Another Bad Pocketmail Review

[the_iceman]

I just spent 3 days trying to sync my documents from my PC to my pocket mail. I tried 3 diffrerent PC's and 3 differnent OS's and no luck even though they indicate it is possible on their site.

http://www.pocketmail.com/us/support/winlink/

I finally gave up and called support and they shamelessly denied that they support syncing or that they ever claimed to in the past several years.

First she said "Oh use tha new backup program that comes with it"

I of course said "Cool, I can download my mail drop schedule, etc. with that right?"

WRONG - cannot transfer only backup.

Okay, I can email attachments right?

WRONG

Can I upload pictures from my camera - NO

Wait a second - it weighs 8.2 ounces and I cannot cook with it or eat it?

Save your money because $200 goes a long way to something better.

[frieden]

Thanks. I just got off their site, and was wondering about all that.

[the_iceman]

The backup does work you just cannot edit and transfer with your PC.

The install disk says Winlink and CompanionLink install but it only installs the backup program. I though it was a bad disk so I went to their website and sure enough you can download the sync software, It just does not work. I am a computer guy who has been around longer than PC''s. I tried everything.

Worse than that it causes a system error forciing you to reset and lose all your setup information.

I am now spend 6 hours typing in what I could download in 6 seconds.

[Footslogger]

First I've heard of this issue ...but then again, this is also the first time I've heard of anyone attempting to synch the device to their PC.

So then, PocketMail does send and receive messages ...just not much else beyond that ? Did I understand correctly that you CAN back-up the contents of the Composer onto your PC ? What more would the "synch" funtion allow ?

I own one but haven't begun using it yet. The more I know going in the better off I'll be.

Thanks in advance,

'Slogger

[Mr. Parkay]

I just spent 3 days trying to sync my documents from my PC to my pocket mail. I tried 3 diffrerent PC's and 3 differnent OS's and no luck even though they indicate it is possible on their site.

http://www.pocketmail.com/us/support/winlink/

I finally gave up and called support and they shamelessly denied that they support syncing or that they ever claimed to in the past several years.

First she said "Oh use tha new backup program that comes with it"

I of course said "Cool, I can download my mail drop schedule, etc. with that right?"

WRONG - cannot transfer only backup.

Okay, I can email attachments right?

WRONG

Can I upload pictures from my camera - NO

Wait a second - it weighs 8.2 ounces and I cannot cook with it or eat it?

Save your money because $200 goes a long way to something better.

Well, it sounds to me like you need a Blackberry or PDA, if you want to view attachments and backup pictures. However, for the purposes of most thru-hikers the Pocketmail is a much more useful and device since it allows you to send and recieve emails from any pay phone or house phone (not cell phone). This is handy since it can be hard to find internet access in many parts of the trail.

By the way, if you want to view your mail drop shedule, why not just email it in text format to your pocketmail?

[the_iceman]

To answer Footslogger and Parkay -

The Pocket mail has a Memo Tool and a To Do list but I am a PC guy and I think and plan with tools like Excel. With Excel you can automatically compute when you will need a new fuel canister, look up shelters automatically, etc. I built a spreadsheet using the average mileage per section from Mapman's stuff and the table of AT shelter from this site as well that will project where I will be (approx) each night.

You can tweak the average days per section etc. I do not want to live by it but is handy to project what state I will be in on what date etc. It would be cool to have a copy of those projections with me. I can email it but I do not have Excel or Word on the Pocket Mail.

I own 2 Palm Pilots and never use them but I want/need to have email every few days to a week. I have all the planning and notes done on my PC and I just got the Pocketmail. I have 7 days before I leave with 20 days worth of crap to do. Retyping what I already have was not on my game plan. Besides, the plan will go out the window in 5 days anyway,

As pure email it is great. I just wish they were a little more honest about the product. In hindsight if they had been more honest I would have bought the backflip and saved $50. It is too late to change even if they would.

[Footslogger]

[quote=the_iceman;345834]

As pure email it is great.

=========================================

That's all I bought it for. I'm a computer geek too actually. Former software tech support freak. That said ...I went with PocketMail purely to send/receive e-mail. The rest I save for before I leave on the trail and after I return.

But I do appreciate your concern and frustation ....

'Slogger

[RedneckRye]

[QUOTE=the_iceman;345834]To answer Footslogger and Parkay -

The Pocket mail has a Memo Tool and a To Do list but I am a PC guy and I think and plan with tools like Excel. With Excel you can automatically compute when you will need a new fuel canister, look up shelters automatically, etc. I built a spreadsheet using the average mileage per section from Mapman's stuff and the table of AT shelter from this site as well that will project where I will be (approx) each night.
---------------------------

Twice I've had the pleasure of watching folks burn their schedules once they realized that trying to follow a hike as planned from the couch at home was ridiculous. Those plans were on paper, so the burning was LNT. Once you burn the Pocketmail, be sure to pack out the chunks!!

