You should try not to be influenced by the 'lifestyle' ads. Decide what you actually want a mobile phone for, where and when you'll use it, and what you can afford.
There are various sources of information, most of them with a vested interest.
Web Page Links
| Cellnet's web page | Vodafone's web page |
| Orange's official web pages | ... but they closed down the unofficial Orange web pages |
| One2One official web page | One2one closed the unofficial web site |
| Phone makers also have sites | ... as do service providers |
| There are dealer web sites all over the place. | For dealers offering sim-only Cellnet and Vodafone deals, see the Sim Only page |
| Other pages with links to the Hairydog site include: | |
| UK Mobile Phones | several mobile-related links |
| Mike Pratt's pages | more technical than user-focussed |
| UK Mobile Phone Directory | very good links page |
| Le GSM en France | use Altavista to translate... |
| Fong-Chih Chen's Website | ...but it won't do this one! |
| Netcetera | Nokia 8110 hints and tips! |
| GSM Resources | links... |
| Cellularmania | |
| Cell-Link | ...and more links |
| GSM World | based in Sweden, but in English |
| Henrik Kaare Poulsen's web site | run by a Nokia GSM enthusiast |
Newsgroups
There is a lot of mobile phone information on the uk.telecom.mobile usenet newsgroup (some of it correct), and there are mailing lists for Orange - send "join orange" and One2one.Conferencing
Orange has a support forum in the Compuserve UKIT forum (section 19) where there is also a general mobile phones section (section 20). I'm no longer a Compuserve member, so I'd appreciate feedback about events there.One of the best sources of mobile phone information is on CIX, which currently has two general mobile phones conferences, as well as two dedicated to Orange and another dedicated to One2one.
CIX costs 6p/minute 9-5 Mon-Fri and 4p/min off-peak, minimum £6.25 per month (or unlimited with WWW access for £14.95 per month), and provides an excellent conferencing bulletin board, almost certainly the best around. It is the best thing on the 'net in many respects. To join, connect your modem to 0181 296 1255 with your credit card ready, or email brochure@cix.co.uk and they'll send you a free CD with all the software, including Ameol, excellent free mail and news software.
Dealers
Although much of the advice you'll get on the high street can be misleading, and prices tend to be high, there are several reputable dealers around who can supply mobile phones and accessories at discount prices. Many are internet-friendly, and do mail order.
©1998-2000 Iain Harrison, Hairydog Productions
cellular. v1.53 12 October 2000