Q: Is A1200 worth it for MAC users? Seller recommendations?

[trebor]

Hello all, new here. I am a MAC user (G4-OS10.4.7) in btw calling plans but will be signing up with Cingular. I've been skimming ALL posts for Mac related issues before I buy a Black A1200. I was hoping it would iSync my 100+ contacts with my Mac but discovered through previous postings that this will have to be done manually via USB. I'm loving this phone so much that I am willing to deal with the non-iSync feature for all it's other strengths. But after reading through more postings, I discovered more Mac related issues with this phone that I had not expected, so I hope folks can help me here with the bigger picture. But first let's start with getting the phone...

Issue #1 - HUNTING FOR AN "UNBRANDED" PHONE ONLINE
It seems I must find a vendor that sells a generic unbranded phone, even though all of the online sellers I've found don't mention words like "Unbranded" or "Generic". Have folks out there actually gotten "China Branded" phones mailed to them from online vendors that did not specify this? Shouldn't sellers be specifying "China" or "American" versions? Is there anything in the A1200's appearence or packaging that distinguishes the China from the unbranded version? Different box colors? Are vendors shipping China versions unknowingly and it's anybody's guess who get's what?

And about the deluxe version... it's a box with two stylus and two batteries, maybe a carry case? Specifically, where did folks find this? Online? At a local store? I'm confused whether the extras are part of a OFFICIAL deluxe version or some custom made box prepared by a storefront seller trying to sweeten a deal? Could someone please tell me where they bought a phone with the extra stylus and battery (pref. online) in the US?

I have found the following vendors below, some with variations on extras, some without lists of box contents, few specifying whether the phone is unbranded or China-branded, even fewer specifying English user manual included, some without USA based brick-and-mortar addresses (so if they handle warranty, I can ship to them and THEY ship to China under warranty). Based on all of this, its hard to judge whether I'm getting the branded or unbranded, even a counterfeit "clone" phone that may have infiltrated the online market by now. Can any (Mac or PC) folks please recommend any one of these or other vendors based on a clean, low-maintainence, out-of-the-box and good-to-go experience with your Black Mings and to which they did not have to send phones back for repair/replacement? Or steer me away from any? Hope this list also helps folks like me who are shopping around...

- $??? @ importgsm.com
(physically in King of Prussia, PA / Website under construction till Sept 25)

- $399 @ cellcrew.com
(888 phone# but no address / no extended wrnty offered )

- $399 @ tbfb.ca
(514 phone# only, in Canada / will ship for you under 1yr mnfctr wrnty)

- $404 @ overseaselectronics.com
(physically in Chicago, IL / no extended wrnty offered )

- $409 @ wirelessimports.com
(212 phone# only, in NYC, NY / no extended warranty offered)

- $419 @ atgsm.com - funny this price was $399 just hours ago, hmmm
(physically in NYC, NY/ no extended wrnty offered)

- $433 + 1GB MicroDisk @ ebay (seller: al_enterprise2005)
(100% feedback / physically in Flushing, NY / says "will help" under
mnfctr wrnty + extended Squaretrade warranty offered for extra $40 but
only active 60 days AFTER auction ends! Hmmm... sounds tricky)

- $440 @ cellularconcepts.com
(physically in Pompano, Fla / will ship for you under 1-yr mnfctr wrnty
+ only site offering to email buyer with MMS and GPRS setup instructs!)

- $461 @ puremobile.com
(physically in Upstate NY / extended wrnty offered: 1yr=$58, 2yr=$75)

- $488 + 1GB MicroDisk @ ebay (seller: al_enterprise2005)
(100% feedback / physically in Flushing, NY / says "will help" under
mnfctr wrnty + extended Squaretrade warranty offered for extra $40 but
only active 60 days AFTER auction ends! Hmmm... sounds tricky)

- $499 @ cellhut.com
(physically in NYC, NY, no pick-ups allowed / no extended wrnty offered )


Issue #2 - FIRMWARE UPGRADING
After reading many posts, it sounds like several different versions of this phone have shipped with a range of firmware versions since it's release in Dec 2005. Does that mean there's no telling what firmware I will get from whatever vendor? Sounds a bit random. On top of that, regardless of whatever firmware is shipped with the phone, I will eventually HAVE TO flash the phone with a firmware upgrade posted to this site in order to fix the low volume/blank text message issue, correct? Does this mean that EVERYONE who has bought an unbranded phone eventually MUST flash it to fix bugs that ship with the phone anyway? Or is there a firmware version I will have to cross my fingers and hope to get that WON'T force me to have to flash at all? If so, who has this phone and from what vendor did you buy it from? In other words, does anyone possess the Ming in the USA (pref. NYC on a MAC G4 with Cingular) that is using the phone OUT THE BOX without having to babysit/tinker with it? Clear cover is still sturdy? Hardware didn't flake or software didn't freak after a few weeks? Any DOAs from above vendors?


