http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
None of you probably noticed, but Sprint's losing money and can't afford to be giving away free services.]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
if you're here posting comments, who's there to mange the Starbucks?]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
I don't know anything about ATT's internal policies, and I'm not trying to defend Apple. I'm just presenting a possibility.]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
on topic: it's no wonder they are pulling this feature if you think about it. offering unlimited mobile data to someone using a mobile phone only is a pretty different beast from offering unlimited mobile data to somebody bittorrenting 24/7 on their laptop. there is just not that much data you _can_ use on the phone. at least not until somebody writes a BT client for it. ]]>Feb 19th 2009 5:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 5:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/I know he's a troll but:

The carrier does not control that sort of action. I believe it is ATT+Apple that controls it. (for the iphone) If you were smart, you'd get an unlocked phone say, the N95, and tether your heart away.]]>Feb 19th 2009 5:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
It's all about economics. If Sprint allowed tethering and didn't charge the extra $50, that would be lost revenue for them. Also, that would be the cheapest plan of all the majors with 'everything' included.

It's BS but it's business.]]>Feb 19th 2009 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
If you know anything about the story of how the iPhone came to be, and why it ended up on AT&T after failed Verizon talks, then you would know that Apple got to do exactly how they "freakin pleased." Verizon told them no, AT&T said sure, do whatever the hell you want, and that was that.

If Apple wanted to allow people to tether, you would be allowed to tether.]]>Feb 19th 2009 7:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
This was one of the break through features Apple offered on the iPhone: Apple made the iPhone work the way everyone had *assumed* their phones were already working. I suspect this was a major reason the Verizon deal went sideways: they use CDMA as well.

As far as I can tell Palm still doesn't have a working radio stack in the Pre. I've been very curious to see when that day comes about as I'm fascinated to see how such a heavily net-centric phone is going to work on CDMA and not have you missing your phone calls during uncontrollable bursts of net activity. I'll also hazard a guess that this is one of the major reasons the radio is taking so long to come up. They're likely re-writing the radio stack from top to bottom to try and minimize the data disruptions to voice circuits.]]>Feb 20th 2009 1:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/I tether my phone with my laptop nearly every day that I'm at work. Calls and txts come in fine, no different than if I wasn't using the phone as a modem.]]>Feb 21st 2009 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 21st 2009 6:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
Teathering is using up extended data. Soooo... why would any company give you free tethered data? You would have had to pay for tethering if the device had the program either way. Only one way to get around tethering charges, and you need to evil WinMo for it.]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
All I want is a data connection, I can figure out the rest as long as I can transfer packets.

]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
I also have an iTouch which I use regularly at home...]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
Yep. Thats exactly what I do with an N95. Still baffles how they can still charge so much to iphone users for literally the same thing I'm doing]]>Feb 19th 2009 5:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
In the Telco Model, you charge for maintaining different types of connections where the rates are determined not by the base energy required to transit the data but by what kind of data it is. So voice is billed from this invisible bucket of 'minutes', while SMS is billed at 20 cents to send 130 bytes on a control message channel that literally takes no mobile cell bandwidth. This is, of course, also priced higher if the target is farther away even though the internet pipes they're using don't price that way. All of these, of course, are vastly overvalued compared to the base data rate.

Carriers don't like tethering, because then it's pretty easy to think "hey, I can just tether, and get the same services that I pay extra for cheaper". They want a clear distinction between 'phone data' and 'computer data', because the former they bundle with voice minutes and SMS, while the latter doesn't come with those, so they raise the price anyway.]]>Feb 20th 2009 12:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/And for it to come out on a less assrapey network. ]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Get a real smart phone like the blackberry.. i tether my 8330 curve almost every day.. only pay the 30 dollar data package and have yet to get charged for anything else... ]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
With what I get on Sprint right now, i honestly feel like I'm doing the ass rapeing.. For $30 a month, i get unlimited Tex, Unlimited Data, which can teather via WMWiFiRouter.. AND 500 mins... AND my weekends and evenings start at 7pm instead of 9 like ATT/VZW... So, my entire package is the same price as AT&T's 3G data plan ONLY!]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
Ah, you're a SERO customer too eh? I'm betting that we get a forced data plan with the Pre, which I don't mind as long as the price isn't too high and the service stays quality.]]>Feb 19th 2009 5:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 20th 2009 9:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
there goes an army of business windows mobile users who depend on this functionality every day.
those customers couldve been yours, palm. better rethink this. ]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.palm.com/us/products/phones/pre/#tab2

It says it has bluetooth tethering.]]>Feb 19th 2009 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/At least that is what it looks like by removing that feature from the spec list...]]>Feb 19th 2009 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
(I cannot attest to these numbers personally, but after a few google searches, this is what came up.)]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 3:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/
So unless someone makse a PDAnet like app for the Palm Pre's WEB OS...]]>Feb 19th 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/palm-pre-no-longer-features-data-tethering-on-sprint-website/Feb 19th 2009 4:09PM