Mark Smitka

T-Mobile: The Good, The Bad, and Why I Left

I've been with T-Mobile for a long time, so porting my number out wasn't a decision I made without giving it a great deal of thought.  The things I considered were:

The Good:

• Call Quality

Overall, T-Mobile's call quality is good, with very few dropped calls.

• Price

T-Mobile's voice plans have always been very reasonable, which accounts for them being known as "the value carrier".

• Customer Service

Their customer service has been second to none. I've experienced very few issues, and have rarely had to call them, but when I did, hold times were short, reps were courteous, and the issue/question was resolved quickly.

• UMA Calling

This is a great feature, which allows voice calls to be placed via wi-fi when in range of a wireless network. It solves the "no signal in my building/house" problem.

The Bad:

• Data/3G

T-Mobile has been rolling out 3G service for some time now, but despite my area (Philadelphia suburbs) being among the areas with 3G service, there just aren't enough towers to provide 3G service where I live and work. In fact, through all the years I've been with T-Mobile, even an EDGE data connection isn't consistent. T-Mobile's rolling out a lot of nice devices, but using them for data on GPRS or (maybe) EDGE just doesn't cut it these days.

• UMA Calling

Hey, wasn't that listed as a "good" thing? Yes, but unfortunately, T-Mobile chooses to put UMA calling only on either the very low-end phones, or BlackBerry devices. There's a whole range of devices (including even the most recent Sidekick) that would benefit greatly from having UMA functionality, but it's not there.

• Customer Service

Yes, it too is on the good list, and as far as their reps are concerned, it's true. Over time though, account management via the web page has been spotty at best. Continual down-time due to "improvements" is frustrating.

Why I Left:
Ultimately, it was because of their inferior data network. With data plan prices that now rival "the big guys", T-Mobile needs to ensure that 3G coverage is not just "rolled out", but that it adequately saturates the regions into which it's been deployed.

Where did I go with the number I ported?  Sprint. Having had a SERO (deeply discounted Sprint Employee Referral Offer deal) plan for over a year now, I've found that their call quality is good, dropped calls are few and far between, and their data network is second to none. Is their customer service any good?  Yes. In fact, the few times I've had to contact them, I've had no issues at all. And, though Sprint has no UMA Calling feature, signal penetration where I live/work is very good, so for me, it hasn't been necessary.

So, T-Mobile, if you're going to offer nice phones with great data dependent features, and charge as much for the data plans (or nearly so) as the other carriers, you need a network to back it up. I've waited long enough.

Which Kindle Case: Silicone or Book?

I'm really liking the Amazon Kindle, but can't decide on how best to protect/cover it.  I have both a book style case, and a silicone skin.  The book case affords more protection, and looks nice, but it makes using the Kindle feel more like holding a book, and defeats the purpose of it's thin, lightweight design.  The silicone skin isn't bad, but it doesn't fit snugly on the side.  So, which should I use? Or, should I give up the idea of using a case on it completely?

Scots Apologize: Thought They Were Releasing Robin Williams

Scottish authorities apologized for the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, saying it was comic Robin Williams they thought they were releasing. Spokesperson Seamus Onhuss conceded that this slip-up was nearly as stupid as the time old man Angus McDonald sold his domain name to the fast-food restaurant chain of the same name for $45.

Ken Suspected In Death of Model

This woman and model, Jasmine Fiore, was discovered dead, and stuffed in a suitcase:

I suspect this man, known only as "Ken".  An unidentified source has reported that the model had been seen with a man known as Ken, returning from the beach in an unusual looking plastic pink Corvette:

Blue Thunder iPhone Theme

Theme of the day: Blue Thunder, with "biometric authentication" unlock. :)

Lunatic Kills People/Himself: Police Superintendent Reaches Astounding Conclusion

You've probably heard about, or read the story by now: PA Man Kills 3, Himself; Web Page Describes Plans.

This nut-log goes berserk in a fitness class, and according to the AP:

"He walked right into the room where the shootings occurred as if he knew exactly where he was going," Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said. "I think he went in with the idea of doing what he did."

Gee, ya think?  The same story reports that he "placed a duffel bag on the ground. He rooted around in the bag for a moment, turned off the lights, took out at least two guns and started shooting".  I'm not Scotland Yard's best and brightest, and in fact, I've ever even been to the UK. But, even I can figure out that a guy that walks into a fitness class with guns in a duffel bag, has a pretty good idea of what he's planning to do.  And wow, this all occurred "as if he knew exactly where he was going"?  Someone start a campaign to run this genius on the ballot as PA's next Governor!  How about: "He knew exactly where he was going, he went there to kill people, and he killed them"? That seems to fit.  Hey Bridgeville PA Police: If you need a new Police Superintendent, I'll be glad to help out.