[qwerty_dh]

WiFi is really nice. I love to stream music on WiFi.

[mnlmn218]

No 3G in my area so I use wifi for downloading apps, surfing the net and logging in to my bill pay.

[K Bear]

I work in a hosptial. I get spotty coverage if I don't use wifi. With the wifi, I have coverage everywhere I need. Even at home, I rarely get anymore than 3 bars of EDGE. More often than not, I only have GPRS. I have full coverage when I connect to my wifi.

[ChadsterDroid]

Whether at work, school, or home, I've constantly got access to wi-fi, even on those days my 3G might not be reliable or my cell signal is off-kilter. I'm very much looking forward to getting a BlackBerry with wi-fi. To me, the 3G is actually the added bonus.

Defcon3 very nicely summed up all the reasons having a wi-fi enabled device would be fantastic in my book.

[Timelessblur]

WIFI? i DONT UNDERSTAND THE FUSS EITHER. I know with Verizon if you buy a blackberry you have to buy a data plan too. You have to according to them. And I have awesome coverage with Verizon and I myself have the unlimited data plan.
I dont know how it is with other carriers but why own a smart phone without a data plan? A smart phone without a Data Plan would be a house without a roof, a swimming pool with no water. It would be useless. just like any other phone

Welll I can give you a few reasons to own a smart phone with out a data plan.
1. They have really great keyboards for text messages. The dumb phones that are made for texting do not have as nice of ak keyboard as a smartphone. Also the dumb phone way of displaying text messages is not as nice as a smart phone. I know a lot of people who got a blackjack (smartphone) just for texting. I also know a few who got blackberries for the same reason.
2. The caladar. Smart phone calanarder are great for keeping track of events in ones life and again something they beat dumb phones on and require no data to work great. Mix that in withsyncing with ones computer over usb and it keeps everything in line.
3. Software for the phone. You can put very useful apps on a smart phone that does not require data plans. A lot better thatn anything you can find for a dumb phone.

I hope I showed you a few good reasons on why people get smartphones with no data plan and the phone not be useless

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Seabass88]

Well first, for those without unlimited data plans, wifi is great. For corporate users who get poor reception indoors, etc it's great for downloading large files. As others have said, sometimes wifi is available when regular service is not.
Having wifi is a good option to have. You might not always use it, but it's at least nice to be able to do so, should you so choose.

Think of it like owning a gun...It's nice to have when you need it!

haha

[m0]

Hmm, another rim device with wifi. I don't get the fascination with wifi on gsm devices, as the software always (imho) illegally cripples such apps as all the instant messenger clients, etc from working over it. What's the excitement for what is basically a crippled feature set? If you have the full service package from the cell provider, then there is no need for the wifi.

And even if you use the wifi in spotty service areas when you can't get the internet service you pay extra for, then you are still not able to use aim,msn,yim,googletalk,icq, etc over the wifi network portion without paying for some subpar 3rd party IM client (don't even get me started on having to pay for stuff that should be free in the first place. seems like everything costs on blackberry and alot of it just sucks anyway)

So what is the point of wifi on a blackberry exactly? You are being denied using the full range of the phones ability, as if a ETF isn't predatory enough from a cellphone provider. Are there hacks out there to disable the predatory behavior of cellphone providers/rim from blocking common apps used on wifi, or you just grin and bare it?

I'm not a iphone fanboy, can't really stand them or any of the other phones either. but some aspects of the blackberry universe seem troubling, and this is one of them.

Is the predatory blocking of apps over wifi going to change, or does that harm the cellphone providers that already overcharge and impose bandwith caps while advertising it as unlimited with a million asterisks tacked after the word unlimited?

Not every area has awesome 3G coverage. While AT&T may work fine for conversations, it sucks for data in my area.

I just did a couple of speed tests on my iPhone (can't wait until the 9700):
3G: 1Mb/s (I frequently get 300Kb/s max)
Wifi: 7.1Mb/s
The choice is simple.

Been looking since Fall, watching the shows, but from what I've collected VZ turns off wifi, and Sprint doesn't get many phones. I cannot get ATT (roaming), & TMo is spotty at best. Next week's new releases must have something good - thought the Tour. Need a non-heat touch phone, qwerty with haptic due to cold hands. Want a great screen for stock viewing, need a great coverage plan for remote. My Sprint iden is useless in many spots, and I have no contract now. Any one able to recommend a new phone for June release? I really want that "computer in the hand" device that gets CNBC & Nav, which I think leaves me overpaying at VZ. Good advice welcome. You folks are much more advanced than I on this. Thanks for any assist.

You mention:

• VZ - No Wifi
• Sprint - Crappy phone selection
• AT&T - Roaming
• T-Mobile - Spotty coverage

I say move!

[codito]

"I don't get the fascination with wifi on gsm devices, as the software always (imho) illegally cripples such apps as all the instant messenger clients, etc from working over it."