Issue #3 - SOFTWARE ON DVD IS PC ONLY???
I came across a posting that I thought I bookmarked in order to reference it here but can't find so I'll try to remember as much as I can. I could swear I read that the software disk that comes in the box is only readable on PCs only?!? Is this software absolutely vital to the startup and use of the Ming? If I wanted to just mount the disk on a desktop and did not have an Intel-based G5 with "bootcamp", I would have to borrow a friend's PC just to mount dvd/upload programs/interface with this phone/flash my firmware?? Could anyone clear this up for me please? I am on a G4 with the whole Microsoft Word/Excel suite. Doesn't sound like those apps would help but... I'm getting the feeling that this phone is a bit high-maintainence for Mac users. And this "PC only disk" thing might be a deal-breaker. Could Mac users out there with similar circumstances please advise? How are you managing around what seems to be a near-total incompatibility with the Mac (apart from being able to mount as a USB mass storage etc)?

I've been reading online... Treo 750p coming in OCT to Cingular. I hear they interact well w/ Macs but read of many complaints about the sticky Palm OS. It's an option. I also read that Apple's iPhone will appear in 6 months. I cannot wait that long for a phone but... could Mac users out there convince me that the Ming is the way to go NOW? Thanks!


IN SHORT...
from what ONE vendor did Mac folks get their A1200s that were:
- seller shipped from within USA w/ good customer service
- seller offered some kind of warranty so YOU don't have to deal with
tracking down the various manufacturers in Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Phillipines, etc
- generic/unbranded?
- no probs with Cingular customer service or Web settings
- did NOT have to flash firmware/phone worked fine out of box?
- clear door didn't loosen after a while? 2GB microDisc worked okay?
- set-up/address migration/overall interaction via a G4 was even possible?

Thanks in advance,
Trebor

[trebor]

Correction:
the $488 ebay entry was duped by accident. Should read:

- $458 + 1Gb microDisk + H3 Bluetooth @ ebay (seller: lala-west)
(99% feedback, located in Calif. / no mention of help with warrenty
+ extended Squaretrade warranty offered for extra $40)

[sschaubach]

So far this phone is not mac friendly; however, that may change in the future if they get LeoPPP working which seems like an issue with the driver off versiontracker AJZaurusUSB.

usb jump drive mode does work on MacOS X, but for now I just use a PC or linux.

I bought my phone local in San Francisco so I can't comment except to say try maybe mobilebee or expandsys

Best,

Stephen

[bruins6020]

Has anyone tried using virtual PC on a Mac?

[Alpha43]

Hello all, new here. I am a MAC user (G4-OS10.4.7) in btw calling plans but will be signing up with Cingular. I've been skimming ALL posts for Mac related issues before I buy a Black A1200. I was hoping it would iSync my 100+ contacts with my Mac but discovered through previous postings that this will have to be done manually via USB. I'm loving this phone so much that I am willing to deal with the non-iSync feature for all it's other strengths. But after reading through more postings, I discovered more Mac related issues with this phone that I had not expected, so I hope folks can help me here with the bigger picture. But first let's start with getting the phone...

Issue #1 - HUNTING FOR AN "UNBRANDED" PHONE ONLINE
It seems I must find a vendor that sells a generic unbranded phone, even though all of the online sellers I've found don't mention words like "Unbranded" or "Generic". Have folks out there actually gotten "China Branded" phones mailed to them from online vendors that did not specify this? Shouldn't sellers be specifying "China" or "American" versions? Is there anything in the A1200's appearence or packaging that distinguishes the China from the unbranded version? Different box colors? Are vendors shipping China versions unknowingly and it's anybody's guess who get's what?

And about the deluxe version... it's a box with two stylus and two batteries, maybe a carry case? Specifically, where did folks find this? Online? At a local store? I'm confused whether the extras are part of a OFFICIAL deluxe version or some custom made box prepared by a storefront seller trying to sweeten a deal? Could someone please tell me where they bought a phone with the extra stylus and battery (pref. online) in the US?

