New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Giant snafu with D820 received!

post #1 of 16
4/19/06 at 10:12am
Thread Starter 
I originally ordered a D620 but was contacted by Dell and told that it would be delayed for some bizarre and unknow reason.

They offered to switch me to a D820 similarly configured for about the same money. What I didn't realize until I received it was that they configured it without the built-in EVDO card that I had ordered with the D620. Yikes!

So the big question is do I return it or just purchase a EVDO express card? I'm a newbee when it comes to EVDO and it might make sense to go the express card route since it can be used with replacement laptops down the road.

Another question... would the internal card be anymore efficient since the antenna and such are built in?

Any recommendations on an express card for EVDO?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 16
4/19/06 at 11:18am
i dont believe there are any EVDO express cards sold in the US at the moment (or at least as of a month ago, i dont think much has changed)

You might want to really consider returning it
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 16
4/19/06 at 11:19am
depends what kind of deal you got. if you got a great price on it, you will still save money by buying the card yourself.

then again, they arent avail yet?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 16
4/19/06 at 11:52am
I would think that if you stood your ground they would give you the D820 w/ the EVDO card for the same price, if you origionally configured the D620 with it. It sounds like an error on their part.

I would just call and talk to a rep and keep trying till you get what you want
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 16
4/19/06 at 12:20pm
There is no EV-DO expresscard soution as of today. Sprint is planning onreleasing a USB option somtime after June 1st, and Verizon will probably follow them. You could consider tehtering your phone to your laptop, as a cheaper, and just as effective option.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 16
4/19/06 at 12:37pm
that sucks having to connect the phone to the laptop.. that defeats the whole purpose on wanting the card integrated in the laptop for convenience
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 16
4/19/06 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 
I wanted EVDO because I go to Cancun a couple of times a year and I have to use a dialup connection (through Earthlink). Few of the hotels down there have wireless or broadband connection in the rooms, and if they do (Fiesta Americana Grand Aqua does) they want an arm and a leg to get it. The Fiesta Aqua charges $ 40 USD per day! Ridiculous to say the least.

I thought Novatel was getting close to releasing their Express Card EVDO in May?

Anyone have any experience with any EVDO cards for PCMICA?
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 16
4/19/06 at 2:28pm
at our company we use the sprint evo cards. they are pretty good. Dl is about 500kbs on a good connection and UL is around >128. They cost about $70(i think) amonth. Unfortunately they use the current gen pc cards interface.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 16
4/19/06 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
I've heard that Kyocera makes an excellent card, but don't have any first hand experience with it.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 16
4/19/06 at 4:23pm
Do you still have the Name or Extension of the person who hooked you up with the D820? If not, call dell and give them your order number and then ask who was the rep. that hooked you up. They were supposed to gives us everything on the D820 that we had on the D620. My guy forgot bluetooth but I caught it in time for a change. Thats a major mistake by him/her to not transfer that over, esp. since they screwed us on the D620 (i'm happier with the D820 but for this purpose they don't need to know that). So if you can call that guy you should be able to get a new notebook sent to you. If you can't get him, play the game and you will most likely win in your situtation.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 16
4/19/06 at 5:52pm
LOL.. why do you need EVDO in an expresscard? PCMCIA is based on the PCI architecture which will do a theoretical maximum of 133 MB/s (B as in bytes, not bits).. EVDO maxes at like 2-3 mbit peak.. and by the time you worry about upgrading your laptop to one that doesn't come with a PCMCIA slot there will be a wireless standard much faster than EVDO at the rate it's going anyway... just my two cents.

-P
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 16
4/19/06 at 6:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by richfish13
Do you still have the Name or Extension of the person who hooked you up with the D820? If not, call dell and give them your order number and then ask who was the rep. that hooked you up. They were supposed to gives us everything on the D820 that we had on the D620. My guy forgot bluetooth but I caught it in time for a change. Thats a major mistake by him/her to not transfer that over, esp. since they screwed us on the D620 (i'm happier with the D820 but for this purpose they don't need to know that). So if you can call that guy you should be able to get a new notebook sent to you. If you can't get him, play the game and you will most likely win in your situtation.
I've got an email into him and I'm waiting for a reply.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 16
4/19/06 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phrost6
LOL.. why do you need EVDO in an expresscard? PCMCIA is based on the PCI architecture which will do a theoretical maximum of 133 MB/s (B as in bytes, not bits).. EVDO maxes at like 2-3 mbit peak.. and by the time you worry about upgrading your laptop to one that doesn't come with a PCMCIA slot there will be a wireless standard much faster than EVDO at the rate it's going anyway... just my two cents.

-P
Because the D820 does not come with a PCMCIA slot.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 16
4/19/06 at 7:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by djohn
Because the D820 does not come with a PCMCIA slot.
Hmm? The D820 has both a PCMCIA and Expresscard slot. THe D620 only has PCMCIA. From the D820 page on dell.com:
Quote:
EXPANDABILITY:
PC Card:
One Type I or Type II
Express Card:
One 54mm Express Card slot, supporting both 54mm and 34mm I/O
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 16
4/19/06 at 10:27pm
Quote:
that sucks having to connect the phone to the laptop.. that defeats the whole purpose on wanting the card integrated in the laptop for convenience
"Tethering" doesn't always involve a cable. I tether using BT and it works great. Just click on the "Connect To" menu and I'm off.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 16
4/19/06 at 10:54pm
Thread Starter 
Talked to my Dell rep and adding the Wireless 5700 card is not possible. He was willing to take it back and rebuild, but I think I'm going to keep it and if I really need EVDO, I'll just buy a PCMCIA card or an express card at that time. Right now, the soonest I'll probably need it will be October.

Then again, I may purchase a D620 by that time and pass the 820 on to one of my employees - then I can get a EVDO built into to the D620.

I'm going wait and see what the reviews sound like on the D620. Can't imagine it being better than the D820 though.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home