Re: NTLK Want Wireless for PowerBook & Newton?

From: Ed Kummel (tech_ed@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Jun 15 2000 - 23:06:20 CDT


I read your email below and must express my sorrow for
your attempt to get wireless. I kinda take partial
responsibility because I was the one who told you
about the WyndMail program for the Newt.
I don't think that the merger will increase the client
base (when Go America absorbed Zap-It, services were
actually decreased...case in point, I was using DTS's
Zap-It service on my Newt, WinCE and my laptop! Now
the Newt is no longer supported under the Go America
conglomerate!) And when you consider that Wynd didn't
write the program for the Newt (I think I told you
that it was some company in Canada that did) and if
you go to their site, it is obvious that they no
longer do anything for the Newt. And they probably do
not have the distribution rights of the program (which
is probably held by Wynd) And there is probably
proprietary information that will prevent one or the
other from allowing it to be upgraded...
I hate to be doom and gloomy here, but I've seen it
before...And when I originally talked to the company
that wrote the WyndMail software, the engineer I was
talking to said that legally, I wasn't allowed to use
it on any other network than Wynd (that's when he
showed me how to change server IDs which he made me
promise not to make public)
So, as you can see, there is no real incentive to
support the Newt (and not really that much incentive
to support the Mac for that matter) and unless some
intrepid programmer here wants to tackle it, I don't
think that anything is going to come of this...BUT...I
will still send in an email and who knows...
Ed
web/gadget guru

--- Mark Rollins <mark@mrollins.com> wrote:
> Kind of a long note, but read on, you won't be
> disappointed.
>
> I had purchased a used MegaHertz AllPoints wireless
> modem, the same
> discussed on the wwww.go2mac.com page a few days
> ago; apparently O'Grady
> forgot these ever supported the Mac!. This is now
> sold by RIM, and
> described at
> http://www.rim.net/products/pc_card/m-pccard.html;
> the nice
> thing is the used modem is available for under $100,
> and the service
> through GoAmerica or BellSouth has a decent "basic"
> fee of $10 per month
> for occasional e-mail. This modem is no speed demon
> - it uses the
> MOBITEX pager network, at speeds under 14.4 - slow
> but still usable.
>
> Presently, according to the RIM page above and
> BellSouth (who ARE the
> MOBITEX network
> http://www.data-mobile.com/Megahertz.html) both
> clearly
> state that supported operating systems/platforms
> include the Macintosh
> and Newton.
>
> I found out you had to get and install a product
> called WyndMail, from
> Wynd Communications (This software was pre-installed
> on a PB3400). Wynd
> no longer sells it, but I was able to "find" and
> install WyndMail for
> the Newton and WyndMail Mac. Both support the
> AllPoints card: I can see
> the signal strength and battery indicators, and
> input all user profile
> info. However, there does not appear to be any
> response from the
> Network. I can request a user profile, and wait for
> an hour. I can
> neither send nor receive e-mail.
>
> I initially verified operation on the Win95 laptop.
> But unfortunately
> the Mac and Newton software don't work, as this
> MOBITEX network doesn't
> really (or didn't when WyndMail was written) use IP
> addresses. Instead
> each modem has a MAN number, as does the server.
> Unfortunately the
> MOBITEX network dropped MAN support apparently last
> year, so you have to
> use a "real" IP address and domain name. The Mac
> version of WyndMail
> don't allow this.
>
> I should parenthetically add that the Newton
> software is compatible with
> an MP2100, and was written for the 130, so it should
> work on MP2000
> models and eMates. The Mac software (which includes
> an extension and
> control strip module) was apparently well-written,
> as it evokes no
> crashes on a "Wall Street bronze" running OS 9.0.4.
>
> WyndMail is a potentially a good piece of software,
> as it allows large
> messages to be forwarded somewhere else, and can
> send a text message to
> a pager and send wireless FAXes.
>
> There could be a fix, as both versions of WyndMail
> (Mac AND Newton!)
> were written by Infowave Wireless, formerly GDT(!)
> of Mac printer driver
> fame.
>
> BUT THE GOOD NEWS...
>
> Just recently, GoAmerica and Wynd announced they
> were merging! (Go to
> http://www.wynd.net/ and click "about the merger).
>
> Everyone who uses a PowerBook above OS 7.5 and a
> Newton (130,
> MP2000/2100 & eMate) and is interested in this
> wireless possibility
> should politely e-mail:
> Wynd at merger@wynd.com
> and GoAmerica at marketing@goamerica.net
>
> A suggested message would be:
>
> ------
> I am writing to find out if the merger of Wynd and
> GoAmerica will allow
> you to re-release WyndMail for the (Macintosh or
> Apple Newton or both,
> you choose)?
> I would be interested in subscribing to your
> wireless service if an
> updated version of WyndMail were again made
> available.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> ------
>
> Let's go for it!
>
> Mark Rollins
> mark@mrollins.com
> www.mrollins.com
> ***************************************
> NewtonTalk brought to you by:
>
> EVOTE.COM -- the ESPN of politics on the Internet!
> All the players, all the news, and the hottest
> analysis and features (plus 'toons!) anywhere....
> visit http://www.evote.com today!
>
> ***************************************
> Need Subscribe/Unsubscribe info?
>
> Visit the NewtonTalk section at
http://www.planetnewton.com

=====
this is a temporary sig file until I can figure out a more clever one to use

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send instant messages with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com/
***************************************
NewtonTalk brought to you by:

EVOTE.COM -- the ESPN of politics on the Internet! All the players, all the news, and the hottest analysis and features (plus 'toons!) anywhere.... visit http://www.evote.com today!

***************************************
Need Subscribe/Unsubscribe info?

Visit the NewtonTalk section at http://www.planetnewton.com



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Jul 01 2000 - 00:00:05 CDT