raccoon

Nopes dude.... there is no way to specify whether its special or normal when using third party websites like Bank websites, Freecharge, etc. With retailers of course you need to specifiy... but in my experience not all of them know about this even if you mention, and they botch it up and money and time goes down the drain.

Wow, STD at 1p/2s??? Anyone know if similar STV is available for Maharashtra??

Are you sure? I faintly recall that BSNL allowed you to get your own handset. Can't recall for sure though. Which raises another question - is the programming (to restrict usage within the LSA) on the handset or the network?

Oh yes... thats right. Been quite smetime... forgot that it was CDMA WLL. It wasn't supposed to work outside city limits. But do they (BSNL) have a "normal" CDMA service with which you can roam across towns?

Years ago, we had a BSNL CDMA handset (Tarang). As far as I can recall, the voice clarity was good. Signal intensity was great everywhere at home... and the very few places I had personally taken it to (I was using it for a very short time). Overall, it was way, way better than their pathetic GSM service. As of now, the only people I'v seen using BSNL CDMA are their own staff like the linesmen, etc. I wonder how/why they keep their CDMA network alive.... just for their own staff?? Never ever seen or heard anyone else using it.

No, Racoon, I got the point. Somehow, I failed to make you understand what I was telling. Typing on physical QWERTY pad on mobile phones with two thumbs might be not very helpful, but if somebody is comfortable with touch-typing, he will save considerable time and effort on SWYPE virtual keyboard, which is much much better than tap-typing (ABC keyboard). SWYPE is the fastest text input method on a touchscreen mobile phone, and the world record for text input on a mobile stands for 60 words per minute using a Samsung Galaxy S phone and this is possible with QWERTY keyboard only. Thus QWERTY can be used with one finger also Swype on touch screens is a different thing. I was taking about mobile QWERTY keyboards only. I still feel they do not make sense any which ways. As for which is more efficient/faster/better, between hardware QWERTY and Swype, there are proponents of both camps saying their respective camp is faster, so can't really comment on that. Personally, I feel bit more inclined to hardware QWERTY, though I like SWYPE too. Also for me its not just about saving an extra second or two, but also about the "feel" of doing it. SWYPE really does not give a "feel" of doing things. Yes, haptic feedback helps, but I keep it off to save battery, so in reality it does not help. With the kind of pathetic battery back ups which most smartphones give, I'm sure most people must be having to keep it off. And I still didnt quite understand your statement "but if somebody is comfortable with touch-typing, he will save considerable time and effort on Swype virtual keyboard,". IMO, touch typing on full (comp) QWERTY keyboards is quite a different skill from Swyping.

I guess nobody has got the point. QWERTY is for touch typing with 10 fingers without looking at the keyboard. Is this relevant for typing with 2 thumbs on a mobile? Consider normal phones without qwerty - those which use multitap/T9/iTap. The letters are in normal alphabetical ABC, CDE, etc. sequence. No QWERTY here. And does that make it difficult for people used to QWERTY comp keyboards? No. Then what is the need for QWERTY in phones with full keybards only? Sounds really illogical to me.

QWERTY on comp keyboards is ok, since most who can touch type (like me) are used to it, but I don't understand the rationale behind using qwerty on small phone keypads. In any case one can only use 2 thumbs to type here and not 10 fingers. At least phones with full keypads should come with ABC keyboards. I doubt even other standards like DVORAK make sense when you are typing with 2 thumbs.

After considering their 2G plans, wasn't it expected? Good that the plans are posted here - I was too chicken to even look them up on their website, lol! Just hope that they loose a lot of customers and are forced to make their plans more realistic.

No!!! I even threatened them with a port-out. A rather bored sounding lady called and casually promised that everything will be taken care of. Then then even sent an SMS registering the complaint or something. After that nothing till date. I guess its history now. Just wasted my time. Had a very good mind to actually port out, but then the tariffs still work out cheapest for me and also they improved their voice network and EDGE too is bit better (but not consistently... sometimes it crawls) so.

You might as well start seeking advice on race horses.

Good news for Docomo users. In reply to my query regarding recharging "Special" recharges (Special tariff vouchers, combo top-ups, etc) thru 3rd party recharge sites like Bank websites, Giftmate, Freecharge, etc., they have given the following clarification - So one can avail benefits of STVs thru these 3rd party websites. Yippeeeeeeee! Just hope it actually happens without issues...

