Code 0 and GPRS

BrendanS

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Code 0 - asymmetric sail
GPRS - Short for General Packet Radio Service, a type of 'broadband' for mobile phones, allowing faster data download and upload than the usual GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) service. Usually you pay by the Mb for data transferred

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ChrisE

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Code 0 is a big lightweight foresail used for going to windward in light conditions, according to the other postings on the board.

GPRS is a wireless comms protocol used in mobile phones for data transmission. eg internet access and mail. I use one for collecting my mail on my notebook PC, as do many others.

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Anonymous

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GPRS for Laptops

Chris, I am looking at buying a Dell GPRS module - data only, no phone comms - but cannot find any details from O2, Vodafone or Orange regarding their service. They all show tariffs for GPRS as part of a mobile phone package, but not data alone. Which service do you use for your notebook? Thanks, David

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BrendanS

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Re: GPRS for Laptops

Just had a look on the vodafone website. They do a gprs only tariff


Mobile Connect Card Monthly charge Inclusive data (MB) Charge per additional MB

Mobile Connect Select £127.00 £5.00 0 £2.00
Mobile Connect 10 £127.00 £15.00 10 MB £1.50
Mobile Connect 25 £127.00 £25.00 25 MB £1.00
Mobile Connect Complete £85.00 £45.00 150 MB £1.00


These prices assume you've bought the card from them (same as with mobile phone plans). They also do a pay as you go version. Look in the business section rather than consumer. I would assume other companies like O2 etc will provide similar tariffs

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Anonymous

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Re: GPRS for Laptops

Thanks, that was very useful. I hadn't looked at that section because the blurb said that it was for large companies. I can't find their prices for G3 overseas or the pay as you go prices for the PC card. I think I'll spend an hour or so in the O2, Vodaphone and Orange shops in Truro and see if they can help further. I am planning to use squaremile while in the UK and in the marinas they service because there is no data limit but it would be nice to have the laptop available for when we travel around if the cost is not too great. It is especially interesting for use overseas if there are no wi fi hotspots.

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BrendanS

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Re: GPRS for Laptops

couldn't get to the pay as you go prices, as you have to register your card to top it up.

O2 is also in the business section
Data Tariffs

Full internet access and email on the move at speeds upto 5 times faster than standard GSM mobile data.

These tariffs can be used for our Mobile Web and Mobile Web VPN services or with our GPRS DataLink solutions.

A range of tariffs to suit individual needs

Whatever volume of GPRS data you use, we have a tariff to suit you. You can choose:

• O2 Data Sense - The data tariff that gets cheaper the more you use it - No monthly commitment.
• O2 Data Max - The set price data tariff for high volume data customers
• O2 Data 5 - A data only tariff with 5 megabytes of inclusive data

O2 Data Sense - Standard on all voice calling plans

The majority of business users rarely know exactly how much data they will use every month, therefore making a choice of which bundle to take more difficult. O2 Data Sense removes this barrier by decreasing the price paid per MB, the more they use.

O2 Data Sense (data only) (no monthly cost)
Data Usage Price per MB within Band (Ex VAT)
Up to 100Kb Free
100Kb - 1MB £2.00
1MB - 5MB £1.36
5MB - 10MB £1.19
10MB - 20MB £1.02
20MB + £0.85


Data 5 (Data Only) with Monthly Subscription £8
5MB allowance per month, then £1 per additional Mb. You can roll some of this over to the next month if unused

Roaming abroad in 2 bands depending on the country you are in, and there is a minimum daily charge, so sggest you look at website for details
Tier A £6.00 per Mb + vat
Tier B £18.00 per Mb + vat

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ChrisE

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Re: GPRS for Laptops

I use a Vodafone data card, which is not dissimilar to the Dell offering. I use Vodafone's data only tariff which costs m £40/month per 40mB volume with a cost of about £1/mB over the limit, from memory there is, on top of that, a monthly standing charge of about £10. All figures ex-VAT. I use this stuff professionally so am prepared to pay for the service. I use Vodafone because as far as I'm aware they have the best global coverage.

I find that in daily use for e-mail up/downloads and some web browsing that 40mB/month is about right. For non-professional use I'd guess that you could get away with a considerably lower tariff.

Others have posted info from their websites, I work close to the Vodafone shop in Victoria St, London where the staff are very helpful regarding tariffs, etc.

For what it's worth, I have found the Vodafone GPRS service generally very good, it does have the odd local system crash which takes the service off the air for an hour or two but in the time I've had mine (over a year) there have been three. I use it extensively on the boat for getting weather forecasts.

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Anonymous

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Re: GPRS for Laptops

The price for connection in Europe seems very high - £6 to £ 10 per MB and that's on contract, not PAYG (which prices are not given on the website). But then again, I suppose that if one works with images turned off until the right page has been found, and only uses it for important things like weather or finding local services, banking, email, booking flights, etc. rather than 'surfing' it might be affordable. Maybe I will go for a PAYG and that way I have the facility if it seems worthwhile and no fixed overhead. I can supplement that with WiFi in spots where that offers a better deal. Many thanks for your helpful input.

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pragmatist

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Whole article on Code 0 page 42 of May YW. Oh dear - now HWMBO wants one.

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Anonymous

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It looks as though WiFi is going to take off in a big way and it's far cheaper and faster than GPRS. Take a look at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.thecloud.net/mycloud/>The Cloud</A> who offer a clearing service for various providers like BT Openworld, Squaremile, etc as well as offering a pay as you go access to roamers. I've ordered a Dell laptop with Wi Fi for this very reason and will report back to the forum in due course. If I don't, someone nudge me!

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