August 29, 2007 at 11:57 pm · Authored by Ewan · Filed under T-Mobile

I’ve been singularly unimpressed with T-Mobile of late. I used to be a heavy user of Agile Mobile Messenger - for MSN, GoogleTalk and so on. I often used to conduct business and catch up with friends whilst sat in a taxi going places.

However a little while ago, T-Mobile upgraded their systems to prevent Agile Mobile — or, I imagine, any other instant messaging service — from working via their standard 7.50/month Web ‘N Walk service plan.

This was fair enough. They were pretty explicit about instant messaging not being ‘allowed’ on the low Web ‘N Walk tariff. Instead, customers are urged to upgrade to the next tariff — 12.50/month — to be able to use instant messaging.

I duly did so.

Rubbish.

It’s still not working. I figured it would just work.

What’s more, I used T-Mobile’s online account management service to remove T-Mobile WiFi service from one of my accounts. I then enabled WiFi service on another account. Result? F-All. My WiFi service has been deactivated and……….. the other account’s WiFi service hasn’t been activated. I haven’t got my login details so I can go online from the likes of a Starbucks or wherever else T-Mobile have WiFi support.

Useless.

This kind of flakey service winds me right up. Right up. It isn’t difficult to get this to work properly. Gahh. I sometimes do wonder just how much sticky tape is used to keep the T-Mobile systems running.

Which brings me to Blackberry. There is, I reckon, no better mobile instant messaging device level implementation than the Blackberry GoogleTalk service. It’s so tightly integrated — it’s just phenomenally good.

I was in a Vodafone store today lusting after one of the newer Blackberries with their GoogleTalk integration.

I think I’ll need to dump one of my T-Mobile accounts and swap the E61i to work on 3UK. I can’t be without instant messaging, it’s really beginning to annoy me.