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http://www.macnn.com/articles/01/08/08/no.mac/

No Mac support from SprintPCS

updated 12:25 pm EDT, Wed August 8, 2001

 
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Stephen Esrati writes about poor support for the Mac OS from wireless phone/data service provider SprintPCS:

"I bought a SprintPCS phone in January because it offered a connection to my Powerbook. When the phone arrived, I found all the software and hardware suitable only for Windows-based computers. I asked for Mac software. Finally, in June, Sprint told me that my phone is not adaptable to a Macintosh. My wife and I went to our nearest SprintPCS store to see what was available -- and found only a $500 phone that would accommodate a Mac. A sales person stated: "Macintosh! We don't have anything to do with it. It's an obsolete technology." Today (Tuesday, Aug. 7), Sprint has full-page newspaper ads offering a wireless web modem -- but not for the Mac." [contact SprintPCS]


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  1. 0

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    08/08, 01:02pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Easy!

    Don't worry about support.

    First, login to the sprintpcs.com site, and go to the downloads area. You can download the modem script.

    Then, go on eBay and get a serial cable to fit your phone. If you have a newer PowerBook with no serial ports, get a Keyspan adapter too.

    Plug the phone into the cable, the cable into the Mac, pick the modem script in the Modem control panel, set up the Remote Access control panel to dial the phone number #2932, user "web", password "web".

    I'm doing this with my Samsung SCH-3500 on SprintPCS, and it works great. Email me at drissman@acm.org if you have any questions.

    Avi

  1. 0

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    08/08, 01:04pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Easy 2

    This website details how to connect a sprintpcs phone to a Mac:

    http://www.sentman.com/mac_pcs.html

    Hope this helps.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 01:07pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    I suppose you could...

    ...complain about Sprint PCS having poor support for Macintosh, or you could be happy that their network even SUPPORTS the Mac platform. They have a cable that runs from many of their phones to a DB-9 male. Simply take that, plug it into a Keyspan PDA adapter and then plug the other end of the Keyspan device into one of your USB ports. Once you have installed the drivers for the Keyspan and have dumped the modem script discussed in the prior post into your Modem Scripts directory, your side of the connection is ready.

    Next, call Sprint PCS and tell them to set you up for Wireless Web. I did it in about 5 minutes. It's the best solution for a NA who needs to have the ability to connect to his server farm at any time, anywhere.

    The only downside is the speed. 14.4kbps is a little languid for internet, but for email notifications, it works.

    Lastly, I want to reiterate that Sprint has really opened their arms to anyone WILLING to connect to their systems. Other phone companies will drive you away because you don't fall into the 'other' 95%. I hate that.

    jw

  1. 0

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    08/08, 01:30pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Phone Companies Suck

    This sounds even worse than the line some guy at QWest gave me when I was trying to order DSL through them. His explanation for why there was no Mac support for their basic DSL package: "As you know, the Macintosh is more difficult to support..." Of course he made no mention of how backward their DSL service was, expecting the client to log off once every two hours, ridiculous.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 02:16pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Don't Worry...

    I don't know about their service Nationwide, but in this area (South Bay Area, CA) Sprint phones are the absolute crappiest c*** you can buy. The worst service EVER. While they have some great gadget-style features, Sprint glazes over the fact that you can't hear anything when you are actually talking on the phone, which is usually the reason behind purchasing a cell phone in the first place.

    I am immensely bothered by the fact that people are getting ripped off everyday. They are buying things like Sprint phones, that utterly suck.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 02:31pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Let the salesman

    know this. Most all of the magazines he reads about his lovely PC's are designed on that obsolete technology called Macintosh. Funny if it is so obsolete that Dell and Gateway are fighting it so hard in the Educational sector. Also, ask the salesman why Hollywood is using such obsolete technology, what about the music industry.

    Mac's and PC's are used everywhere and both can do many similar things. It is narrow-minded people like this salesman that the world needs less of. I would have flamed him on the spot, but then again I bet he lost a sale anyway. Let his manager and the corporate office know.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 02:48pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Mac's are Supported

    Don't let a stupid sales person give you a complete bad taste for Sprint PCS. It is a great service. All you need to purchase is a Socket DPC card. It connects to a Sprint PCS phone like Samsung 3500 or 8500 and a card that slide nicely into my Powerbook G3. Socket has Mac software and it works great. Speed is an issue but when the networks gets updated then speed will increase. Soon Socket will also offer a Bluetooth option which will mean Wireless connection between your phone and your Powerbook to Sprint's Wireless network.
    Check out Socket Cards...www.socketcom.com
    Aloha

  1. 0

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    08/08, 05:42pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    SprintPCS Data Kit Use

    Tell that salesman he's an idiot, then call Sprint to register your complaint.

    I bought the data kit for my Touchpoint 2200 (Denso) phone 2 weeks ago and had a chance to use it this past weekend. It worked perfectly, both under MacOS Classic *AND* MacOS X. All that was required in the case of Classic was to drop the SprintPCS CCL into my modem scripts directory. Under MacOS X, I had to make sure there were no Type/Creator settings for the CCL, and it immediately showed up as connected when I plugged it into my Keyspan serial adapter.

    My only gripe with the adapter is that Sprint's coverage on Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor is rather spotty.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 07:09pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    If I hear

    "obsolete" or "beleagured" one more time!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

    - sorry, just had to let off some steam.

  1. 0

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    08/08, 09:29pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    What's the problem?

    The problem isn't that they don't support the Mac. They do. They just don't know it. Typical case of bad internal corporate communication.

    If you go to their Web site, it says Mac OS is not supported. If you go to the store, and you ask for the PCMCIA wireless Web kit for the Samsung 3500, and you look on the box, it says Windows or Mac OS. If you look at the manual in the box, it has (quite awful) installation and operation steps for the Mac. I got it to work very easily on my PB, and while it's only 14.4, that's good enough to get my mail, and it's all nicely integrated with Remote Access.

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