The best part is that AT&T will eventually raise their data network prices to install new infrastructure.

Unless this eBook reader does a lot more than read eBooks, there's no way it'll be more than a drop in the bucket compared to iPhone data use. No, this won't make one bit of difference. Stop spreading FUD.

I wonder what the "per-page" downloading fee is going to be.

The voicemail problem is awful. I routinely don't get voicemails from people for 48 hours after they call.

I can't say I'm surprised. The only time I ever get any real speed from my 3G is when I'm up at school in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise, I'm better off using the wireless connection at home. Something to keep in mind for anyone who wants an iPhone: Wait a few months. The first run of the iPhone is most likely going to have some kinks that need more to be fixed than a firmware update. I got my 3G a week after it came out and it crashed while I was on a trip. It crashed so badly that I needed to connect it to a computer, with an internet connection. This would have been doable if I wasn't in the middle of a 5.5 hour train ride. I enjoyed the peace and quiet. Everyone else who tried to reach me was beyond pissed.

@Cant_stop_the_rock: If you throw another popular device (assuming Barnes and Noble's device becomes popular) onto an already-saturated network, it just makes things worse. Granted, people aren't nearly as likely to download ebooks as often as they use the network on their iToys, but if this thing allows newspaper and magazine subscriptions with regular updates, in areas where AT&T's network is already overloaded it won't help a bit.

If only Apple would hurry up an invent data compression and put it on the iPhone, then AT&T's network would be much improved.

@Cant_stop_the_rock: I think the point is that the service is BARELY a service as is, and any addition, especially while simultaneously adding iPhones, is too much.

I'm happy to hear about the problems on AT&T's craptastic networks (and I laugh every time I see those AT&T commercials where they boast the "fastest 3G Network"... based on what????)

I'm hoping all this negative press and angry customers will convince Apple not to re-up on their exclusivity deal with AT&T... I want an Iphone on Verizon dammit!

Slow down? How could it? It's already going backwards for me. Just yesterday my iPhone displayed a ticker about a downturn in the market from sometime in 1929.

@jennyplain: That's not a 3gs nor iphone issue. It happens all the time to traditional service plan users.

Just yesterday evening I finally received a voice mail that had been left on Sunday afternoon. This is happening more frequently. I really don't understand why.

AT&T is horrible I love people bash on Verizon for sucking but for the 4 years ive had verizon and no slowdowns no dropped calls and awesome support.

I have to wonder what people expect when I hear them complaining about 3G speed in NYC. I'm sitting here in my office and just ran three speed tests on my iphone 3G and they were all between 780-945kb down/83-118 up which is pretty good. If you think that equates to dial up, even at half that speed, then you don't remember dial up! I've never noticed it being terrible. Is it as fast as my home internet connection? Of course not, but I wouldn't expect it to be either!

@Adhominem: Not on t-mobile

@lannister80: Second that. Never had this happen on T-Mobile. Data speeds are pretty good, too, even on EDGE.

the 3GS - is do not have a faster network support , the S is for a faster processor in the phone to load apps etc. Network is still slow.

I am so ready for the iPhone/AT&T monopoly to be broken.

@dustincimino:

While I agree that Verizon's network is the best, I have to believe that if you took all the iPhone users from AT&T's network, put them on Verizon, it wouldn't be rainbows and unicorns.

It would probably be better than what I see now on AT&T, but it wouldn't be nirvana. Verizon too would be stretched to the limit.

The lesson here isn't for AT&T, it's for Verizon. If they had learned to simply give the customer what they wanted as opposed to what Verizon wanted for the sole purpose of milking every dime out of them, it would be rainbows and unicorns for Verizon.

@smirkette:

If Apple decides that they are not going to make a CDMA version of the phone, or make a version to support 3G on T-Mobile's bandplan, how is anything improved?

@SanDiegoDude: I don't why would i want a phone that uses an old technology like CDMA? I can unlock my iPhone and use it anywhere in the world.

@Cornelius047: I hope it supports PDF. All my ebooks are in non-DRMd PDF format. Who needs bandwidth when you can just read a file stored locally.

