jyoull@cis.ohio-state.edu> (06/09/91)
Assistance, please, for a neophyte about to buy his first cellular phone. Forgive me, but your discussions convinced me to do this, so y'all have only yourselves to blame ... The local high-pressure low-price electronics store has an Oki 710 handheld and a "CelQuest" CS876Q bag phone. The price is right on both (i.e. cheap)... Would appreciate any comments on either phone, and if anyone has programming info for either, or knows where to get it, PLEASE!! let me know. I don't have a compelling desire to hack the system, but when I buy a car I get a service manual with it ... same here. The sales rep tried to say the programming "code" is secret and "against the law" to give out. I don't think I believe that, and I wonder what would happen and I needed to set the phone for local service in a location where nobody knows how to reprogram the phone I buy ... would cellular service providers really turn me away if I called them myself to establish service? What if I bought a phone used cross-country and wanted to do the same thing? Again, the salesperson managed to answer none of my questions, but I expected that much. Thanks in advance. [Moderator's Note: The only 'law' being broken by giving out the programming data is the law of the jungle the cannibal dealers live by! You programming your own phone is less profit for them! PAT]