Sounds awesome, but any idea about the handset they are offering?

Errr... sorry go sound like a wet blanket or something, but I'd beg to differ on some counts. On what count can the resolution be said to be "very, very good?" 320 x 480 is like the min. required for what I might term as just about "decent". Touch sensitivity is on the lower side for a capacitive screen. Yes, I know some may actually like this and its subjective, but personally I find myself having to repeat touches, as I prefer really sensitive screens. Speaker phone isn't so good... esp. for voice calls. Strangely, it seems to perform better when music is played... but I'd certainly not use any superlatives for it. Sound quality on headphones is not good. My old Moto is better than this! (better headphones may solve this... though I haven't tried yet). In fact I plan to take the headphones to the service center. Camera is "average"... but frankly, I'v not compared it to Samsung's Androids in the same price range. However, I will say that Samsung's 3.2 cameras on some other mobiles (non-Android) I'v seen are better. However, if you look at the overall package when you look at the features and price. I'd certainly say it offers a lot for the price, at the moment, but does not particularly excel in anything. I'm just mentioning this so that prospective buyers don't get carried away in making their choice.

Hmm, I believe touching any area except the editing area (and of course the keyboard) does it on my phone.

CCleaner has a very basic registry cleaner. There are proggies that clean a lot better... but such cleaning can be dangerous, if you aren't sure what you are doing. CCleaner on the other hand seems does very basic cleaning. So its v safe, but not so effective. Best thing by far is to use uninstallers, so you don't clutter it up in the 1st place.

Well, such disagreements also happen because of the variables involved - networks vary according to location, load, etc, different phones, vocoders used, interferences, etc., etc. However, when you speak of voice quality, I hope you are also including the "naturalness" of voice. In RCDMA, when I was using it, it often did not feel so natural. It was loud and clear, yes, but not quite "natural".

BoI... man, they are the pits. I had gone to branch hear or 2 ago, and all oldies in their staff, and they move at a snail space. They have probably been rotting thee their whole lives and think that all their customers should spend the rest of their lives in the bank, like them. Plus they are shameless enough to ask you to go out to get a photocopy done!! Doesn't work for me at all. Swore never to set foot there again. No experience with a current account though. That was just a rant about their service at a specific branch. Similar experience with SBI. In fact I walked out on them. I guess it might be similar with most PSU banks. @Starnet, haven't you registered with DND and with the Bank's DND specifically? I have, and HDFC doesn't bug me anymore.

@ Digitalnirvana - I would be forced to disagree. Docomo, when it has been working well, seems to have same to better voice clarity then RCDMA. And my handsets have not been HD capable either. But then the same applies with Uninor and Idea at least. Ditto about call drops, as long as coverage is there (when on the move). I know technically CDMA's soft handovers are supposed to be more reliable than hard handovers, but in practice, i see no disadvantage. Dunno why Docomo does not publicize this more. I feel voice quality is the most important thing about a network. Its sad that such few phones are HD capable. And most are Nokias... so again not really an option for me at least. Not as the main phone at any rate. Besides all are in the mid to high range. EDIT: @Rajan - you summon, and I materialize.

Yes, I know that it could work in the passive way. But if you call CC and actively ask to be transferred the retention dept. and ask them for retention plans, will that work? I doubt it. Anyway, I did send a port request from my RGSM twice. No calls from them at all. They ain't bothered.

You can ask to be transferred to retn. dept. and they will oblige with retention offers??? Are you sure?

Well, in my experience, call drops with Docomo even when on the move are pretty low, even though its on 1800 MHz. Maybe quite as rare as Idea though. Ya, their network was acting up around the time when they launched 3G, but it seem to be back to "normal" now. And ya, its amazing that RGSM does not figure right up there for call drops. Something fishy...??

BSNL i can completely understand, but for Idea at least the data should have been circle specific. In my experience, I have faced the least number of call drops, with Idea, compared to any other operator in Mah. at least. And that applies to even calls with v frequent cell handovers, like in a fast moving car. Even RCDMA used to drop calls once a while, (despite being on CDMA!) but Idea VERY rarely.

Have sent you a PM.