@zentec: Verizon would upgrade to best hold all these iphone users. I live in a town not very big and they put EVDO towers (not sure if they are towers) for fast internet they didnt need to but they didnt. AT&T however...from friends and family sucks period.

@jennyplain: I once returned a friend's call only to find out she'd left her message a MONTH ago.

@smirkette:
Officially broken, anyway. However, If they do go CDMA,
it will be much harder to unofficially break Verizon's hold on it, where as now, it's rather simple.

AT&T should just accept that they are going to have to tank for a quarter or two and invest in upgrading their network. It's clear that they spend more money generating sales rather than building their service capabilities.

@Adhominem: It may in fact be an iPhone issue. I have had the same problem ever since the iPhone 3.0 software upgrade, but finally hit on this fix on the AT&T web forum. So far it's worked for me:

[forums.wireless.att.com]

@kimdog: If it's an iPhone and you just upgraded to 3.0 recently, check this out: [forums.wireless.att.com]

Funny, you can keep your 3G speeds and ill keep the 3.5G speeds I get with AT&T here in the city. Sheep, learn what network you are using and stop listening to commercials. Big dfference between UMTS and HSDPA.

@dustincimino: My iPhone is currently getting 774kbps down, on the 3G network. How is this horrible?

@Adhominem:
NOT ON VERIZON!!!!

@Reid Antonacchio:
Because CDMA actually works...
I have FAST 3G service on my Verizon Blackberry standing next to my brother who has NO service on his NEW TECH AT&T GSM CRAP!!!!

@undefined: @sixseeds: That sounds about right. I've gotten 2 month-old voicemail before.

@Darrone: why don't my comments stick??

@smirkette: That’s a fairly loose definition of monopoly.

@Ausoleil: I feel sorry for people with crippled Iphones on that network. Maybe the best thing to do is just to get the new Ipod touch when it comes out.

Does this void my contract? I want a new phone.

Well, that would still be an improvement over their service in Hawaii -- their service has been spotty at best and non-existent in reality the last two days. That's why I refuse to buy an IPhone until they branch to another network.

@SanDiegoDude: They do have the fastest 3G network. (HSDPA vs. EVDO) Most reliable? Hell no.

@dustincimino: You accidentally the whole towers?

can someone explain to me why there aren't any class action suits against AT&T? I don't understand how they can blatantly about their service and still continue operate as if it didn't matter

Wireless, wireless everywhere, but not a byte to get. I think people really need to start making more noise about the craptastic performance of AT&T. Folks can grumble in the comments section of the Consumerist all they want, but AT&T's got the proverbial fingers in their ears going "lalalalala". If people really want progress, they need to protest, boycott, and campaign AT&T until they get the results they want.

@Reid Antonacchio: Who cares if the technology in use is new or old? I'll take a reliable implementation of old technology over a suckish implementation of new technology any day. I'm not saying that Verizon is better than AT&T - in fact in some areas the opposite is true. But anyone who believes newer is always better needs to get their head out of their ass.

@Reid Antonacchio: Except that AT&T and Verizon are both going to LTE as their next network, and so is much of the rest of the world (the frequency at which LTE will be transmitted in the US and Europe is a different story)

@zentec: They probably won't make a CDMA version, but will focus on an LTE (4G) version, which *both* AT&T and Verizon are going to start building towers for.

@Adhominem: Not on Verizon either. Longest I've ever had a VM take was 3 minutes. During a known system upgrade where they told us in advance things might be wonky for a few hours.

But relief is right around the corner w/AT&T n' iPhone 4G. I'm sure that roll out will be on time and glitch free, notwithstanding the suicide of the worker who lost one of the prototypes in China last week.

You know, I've had AT&T for years. I had 3G for 18 months before the stupid JobsPhone 3G came out, and it was really, really nice. The network has been utter crap since the JobsPhone 3G came out, and just seems to be getting worse.

For all the customers AT&T got because they whored themselves out to Apple, they're going to lose a few. I'm all but ready to move elsewhere.

@RobinHamster: because people keep buying iphones like they're candy, just because it's fashionable and hip, and despite the fact it's a terrible phone.