Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
EDGE coverage is pretty wide-spread in the US. Not as fast as EVDO but certainly fast enough for downloading books, reading e-mail, etc. Apple have used it for their iPhone.
I think going with GSM is undoubtedly the correct choice - it makes the device world-wide rather than restricting it to a single-country market.
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First HSDPA is not a GSM service it's actually related to CDMA (an improved but incompatible variation though...W-CDMA) but it runs over a different network than GSM. So, GSM is only important if one needs that cell phone side of the equation and EDGE. EDGE is a GSM service/function.
I don't agree at all that EDGE is "good enough"...the fact it's so slow (a good minimum of 10x slower then either MBB option) means shorter battery life if you use it often. The modem is running full out and longer to d/l that 1MB ebook or doing online look-up then using a MBB option. EVDO RevA or HSDPA are the only options which make sense. EVDO will gracefully fall back to 1xRTT in poor EVDO coverage areas.
As I understand it with EVDO or HSDPA there is no need for the cell phone component at all. EDGE pretty much requires a cell phone part of the device.
And as you say EDGE might be a better option if you are in an area where EVDO has to degrade to 1xRTT because EDGE is just slightly faster then the 1xRTT. Well, maybe 2x faster generally and that is a LOT at those slow speeds.
But I am not sure it is going to be that much faster then 1xRTT. It just offers coverage in more fringe areas but w/o the benefit of better speeds in MBB coverage areas.
My whole point is that HSDPA is a bad choice for the US market due to slow roll out, still. People should be given the option to select the MBB/Data service that works for them. If all a person can get is EDGE then heck, let them plug in an EDGE module and use that...whatever works for the individual is how these things should work. How frustrating would it be to have an EVDO device then move to a new job and find your device no longer had access? Or the other way around leaving the only mobile solution to be replacing the device. Devices locked into any connectivity technology just bugs me no end.