Telstra T-Hub phone. Is it junk? Does it only work with BigPond?

[spudboy]

My brother just gave me a Telstra T-Hub phone as a present.

I have got it all turned on, connected to my wireless, tested with a phone call, etc, so I am part way there.

Step 5 of the setup wants me to connect to a BigPond account, but I don't have one and I don't want one. Is this thing tied to only BigPond/Telstra ISP users?

I can't get past this setup step, and connect to "my" ISP, so would I be right in thinking it is a useless piece of junk (to me anyway....)?

Thanks
David

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

T-hub is only available from telstra. I'm actually using mine now!
you can't connect thru anyone else AFAIK. Only got it, well SWMBO wanted it, as it was supposed to be 'cool'. Problem is it's Linux based and not really as good as Mac, iphone, android or Windows alternatives.
Doesnt have apps outside Telstra specific ones however it does have its uses but is a bugger to type on. i could have done this quicker on my iphone...
It cant autocap the start of a sentence, offer spell check and you need to make sure you punch the keys firmly if your using your fingers.
With forums and general web, you cant open tabs or other pages making it a pain looking at multiple pages.
for what it costs as opposed to what it achieves, put afew extra bucks in and get a 10 or 12 inch notebook....
Cheers

Andrew

[spudboy]

OK - Thanks for that. If it is hardwired to BigPond then I'll have to pack it back up and return it.

Seemed like a good idea though....

[Hymie]

I got mine in a bundle and as Lovemyrangie said, it's pretty useless.

[Ace]

Stacey works for telstra bigpond and said it will only work with telstra products. You will be able to test it but you wont be able to complete the installation/registration process without the bigpond connection.

Matt

[martinozcmax]

Is it junk and does it only work with Telstra.

Yes and yes. :(

[Ace]

Is it junk and does it only work with Telstra.

Yes and yes. :(

Have you got one?

[martinozcmax]

Have you got one?

No, been in IT for 35 years and once I'd read the spec and seen it only worked on Bigpond I steered well clear of it. Typical Telstra selling a dumbed down product to lock in the line rentals.

[Ace]

No, been in IT for 35 years and once I'd read the spec and seen it only worked on Bigpond I steered well clear of it. Typical Telstra selling a dumbed down product to lock in the line rentals.

I wouldnt call that a bad product, more smart marketing on Telstra's behalf. I cant say I'll be getting one, even if my wife does sell them, we have two computers to access the internet, a mobile phone each and a home phone so I dont see the need for one. But I dont see how that makes them junk.

[martinozcmax]

I wouldnt call that a bad product, more smart marketing on Telstra's behalf. I cant say I'll be getting one, even if my wife does sell them, we have two computers to access the internet, a mobile phone each and a home phone so I dont see the need for one. But I dont see how that makes them junk.

Now let's see. It's a device to access the internet that costs around the same as a cheap laptop. But it doesn't do most of the other things a "normal" internet access laptop does.

It also has to work only on bigpond and you need to pay for a Telstra phone line as well. How silly of me, my apologies you are quite correct. It's not crap it's a brilliant product. :eek:

[spudboy]

Hmmm - OK, I get the picture.

Better return it to my brother then. Nice idea perhaps, but not when it is locked down to Telstra only web access (for me anyway).

[Ace]

Now let's see. It's a device to access the internet that costs around the same as a cheap laptop. But it doesn't do most of the other things a "normal" internet access laptop does.

It also has to work only on bigpond and you need to pay for a Telstra phone line as well. How silly of me, my apologies you are quite correct. It's not crap it's a brilliant product. :eek:

I wont disagree, its limited in its capabilities and I thought the same as you. But it isnt designed to be a laptop or do what a laptop does. Its a quick internet access point within the home that you can quickly check email, look up the yellow pages etc, without firing the computer or the laptop up, and it serves as a phone. I can see how, for some people, it would be very useful.

I agree with you in terms of its limitations and I see your point, its exactly what I thought when Stacey told me they were releasing it, but why would Telstra create and release a product that you can get and use with Optus or another telco? The whole point of it is so that you buy it and keep using Telstra products. Im not saying its a brilliant product, but it does what it was designed to do.

I dont so much have a preference for Telstra products but I use them, and will continue to do so because I have trouble free usage with them. I have used optus, dodo and harbour IT for various internet and phone services and end up getting so frustrated that I terminate the service and go back to Telstra, they might cost more than the others, but you get what you pay for. So in the end im happy to be locked into tesltra by their products.

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

I wont disagree, its limited in its capabilities and I thought the same as you. But it isnt designed to be a laptop or do what a laptop does. Its a quick internet access point within the home that you can quickly check email, look up the yellow pages etc, without firing the computer or the laptop up, and it serves as a phone. I can see how, for some people, it would be very useful.



I can do far more quicker,easier and a lot better on my iPhone.......

[Ace]

I can do far more quicker,easier and a lot better on my iPhone.......

I think we'll leave the Iphone alone :D I cant stand them and refuse to fall ill to their lurings. Im happy with my HTC, which does the same. This is why I wont be getting a T-Hub.

[klappers]

T-Hub = fail