That'd be a 'phone then

[Magic_Sailor]

That\'d be a \'phone then

There's a bit of advertorial in the YM about a product that you connect to your PC and it allows you to go on the internet. It's a fairly blank looking box that according to the blurb uses the GMS system (like a mobile phone), can utilise GPRS (like a mobile phone), has a headset that you can speak into (like a mobile phone), and is ideal for the yachtsperson when close to land (like a mobile phone). All it lacks is a keypad and it would be (just like a mobile phone).

And only a £150.

Bargain?

Magic



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[robstracey]

Re: That\'d be a \'phone then

Sound pretty good. Do you know who makes it?

<hr width=100% size=1>Rob.

 

[andy_wilson]

Re: That\'d be a \'phone then

Alternatively you could buy a mobile phone with built in data capability, GPRS, possibly highspeed data, has a built in microphone, earpiece, keypad and battery so can be used without power supply - independantly.

That'd be a phone then.

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[Heckler]

the point about this

is that you can connect the laptop to the inet without a fiddly wire to your mobile or infra red that always loses the connection cause the boats rolled and the mobby has fallen on the floor or the bluetooth has lost the connection, if you look a biyt closer it also connects at 56k, a bit better than my orange mobby at 19k, and if you use ms dialler you can use the keyboard to dial out and text, less fiddly than getting tennis elbow in your thumb!!!
stu

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[PerL]

Re: the point about this

There is a solution to the fiddly wires and IR out of range, and it's called Bluetooth. Granted, you'll probably have to buy a bluetooth card for your laptop and there is a possibility that you'll have to buy a newish mobile phone (do they make them without Bluetooth nowadays?) but the advantages and flexibility of such a setup should be far greater than having a mobile phone lookalike permanently connected to your laptop. And therefore cheaper in the long run.

Although I haven't personally seen it yet, one of the uses for bluetooth is supposed to be in marine electronics, where you will be able to get data from your [little thingys that collect data] without having to pull wires from the mast or through your hull.

I would go for this solution if I had one of those boaty things. For now, I will have to settle with bluetooth in my car where it has worked without a flaw since installed.

/Per

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[extravert]

Re: That\'d be a \'phone then

...or you could buy a phone with all of that, and a large touch sensitive screen and a proper web (not just wap) browser and email. Ditch the laptop completely.

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[Magic_Sailor]

Quite!

What are the manufacturers thinking of here?

Magic



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[Heckler]

yeah we all know about blue tooth

there was an article in PCPro about one of the writers trying to connect some bluetooth equip, it took him ages and then when he got it working he thought it was the dogs rognons, get real, if he took ages to get it working what chance does mr average yachty have, its still flaky!!
i repeat if you want to get on the net in a meaningful way (not looking at it in a two by four box) and no tennis thumb, this looks, at this moment in time, the way to go
stu

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[Gunfleet]

Re: yeah we all know about blue tooth

shurely couilles, not rognons?

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[PerL]

Bluetooth cont\'d

Strange... It took me about three minutes. Could've been quicker but I did take time to read the manual this time. My father and my sister have all managed without assistance. Even my former boss did manage without a problem.

It is scary that someone published an article about Bluetooth on that level. Have you tried it yourself? I think you would manage.

Bluetooth is a usability wonder in comparison to some of the other gadgets the telco industry has been trying to make us buy lately. But most importantly, it was named after a sailor!

Per




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[Heckler]

rognons

when i worked in algeria they used rognons as the word to describe male round objects, they also called womans curvy bits bonbons, i just followed suit, however the true croakers always laughed at me when i did, but having said that they also called algerien croakers pied noirs, which wasnt very nice!!
stu

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[Heckler]

Re: Bluetooth cont\'d

why argue for the point of arguing?
my experience in the industry (i own a computer repair biz) is that it is still flaky and it costs me time and money to mess with flaky things so i advise people to avoid them until they are sorted.
the point, which you have seemed to miss, is that for a good reliable, fast, easy to use on the thumbs, inet connection on board, this piece of kit would be the dogs rognons!!
stu

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[Gunfleet]

Re: rognons

You almost put me off my favourite dish in France, which is rognons de veau in La Duchesse Anne, just inside the gate in St Malo. And I've almost brought us back to sailing. Next time I go there I'll ask for 'veal kidneys' in English, just in case they've got one of your black feet Frenchmen working in the kitchen. I don't want to be eating prairie oyster.

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[PerL]

Re: Bluetooth cont\'d

My apologies. I will blame my misunderstanding your argument on the fact that I am a non-native English speaker.

I was only trying to point out that a lot of people I know have used this technology successfully and without any kind of problems, since I thought that someone had written something I perceived as ill-informed regarding the usability of this technology. I was not stating that I have worked with wireless applications for several years and that I have encountered more biased, incorrect and thoroughly unknowledgeable technology reviews in this area than any man should be allowed. Or woman.

It was my understanding that you had not yourself tried this out and was only referring to what you had read in a magazine. If you as a user perceive it as being flaky, then it is flaky.

Per



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[PerL]

Re: Bluetooth cont\'d

Just noticed that the above post could be perceived as argumentative and/or rude. It wasn't meant to be. It meant to say that all magazines are not always right. Present company excluded of course.

Per

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[colvic]

Re: yeah we all know about blue tooth

A Nokia 6110 and Data Suite 2 have given us Internet access, faxes etc.etc. for over four years now and a simple connection to the serial port on the computer has never "gone down" at sea as the phone is in a holder. We then can take the phone ashore if we want.

This sytem works perfectly here in the UK and a good 20 miles offshore ANYWHERE in Spanish waters and has been known not to drop connection on the 50 miles between Denia and Ibiza.

Don't get too complicated...too much to go wrong.


Phil

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[BrendanS]

Re: Bluetooth cont\'d

Perl,
Have to agree with you. My knowledge of bluetooth is limited, but when I obtained a bluetooth enabled laptop last year, I was overjoyed at how easy it was to get it to talk to my bluetooth mobile phone. Took minutes and works well.

It may be that I was fortunate that these two bits of kit were compatible and well set up, but after many years of working in IT, it was nice to see something so easy to set up and that lived up to some of the hype (I'm none technical, though a little more IT literate than most)

Having said that, friends have bought bluetooth headsets to work with phones, and their experience is not so good

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[Heckler]

yeah but

what about asking a frogette if you can share her bon bons!!
stu

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[happychap]

Re: yeah but

Scary kind of finish to a good thread. Had a look at your Profile. Pretty Anonymous

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[qsiv]

Re: the point about this

Blutooth is brilliant on board (and everywher else!)
Computer lives down below - printer is on far side of saloon connected via bluetooth. Phone is in wheelshelter (better signal, closer to hand), connected via Bluetooth. Parrot bluetooth car kit automatically hooks up to phone wehn on board. Bluetooth headset in pocket in the unlikely event anyone actually wants to speak to me when I'm on deck. No wires to tangle, No IR to slide out of alignment.

Next trick is that B&G have updated their Racevision remote screen to use a bluetooth connection to the tactical computer (no long wires snaking around the boat). We will also soon be seeing Bluetooth instrument transducers (TackTic already use a proprietary radio system).

I'm all in favour of bluetooth...

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