Take your BS lies elsewhere please. I'm on AIM and Google Talk right now, disabled mobile network before connecting and it works just fine. I do the same in my GF's basement where I don't get reception.

[Spawn12]

Hmm, another rim device with wifi. I don't get the fascination with wifi on gsm devices, as the software always (imho) illegally cripples such apps as all the instant messenger clients, etc from working over it. What's the excitement for what is basically a crippled feature set? If you have the full service package from the cell provider, then there is no need for the wifi.

And even if you use the wifi in spotty service areas when you can't get the internet service you pay extra for, then you are still not able to use aim,msn,yim,googletalk,icq, etc over the wifi network portion without paying for some subpar 3rd party IM client (don't even get me started on having to pay for stuff that should be free in the first place. seems like everything costs on blackberry and alot of it just sucks anyway)

So what is the point of wifi on a blackberry exactly? You are being denied using the full range of the phones ability, as if a ETF isn't predatory enough from a cellphone provider. Are there hacks out there to disable the predatory behavior of cellphone providers/rim from blocking common apps used on wifi, or you just grin and bare it?

I'm not a iphone fanboy, can't really stand them or any of the other phones either. but some aspects of the blackberry universe seem troubling, and this is one of them.

Is the predatory blocking of apps over wifi going to change, or does that harm the cellphone providers that already overcharge and impose bandwith caps while advertising it as unlimited with a million asterisks tacked after the word unlimited?

Dont know where you get this info from but on my Bold i can use literally all the messaging apps including BBM and my BIS service all on my WIFI at home or any WIFI enabled place i may go to...id rather use my 20mb line to browse on my Bold rather than use my 3G connection...which is ok but still not as fast as the wifi.
My network has never ever disabled any features on any of my phone...probably due to the fact that i dont buy or upgrade to network branded phones...i avoid them like the plague so your statement about being denied the phones full capability is utterly ******** to be very honest.

Perhaps you should buy a phone that isnt network locked as some networks are notorious for disabling some apps and services...at least that way you can get your full BB experience....it might cost you more but its worth it...well to me it is.

[Sudo]

I love my wi-fi i have no reception in my home but wifi leaking out the walls.
I was able to ditch my home phone when i got t-mobile uma

[Denise in Los Angeles]

I love my wi-fi i have no reception in my home but wifi leaking out the walls.
I was able to ditch my home phone when i got t-mobile uma

That's very cool.

[GJW]

I'd also suggest that since so many wireless services charge quite high prices once you go over your monthly allowance on data usage, wi-fi (when available) can save you a lot on your monthly phone bill!

While tmobile may have its issues, one thing I can't complain about is that when they say their data service is unlimited, they mean it. Of course they tried to put limits on this when they first introduced the G1 data plan but were quickly overwhelmed by the reaction.

One last comment...(again as a tmo customer), I have spotty service at home...so UMA is a god send for me.

[Denise in Los Angeles]

[QUOTE=m0;3578503]Not every area has awesome 3G coverage. While AT&T may work fine for conversations, it sucks for data in my area.

I just did a couple of speed tests on my iPhone (can't wait until the 9700):
3G: 1Mb/s (I frequently get 300Kb/s max)
Wifi: 7.1Mb/s
The choice is simple.

You mention:

• VZ - No Wifi
• Sprint - Crappy phone selection
• AT&T - Roaming
• T-Mobile - Spotty coverage

I say move![/QUOTE]

Won't he have these same issues whereever he moves to?

[VoltaicShock]

RIM makes apps for all the major clients which is free and I believe they all work over Wi-fi with AT&T.

[Fibofan]

speed test on 3g .58 mbps

Speed test on Wi-Fi 6.1 mbps

any questions?

[VoltaicShock]

speed test on 3g .58 mbps

Speed test on Wi-Fi 6.1 mbps

any questions?

LOL!

And that is why we want Wi-Fi.

[Captaincomment]

Used my wi-fi yesterday on a flight via the inflight wi-fi. No 3G @ 40,000 feet! Checked email, used BBM, and surfed the net. Not a big facebook person, but did have to make a post that I was at 40,000 feet using my bb to update my facebook. The inflight wi-fi was $7.95 but hey the flight didn't seem as long.:

[Radius]

Wi-Fi is good, how else can I take my phone with a wireless router and get all my regular services in China?

[handoko.winarto]

I use my wifi most of the time at home and office. + the speed from my provider in Indonesia is pretty slow for my needs.

One of the reason why I sold my Tour and going to get the Onyx.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Agreed. Wifi OWNS 3G. Not even close when comparing speeds. Just a great option to have. Its all about options.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[detze001]

For me and I suspect most other business users, our files (mainly documents), emails and wal street Journals are sufficiently low data enough that wifi is simply not as important as having service anywhere we go... like with Verizon. However, if ATT ever does something like Tmobile's hotspot, then wifi would be worthwhile for business users.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[gary4567]

Who cares, the ONYX CPU and system bus could never handle 10megabits a second.. never mind 15-16 megabits per second. You're limited to how fast your black berry can process data/save it. So if the CPU and system bus of an Onyx can only handle 2 megabits per second having 15 megabits per second available means nothing. Those data rates are more suited for mobile cards in real laptops not for smart phones.

