touchscreen) but I’m not sure it is a good idea yet. If you have a touchscreen version, I can get you a pre-alpha version that works with GPS, has routes, waypoints, etc.
The best way to stay informated about the new software is to sign up for the ActiveCaptain newsletter at http://www.activecaptain.com. You can also write to me: jeff (at) activecaptain.com
Jeff, I agree that the Shadow isn’t necessarily the most ideal boat phone. That’s sort of my point. I didn’t buy a boat phone. I just bought a phone I liked at a good price with a plan I would use anyway.
The fact that it works reasonably well as a laptop modem while I’m in a coverage area means that I don’t really need to invest in something that would be more powerful/flexible/appropriate for the boat.