A couple weeks ago I had posted how I had purchased a 770 and a Samsung Blade and it worked.

http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ead.php?t=1373

Well, I ended up returning it all because it didn't work well enough.

I was pairing the 770 to a Samsung A900 via Bluetooth and I signed up for Sprint's EVDO service. At first, it seemed to work OK browsing around town, but once I began putting it to work at work, it failed the test.

The primary problem was the EVDO connection would disconnect after a couple minutes of no activity. Make a long story short, Sprint EVDO Support said the system was designed to do that to preserve battery life. BS. I'll manage my battery, Thank You.

I don't expect always-on, but I should be able to compose a short email and send without having to go through a reconnect.

A secondary problem was the 770 would lock up if I pushed it. Not enough memory. That may have been fixable but with the unacceptable net connect, I didn't bother.

Bummer. One of these days I'm going have mid-band web access with at least 800 wide in my pocket.

Stuart

Hmm, that's too bad you returned everything. I have the same setup as you, and while i don't use the tethering all that much, I have used it successfully. I know what you are talking about, Sprint's data connections have always "disconnected" multiple times during a connection. The thing is, it is not really a disconnect, more like a sleep mode. As soon as your web device needs a connection, the phone should be right back up and connected in a matter of 2-3 seconds or so.

All of my Sprint phones have done this, on every handheld or laptop I have used, and it is perfectly normal. I think the reason they gave you about saving battery life is incorrect, though. The reason they do this constant switching on and off is to probably save data bandwidth on their network.

An easy solution is just to open something in the background that constantly "polls" for a connection, such as an instant messenger or an audio stream. I have done this and it does the trick, but usually I just let the phone do its thing and reconnect.

As for you returning the 770, i can understand the frustration with the memory issues. I for one am very happy with my 770, and I am sure it will improve gradually with firmware updates...

Good luck and i hope you find a device that meets your needs...one suggestion might be a small laptop like an OQO handheld or a Toshiba Libretto U105. I have the latter, and I love it - about the size of a DVD case and about the thickness of a book, plus it has wifi, BT, and runs WinXP Pro. It's actually more powerful than some of my desktop machines...

Orbital--is that U105 keyboard big enough to type on, or do you have to use your thumbs?

it's actually not bad once you get used to it...yes, the keys are very small and close together, but as long as you don't have very, very large hands, it is fine.

it definitely is better than the hunt and peck method that most handhelds use with the onscreen keyboard. plus, it has two usb ports, so I always plug in a larger keyboard and mouse here at the office.

Wow, sorry to hear that. I love my 770/blade combo. I set up swap on the 770 and now never run out of memory when browsing. I often have a web site, gaim chat, and one of my servers via vnc all at once. EVDO on the 770 is amazing power on the go.

MK500--did you figure out a way to not have to always re-pair once the phone is turned off?

No, but I've gotten really fast at pairing :-)

The 990 does have some pairing quirks, but is so great otherwise, that I just put up with it. Hopefully there will be new firmware to fix this.

Aside from the pairing issue, are you sure that this problem wasn't caused by the fact that Sprint locked down all tethering unless you sign up for a $30/month Phone-as-Modem plan? It tends to disconnect you right away or after a minute or two.

My A900 still works great though - I just turned off Modem NAI in the debug menu and I'm back tethering. Never had a problem with disconnects, just that if I power-cycle the phone I have to re-pair it with my 770. Seems that's Samsung's issue though, not Nokia's (big surprise).

There are two things to consider - first of all, a lot of the memory problems are solved with the latest update of the OS. I am sure that this person did not apply this OS update, and it may have solved his/her problem.

Secondly, consider the carrier, Sprint. I know lots of people that use Sprint, and they all tell me the same thing. I am not trying to start a flame war here, but I get the impression (from Sprint customers that I know) that Sprint is cheaper service, and it is unreliable service as well. Phone calls dropping, crackly reception, etc. It is like Microsoft Windows; people have simply learned to live with the unreliability of it, because it is cheaper. This is only my opinion, that I have distilled from testimony of Sprint customers (disclaimer).

Phone calls dropping out, is not acceptable service to me. I have always used Cingular, and I don't have these sort of service problems. I can stay connected all day, and online, all day with Cingular. Maybe in other states, Cingular service is not as great, who knows?, but in this part of the country, south eastern states, (including KY, OH, TN, IN, IL), I have had no problems with Cingular service. I pay $39/month for 1000 minutes/month, free LD and voicemail, and I also pay $20/month on top of that for MediaNet Unlimited Internet service. Just so you know.

I have to say that I have had my share of billing problems with Cingular, with messed up bills that I had to call and resolve myself, and had problems with Cingular's customer service, but I have never had problems with Cingular service. This is not a commercial, just my personal experience, and my personal opinion.

I had AT&T for my regular cell phone, then it switched over to being Cingular. I have been very happy with the service for many years now, and have never thought about switching.

But I want faster than EDGE, and I want official DUN support, I don't want to be hacking or worried that I will get snagged for violating TOS. So I had to go with Sprint for the 770.

BTW when the A900 is attached to the KR1, it does not cut off service, it's continuous until the battery dies.