If you're downloading a 100kb webpage and someone is on EDGE at 150kb/s and someone else is on EVDO at 1 megabit per second, it's still going to take under 1 second for both people to download that webpage.

when we start talking about 1 megabit web pages.. even then.. Someone on EVDO vs someone on Wifi.. if I'm on EVDO with 1 megabit/second download and someone is on WiFi with 10megabits persecond download.. again it will take 1 second for both parties to download the webpage.

It's weird when all these non computer technical people are debating Wifi vs 3g when they dont take into account the platform they are on. Who cares if your phone can do 100 megabits over the air.. if your phone can only process 2megabits a second because of the limitations of the hardware, it's a moot point!

Where these speeds really come into play is when you use the phone as a modem.

But the 3g vs Wifi debate is so silly.. when it comes to debating the speed merits anyways.

[jonno_atamaniuk]

Who cares, the ONYX CPU and system bus could never handle 10megabits a second.. never mind 15-16 megabits per second. You're limited to how fast your black berry can process data/save it. So if the CPU and system bus of an Onyx can only handle 2 megabits per second having 15 megabits per second available means nothing. Those data rates are more suited for mobile cards in real laptops not for smart phones.

If you're downloading a 100kb webpage and someone is on EDGE at 150kb/s and someone else is on EVDO at 1 megabit per second, it's still going to take under 1 second for both people to download that webpage.

when we start talking about 1 megabit web pages.. even then.. Someone on EVDO vs someone on Wifi.. if I'm on EVDO with 1 megabit/second download and someone is on WiFi with 10megabits persecond download.. again it will take 1 second for both parties to download the webpage.

It's weird when all these non computer technical people are debating Wifi vs 3g when they dont take into account the platform they are on. Who cares if your phone can do 100 megabits over the air.. if your phone can only process 2megabits a second because of the limitations of the hardware, it's a moot point!

Where these speeds really come into play is when you use the phone as a modem.

But the 3g vs Wifi debate is so silly.. when it comes to debating the speed merits anyways.

You probably haven't looked at the speed of your downloads on a computer, have you.

With all the different wireless data formats/methods (EV-DO, EV-DO rev. A, 1x, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSPA), and with your home internet service, that number you see, be it 1mbps or 100mbps as one service up here north of the border claims to offer, is the absolute maximum spike speed of your internet connection. It will obviously vary due to coverage and location, but it means that that's how fast your connection CAN get. Odds are, under the vast majority of circumstances, you won't get those speeds even on the absolute best conditions for more than a half a second at most.

Also to note, WiFi is a much more stable connection than 3G or EV-DO.

Now, you are correct in saying that as far as processing speed goes, yeah, it's all going to take the same amount of time to process. Here's the thing. If I am someone who views a fair amount of footage on my mobile device, which will stream better? Yes, the buffer can only read so fast, but if the next bit of data is there waiting for the buffer to be ready to take it, video will perform better, will it not? If I wish to download a song or application (I understand, apps for BB are much smaller, but I'm used to WinMo at the moment so bear with me) that is over 3MB, which will get it to me faster? A connection that varies between 512-1024 kbps with more tendancy toward the 1024 and the odd spike up to 7mbps? or a connection that tends to be all of 400-800 kbps with an incredibly rare spike to 3mbps?

This is why there is WiFi. It means that people can get larger files quicker than they would on their wireless service provider's network, and for some it even means they have service where they had no service before (by way of voice-over-WiFi or for their data usages). For those in places where unlimited data plans are unavailable, it means we can use more data rather than have to pay obscene charges to our service providers for going over our usage limit. And for wireless networks, it actually can lessen the strain on their service and buy them extra time to bolster up their wireless data capabilities... *cough cough hack* AT&T *cough cough hack wheeze cough*

[jonno_atamaniuk]

Need help with setting up WIFI. I have a 8900 and I have set up wifi it has found my network but when I try to go to internet it says I need a valid sim. I thought BB works on wifi without the need of a sim card. Am I missing something?

Is your cellular radio turned on? if so, you probably want to turn it off if you are using the device without a SIM card. Generally, Blackberry browser wants to go through the cellular radio. You can tell it not to use it, but I think it defaults to that.

If it keeps remaining an issue... get yourself a sim from a provider and then just be sure to keep the cellular radio turned off.

[Laura Knotek]

Agreed. Wifi OWNS 3G. Not even close when comparing speeds. Just a great option to have. Its all about options.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I like Wi-Fi for the speed. When I am at school and do not have my laptop with me, I'll connect to the Wi-Fi on my BB. I have a data plan and usually have 5 bars of 3G but the Wi-Fi is even faster.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com