Wind Mobile & the HTC Maple

Wind Mobile & the HTC Maple
So, I'm ending up back in Canada and having divorced myself from FIDO went in search for another provider up here, fully prepared to be paying twice the price for half the service you get in the USA. Alas, no - but with some caveats.


Wind Mobile, a new startup Canadian wireless provider, seems to have a better perspective on customer service than most of Canadian telco's I've dealt with.
Over the holidays they had a special promotion, $40 unlimited calls to the USA and Canada, (no long distance), and unlimited data, fair use policy in effect. What a deal!!! What can I say, a company up here finally gets it!

Great deal, and I like their take on customer service, as in, what's good for the customer. You get to unlock your phone after 3 months. I mean, really, why not. Why is this even an issue. There's a Canadian MP that's lobbying, has a petition to let customers unlock their phones, it's here if you care to sign it. But why is this like, oh really? I paid $600 for my f'n FIDO phone and those MF's wouldn't give me the unlock codes. AND I PAID FOR THE PHONE!!!! It's not that I was leaving them, I just wanted to use the phone when I went back to the US or to Europe on business. Why is 'f@#$ the customer' the MO up here?

So, I like Wind. They get it.
That said - I have had problems with the network, so, as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. I've had several dropped calls at my apt or walking around. And when I get reception, it's sketchy at best. I can only hope it's because they have had so many new customers and that it's only a matter of time before they address their network issues. There have been times when I actually have to use SKYPE, to make a phone call because I can't get through on WIND. Better look in to that WIND otherwise you'll start to lose clients, not because you don't have good, fair plans, not because you don't have a customer friendly service, but the underlying service, you know, providing phone service - isn't there. Pay attention.

As far as the HTC Maple, I guess you could say the same thing. It's 1/4 the price of an iPhone and 1/4 quarter as useful and cool. Its first mistake (or mine), was going with Microsoft for an OS. What a piece of crap. Does these guys know what year it is? So, it's cheap, and it's basic. You do get your email. Forget about surfing the Web, apps, or anything remotely cool, useful or intuitive, i.e., anything that Apple has done in the last few years.

The phone hangs, to the point where I have to take out the battery. It crashes. It flashes. What's with the flashing. Why do I need to see flashing green and red light all the freakin time. Do you need to tell me that way that I'm getting email? Or surfing the net? What? WHAT? WHY Tell me. I find it a crazy annoying 'feature'. I read the news, try, in bed, and there's this stupid flashing light in my face. This sort of bad design drives me mental. I know there are bigger problems in the world, but man, on a day to day, that such shitty products make it to market is always a head scratcher.

For those looking for a basic, no nonesense cheap phone. This is it. The battery life isn't great. The ear piece they give is crap. Although it has bluetooth I haven't been able to sync with one other device yet, including my bluetooth headset. For the $$ don't get it, really, go with an Android phone, or anything other than this POS. It's difficult to get the cover off to change the SIM card, it's difficult to remove the flap to charge it. The HTC must have been designed by first year engineers. Way behind, and no clue about user interface.

Oy gevalt!