I have found the following vendors below, some with variations on extras, some without lists of box contents, few specifying whether the phone is unbranded or China-branded, even fewer specifying English user manual included, some without USA based brick-and-mortar addresses (so if they handle warranty, I can ship to them and THEY ship to China under warranty). Based on all of this, its hard to judge whether I'm getting the branded or unbranded, even a counterfeit "clone" phone that may have infiltrated the online market by now. Can any (Mac or PC) folks please recommend any one of these or other vendors based on a clean, low-maintainence, out-of-the-box and good-to-go experience with your Black Mings and to which they did not have to send phones back for repair/replacement? Or steer me away from any? Hope this list also helps folks like me who are shopping around...

- $??? @ importgsm.com
(physically in King of Prussia, PA / Website under construction till Sept 25)

- $399 @ cellcrew.com
(888 phone# but no address / no extended wrnty offered )

- $399 @ tbfb.ca
(514 phone# only, in Canada / will ship for you under 1yr mnfctr wrnty)

- $404 @ overseaselectronics.com
(physically in Chicago, IL / no extended wrnty offered )

- $409 @ wirelessimports.com
(212 phone# only, in NYC, NY / no extended warranty offered)

- $419 @ atgsm.com - funny this price was $399 just hours ago, hmmm
(physically in NYC, NY/ no extended wrnty offered)

- $433 + 1GB MicroDisk @ ebay (seller: al_enterprise2005)
(100% feedback / physically in Flushing, NY / says "will help" under
mnfctr wrnty + extended Squaretrade warranty offered for extra $40 but
only active 60 days AFTER auction ends! Hmmm... sounds tricky)

- $440 @ cellularconcepts.com
(physically in Pompano, Fla / will ship for you under 1-yr mnfctr wrnty
+ only site offering to email buyer with MMS and GPRS setup instructs!)

- $461 @ puremobile.com
(physically in Upstate NY / extended wrnty offered: 1yr=$58, 2yr=$75)

- $488 + 1GB MicroDisk @ ebay (seller: al_enterprise2005)
(100% feedback / physically in Flushing, NY / says "will help" under
mnfctr wrnty + extended Squaretrade warranty offered for extra $40 but
only active 60 days AFTER auction ends! Hmmm... sounds tricky)

- $499 @ cellhut.com
(physically in NYC, NY, no pick-ups allowed / no extended wrnty offered )


Issue #2 - FIRMWARE UPGRADING
After reading many posts, it sounds like several different versions of this phone have shipped with a range of firmware versions since it's release in Dec 2005. Does that mean there's no telling what firmware I will get from whatever vendor? Sounds a bit random. On top of that, regardless of whatever firmware is shipped with the phone, I will eventually HAVE TO flash the phone with a firmware upgrade posted to this site in order to fix the low volume/blank text message issue, correct? Does this mean that EVERYONE who has bought an unbranded phone eventually MUST flash it to fix bugs that ship with the phone anyway? Or is there a firmware version I will have to cross my fingers and hope to get that WON'T force me to have to flash at all? If so, who has this phone and from what vendor did you buy it from? In other words, does anyone possess the Ming in the USA (pref. NYC on a MAC G4 with Cingular) that is using the phone OUT THE BOX without having to babysit/tinker with it? Clear cover is still sturdy? Hardware didn't flake or software didn't freak after a few weeks? Any DOAs from above vendors?


Issue #3 - SOFTWARE ON DVD IS PC ONLY???
I came across a posting that I thought I bookmarked in order to reference it here but can't find so I'll try to remember as much as I can. I could swear I read that the software disk that comes in the box is only readable on PCs only?!? Is this software absolutely vital to the startup and use of the Ming? If I wanted to just mount the disk on a desktop and did not have an Intel-based G5 with "bootcamp", I would have to borrow a friend's PC just to mount dvd/upload programs/interface with this phone/flash my firmware?? Could anyone clear this up for me please? I am on a G4 with the whole Microsoft Word/Excel suite. Doesn't sound like those apps would help but... I'm getting the feeling that this phone is a bit high-maintainence for Mac users. And this "PC only disk" thing might be a deal-breaker. Could Mac users out there with similar circumstances please advise? How are you managing around what seems to be a near-total incompatibility with the Mac (apart from being able to mount as a USB mass storage etc)?

