Smartphone Connect Plan???

[GP396]

Hello all,

I'm new all this but I'm considering a Treo 680 as a Mothers Day gift to my wife. She is currently with Cingular on some phone that is a couple years old with no data plan.

I went to the Cingular store yesterday after reviewing the website thinking I could get the phone and add the Smartphone Connect Unlimited Data for $20 to the existing plan but was told I had to buy PDA Connect for $40 unless I went with the Blackberry Pearl instead of the Treo

I just read a pretty lenghty thread on here about MEdia Connect vs PDA Connect but I don't see anything on the Cingular site about MEdia Connect. Has it been replaced with this Smartphone Connect?

If so then would my best option be to buy the Treo 680 on-line (will it make a diff if it's locked or un-locked?). Then go on-line and add Smartphone Unlimited to the current plan and then just put the current SIM card into the Treo and thus avoid an extra $20/month for the PDA Connect.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. The main functionality that I'm looking for is Outlook Calender Synching and her work e-mail (Outlook Express I believe) to be pushed to the phone. She can use the internet option on the phone to access her personal yahoo account. Perhaps occasionally use the phone as a modem for the laptop if Wifi is not available (any issues with this?)

Thanks

MJ

[robogobo]

that's exactly right. Just get whatever Data plan that is unlimited for $19.99. The only possible hangup is that your treo is locked to Cingular, and so they'll know you're using it for Data. So you should probably pay the $40 plan for a couple months, then call AT&T and tell them your dog ate your treo, so you'll be using a standard cell phone, and could they switch you to the MediaNet.