vB Easy Archive - new real estate agent seeking effective communication advice with treo 700

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new real estate agent seeking effective communication advice with treo 700
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Posted by: torontoagent

Hi
I am a new agent in toronto and I am trying a treo 700 for 15 days. The rate plan is a special deal and seems very good except the data charge. That is $60 pre month. Now, I would like to learn to use my communications tools effectivly but let's say, I don't want to be tuned in and turned on 24/7. I am thinking of relying onthe pager system at work for contact and only using the cell phone for at the moment business.
Do I need the data plan from Bell with my Windows based Treo 700?

I read somewhere you can get a SD wifi card. Is itsuch that in Toronto I can use public Internet for checking email and stuff?

Finally - should I keep the treo or is there a smarter way to go? I got it for $200 as part of this rate plan.

Obviously, I guess I'll have to learn to make effective use of the PDA portion - that is one of the reasons I am trying this out.

Thanks

torontoagent

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

most agents have ditched their pages in favour of text messaging (or even emails)...the data service allows you to look up listing instantly online on your own or with clients...being tuned in and turned on 24/7 is the difference between those who sell a few houses, and those who really make it in the business.

Posted by: torontoagent

Yes - thanks for the reply and the advice. You sound like you know what you are talking about there.
I am still curious about the cost of WiFi access around toronto. I get free text messaging with my plan so that is good. If I need data access when I am away - is it better to buy access where I am? It is hard for me to imagine that I will need $60 monthly.
torontoagent

Posted by: a920Fan

Hi, if you have a corporate plan with the Real Estate Board ( and it's good ) normally you get a RIM/Data rebate of a certain %. I've seen it, on average, at 20% discount on those options.

You can set your Treo 700wx to send / receive email. It is a lot easier and less annoying than a pager.

Posted by: Avironeur

Wirelessly posted (Opera/8.01 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/3.0.6306/1528; en; U; ssr))

Don't forget that a lot of agents make use of the picture function on their pda so they can take on the fly pics if necessary for updates etc (obviously not for listings as the camera quality would be insufficient)...for this reason most US real estate agents prefered the Treo to the Blackberry, contrary to most business people who do not want or care about the camera function and prefer the better email service from the Berry.

Posted by: SweetCell

This thread should answer your questions about the SD wireless access

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1057576

I would figure with SD wireless you are only going to have access in certain spots sand you will need to learn where those spots are and if they are convenient to decide whether the SD wifi is going to work for you. That or you will have to decide if you can live without the use any of those data functions such as emails, browser.

As well someone correct me if I'm wrong perhaps they have changed this but Text on the Treo is via data is it not?? I don't think it's using SMS and won't be billed like an SMS but like data usage??

Posted by: gundagordy

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetCell

As well someone correct me if I'm wrong perhaps they have changed this but Text on the Treo is via data is it not?? I don't think it's using SMS and won't be billed like an SMS but like data usage??

It does use SMS. No data charges at all for SMS.

Posted by: Dreaderus

sms has never been built into any data service with bell

seperate which is good, however people get confused and wonder why they can't send pictures or larger texts with it because its all built into the messaging of the pdas hehe

Dreaderus

Posted by: SweetCell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreaderus

sms has never been built into any data service with bell

seperate which is good, however people get confused and wonder why they can't send pictures or larger texts with it because its all built into the messaging of the pdas hehe

Dreaderus

Yeah I thought so because I've never been able to picture message from the 650 or the previous 600 and when I've texted the 650 it's always looked like an email when it arrives on the unit..

Now we just email back and forth since we both have data units

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

i think you may need a data plan for text to work properly on a BB though...data support told someone you must have some sort of data package on your account...not sure if that was correct or not, but an echo came out recently that sort of touched on this, so there may be some truth to it.