I've been reading online... Treo 750p coming in OCT to Cingular. I hear they interact well w/ Macs but read of many complaints about the sticky Palm OS. It's an option. I also read that Apple's iPhone will appear in 6 months. I cannot wait that long for a phone but... could Mac users out there convince me that the Ming is the way to go NOW? Thanks!


IN SHORT...
from what ONE vendor did Mac folks get their A1200s that were:
- seller shipped from within USA w/ good customer service
- seller offered some kind of warranty so YOU don't have to deal with
tracking down the various manufacturers in Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Phillipines, etc
- generic/unbranded?
- no probs with Cingular customer service or Web settings
- did NOT have to flash firmware/phone worked fine out of box?
- clear door didn't loosen after a while? 2GB microDisc worked okay?
- set-up/address migration/overall interaction via a G4 was even possible?

Thanks in advance,
Trebor

Hello,
okay Well first of all you should not worry about firmware. Most def. you will recieve generic firmware. either 53p or .06p. Either one is good. But of course some vendors still sell china mobile phones. So you should always be careful. I suggest tbfb. They have excellent customer service and many member on this forum has recieved there phone from that place. A solution for you is to use bluetooth if you want to transfer things from your computer.. either that or card reader. If you have any other questions let me know.
~Alpha~

[patankar]

Hi Trebor and everyone else! Brand spankin' newbie here!!

Trebor, I am also a mac user (G4, 10.7.4) and a potential A1200 owner. I am in the same boat (kinda) as you as I really love this phone, but the only thing that stops me from running out and buying one is the compatibility issue. Maybe I should buy the phone and then buy a new mac (running windows with parallels)??

Anyway, the only thing I was able to find linking the two together was:

http://www.hohndel.org/cgi-bin/tech.cgi which talks about using the ming as a GPRS modem for the mac. Hope this helps!!!

Cheers,

Rajit

[Alric]

I am primarily a Mac user and got the Ming last week. These are some of my experiences so far:

Pros:
Drag and drop of files using USB.
Transfer of contacts through Bluetooth.
It does play iTunes AAC files (not those from iTS).
It plays MP4 video files made by Quicktime (320x240 x 25 fps, or less).

Cons:
No iSync support.
I don't seem able to copy files from the phone back to the Mac. Only using adapter.

I don't see why the latter wouldn't work with VPC or Parallels.

BTW. It works nicely with my Prius (jic).

I'll keep updating as I experiment. Cheers!

[slicknik76]

I am primarily a Mac user and got the Ming last week. These are some of my experiences so far:

Pros:
Drag and drop of files using USB.
Transfer of contacts through Bluetooth.
It does play iTunes AAC files (not those from iTS).
It plays MP4 video files made by Quicktime (320x240 x 25 fps, or less).

Cons:
No iSync support.
I don't seem able to copy files from the phone back to the Mac. Only using adapter.

I don't see why the latter wouldn't work with VPC or Parallels.

BTW. It works nicely with my Prius (jic).

I'll keep updating as I experiment. Cheers!

This is interesting. I actually had no problems with file transfers using a Mac until recently (although it was noticeably slower). I then had the same problem you had last week in transferring files from phone to Mac at work. Initially I thought it was because I upgraded to Tiger but I tried on an Older Mac running Panther and got the same result. I have a spear card that I'll test in case its a card issue but could it be a OS X update that's the root of the trouble? Has anyone tried file transfers with Leopard?

[jgrant]

Since I got my ming over a year ago I guess I really have not used it much with my iBook. I started out thinking that I had not had much problems with my ming and my iBook.

I uses bluetooth or EDGE so transfer file to and from my ming and mac. Bluetooth does seem to work well but a little slow on larger files(EDGE is really slow on large files). USB seems to work if I only want to transfer files to my ming. If I try to access anything on my ming it locks up the connection and I have to disconnect. I am able to navigate the filesystem I just can not read files over USB.

I have never tried to do anything with isync since I have all my contacts on a syncml server or on my work exchange server. OTA and Exchange Activesync work well for me but I have to sync manually.

I do know that I can uses Windows XP with VMWare on my linux workstation to run MPT and other flash software to update my ming so I am hoping when I get a MacBook Pro I will be able to do the same with Parallel.

[slicknik76]

I am hoping when I get a MacBook Pro I will be able to do the same with Parallel.

You can! This is my workaround when using Macs now.