Anyone live in Baltimore and tried the new WiMax (Xohm)?

[bellenseb]

Seems like the killer app for car internet radio, if it works...

[vansmack]

Wimax tested in Reno.  Doesn't work in cars.
 
 But that hasn't stopped many car manufacturers from adding wimax to cars, hoping for better results with a larger antenna (like the cars frame).
 
 Google Motorola X24 for more details.

[bellenseb]

Hmm, the comments in that Engadget post seem to say that Clearwire isn't the same as the WiMax in Baltimore? Seems like they'll have to figure something out...

[vansmack]

It was a different Wimax standard, but the experts were not optomistic about the results.
 
 My money, however is on Motorola to figure it out and I will mod my Prius to make it work.  I'm on Sprint's list to beta in SF, but I've been on the list for almost a year and a half so I'm no longer holding my breath.
 
 I would love ot hear someone try this in Baltimore.  I'm pretty sure Sprint offers a thirty day risk free trial.  I'm not saying, I'm just saying....

[beetsnotbeats]

I used an iPhone app called Tuner to listen to WMUC over 3G from Greenbelt to Annapolis. It dropped out a couple of times along US50 but it works in concept. Yes, you can (possibly) listen to a 10 watt college radio station over the air from coast to coast.

[saintangelsin]

I shall have to share that with my radio station friends! Are you a fellow WMUC'er?

[beetsnotbeats]

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
  I shall have to share that with my radio station friends! Are you a fellow WMUC'er?

I dj'ed there for a couple of years in the early '00s. I've thought about returning if they'll accept UM staffers.

[kosmo vinyl]

all this discussion make me realize how just annoyed i am with the US mobile phone industry... as well as always waiting for some great new wireles technology or phone that's always coming soon... i'm looking at you google phone...
 
 i'm particularly annoyed with Sprint at the moment, because they do see fit to grandfather long time customers with benefits granted to new ones.  that and they don't really have a true iPhone replacement, you know one that works with Apple computers and has wi-fi capabilites... if only the google phone hadn't turned out to be such a dud the first time around, not that Sprint wouldn't find some way to screw it up...
 
 i also wonder what the pricing of plans would be if the companies didn't endlessly market essential the same pigs just with different lipstick on them...
 
 i should be able to pay the actual price for any phone and decide which carrier to go with... instead i'm either continually waiting for something better or getting stuck with what happens to be on the market at that time for two years...

[sonickteam2]

ok, so its funny because i JUST ordered this yesterday,  just got it for home and wireless, not for my mobile device, but i will report back in a week or so with my findings.

[kosmo vinyl]

i skimmed Xohm web site and once this thing gets rolled out it could be a cool service to have, just get one of those new mini computers and your got to go...

[sonickteam2]

yeah, i thought about that.  we'll see, its still all about signals and such.  But with Verizon DSL my wife and i couldnt be on the internet at the same time without one or both of us slowing to a crawl, hopefully this will put an end to that.  and $50/month for life isnt bad!

[vansmack]

I'll comment on Kosmos problems with the industry later, but last night I relaized my biggest problem with the mobile phone industry, at it's most basic level, is the lack of competition created by these exclusive phone deals.

[kosmo vinyl]

which is my point exactly, imagine what it would be like able to buy a iPhone outright and then have the carriers compete over who you sign on with... they can compete over plans, services, value-added content, whatever...
 
 kosmette made the comment that this is how it's done overseas, but i have no way of verifying it. other than based on my limited experience it's all about sim cards over there
 
 this would enable us gadget junkies to more easily upgrade to the latest gee whiz phones.  and because there could potentially be an after market for slightly out of date phones, we can recover some of the costs buy selling them used.
 
 my guess is the unlimited everything (voice, text, internet) will be defacto in the next couple of years and the few remaining difference between companies will those pesky phone exclusives and what ever content they can provide...Sprint has a bit of a technology lead for data speeds at the moment, but it's not enough to keep me around... and based on Xohm's current business plan, I'm not regretting waiting around for Sprint to get their act together on the WiMax enable phone front...
 
 of course there will still be prepaid, pay as you go and budget plans available to satisfy those users who just want the basics...

[sonickteam2]

Well, the exciting review of XOHM that everyone is waiting for will have to come from someone else.  I got it today (or rather, finally had time to set it up today) and well, I couldnt get shit for a signal.
 
 My desktop is in my basement and I got a "not so strong" signal there, which amounted to a dial-up modem. When i moved the modem upstairs to the ground level, i got nothing at all.  
 
  Called customer service and they told me that it might be because my house is brick (duh, like EVERY house in Baltimore).  They also said that while i had 30 days to return, they were putting up new towers every monday (yeah right) so perhaps it was only a matter of weeks before i was flying through cyberspace.  Its kind of irritating because i am well inside their "coverage area" but still dont get squat. I didnt even try my laptop Express Card because if i cant get service on all of my devices, i'll stick with my crummy DSL....for now.
 
   Sooooo, at least they have a 30 day return policy..hopefully someone else will have better luck soon.

[vansmack]

Sorry to hear that, but for us, won't you just take it outside and tell us the performance outside, any maybe just drive around a little?