Seriously though, I used Pocketmail last year to send and recieve emails and for all of my journal entries. I had zero problems, even found it to work with cell phones some of the time. I'm not really a computer guy at all, so I didn't really look too deep into what Pocketmail could or could not do beyond text e-mail. For me, that was all I needed and it worked great.

The only issue i ever had with it was a few times the SEND button got pressed when it was in my pack. Solved that by taping a small piece of cardboard over the button. Not having to go find a computer to check and send e-mail saved quite a bit of time in town.

[the_iceman]

I did try converting some things like the Hostel list from Whiteblaze and emailing it to my pocketmail. You need to strip out unwanted columns then do a table to text conversion. Then do a word count to see # of characters. The max character count for pocketmail is 6000, the default is 4000 but you can bump it up under the tools menu.

That is the kind of information that might be nice to have. There are some Hostels in the WB list that are not in Wingfoot's book.

I also want to mail myself the Handbook updates before I go.

[Undershaft]

Yet another reason pocketmail sucks. I've said it before, pocketmail was great six years ago but has now been surpassed by much better technology. A smartphone weighs less and does so much more. You can send and recieve e-mail without having to find a landline, plus you can send pictures, get weather info, talk, send/recieve text msgs. and a whole lot more. Iceman: why don't you just print your schedule/maildrop spreadsheets and carry it with you? The few sheets of paper weigh a hell of a lot less than a half pound pocketmail. A smartphone weighs as little as a few ounces depending on the model. Didn't you say on another thread that you were also going to carry a cell phone to use your pocket mail with? Two devices when you only need one? I'm sorry you wasted your money. I have no problem with technology on the trail, but I'm at least going to carry the most efficient tech. To each their own....like any type of gear what works great for me probably won't work for others. And yes, you can get a cell signal on the AT. Not everywhere, but close enough. Trust me, when you can send e-mail from your phone in Mahoosuc Notch (and you can) its a good indication that cell technology and coverage will be enough to meet anyone's needs.

[the_iceman]

[quote=the_iceman;345834] Retyping what I already have was not on my game plan. Besides, the plan will go out the window in 5 days anyway,

quote]

The planning was for fun and to give people a rough idea of where I would be and when.

[the_iceman]

Yet another reason pocketmail sucks. I've said it before, pocketmail was great six years ago but has now been surpassed by much better technology. A smartphone weighs less and does so much more. You can send and recieve e-mail without having to find a landline, plus you can send pictures, get weather info, talk, send/recieve text msgs. and a whole lot more. Iceman: why don't you just print your schedule/maildrop spreadsheets and carry it with you? The few sheets of paper weigh a hell of a lot less than a half pound pocketmail. A smartphone weighs as little as a few ounces depending on the model. Didn't you say on another thread that you were also going to carry a cell phone to use your pocket mail with? Two devices when you only need one? I'm sorry you wasted your money. I have no problem with technology on the trail, but I'm at least going to carry the most efficient tech. To each their own....like any type of gear what works great for me probably won't work for others. And yes, you can get a cell signal on the AT. Not everywhere, but close enough. Trust me, when you can send e-mail from your phone in Mahoosuc Notch (and you can) its a good indication that cell technology and coverage will be enough to meet anyone's needs.

I hate smart phones, sorry. They try to be everything and to me do a poor job. Plus I am missing something here. How does a smart phone work anywhere when a cell phone does not? Have you weighed you smart phone? They weigh 4 to 6 ounces and have a shorter battery life than my Razr or Pocketmail. Yes, I will be carrying 4 to 6 ounces more but I can do everthing offline in my pocketmail. I also so not need to charge it. I can use AA's. Plus my pocketmail works better with my Razr than the landline.

I know you like the smartphone but I like this solution. I am disappointed the pocketmail did not sync but as an email tool it is great.

[Sly]

Trust me, when you can send e-mail from your phone in Mahoosuc Notch (and you can) its a good indication that cell technology and coverage will be enough to meet anyone's needs.

But why would you want to send email from Mahoosac Notch? Pocketmail does fine for what it was designed.

[hammock engineer]

A couple thoughts.

A sync function as I understand it implies an interent connection where the pocketmail and your PC can talk. I think their 1-800 number is setup only to send and recieve emails through their service.

Some, not all, smart phones need a digital service to compose emails. On my phone, LG VX8000 not a smart phone but close, I can get my gmail but I need a good connection to do it. When I have no service I cannot do anything with my email.

The pocketmails do what they are designed to do every well, which is send and recieve emails through a phone line. I would not try to do much else with them. Adding attachments could cause a half hour downloads, something I think they do not want in there system.

I haven't tried to activate it, but the $35 pocketmail steal I would on email works just fine.

[Undershaft]

I know your setup works for you Iceman. I'm just playing devil's advocate because I think pocketmail is overrated. BTW I never said you could use a smartphone anywhere, but it will work almost everywhere along the trail. I don't know the exact weight of my phone but it is less than a half pound(the weight of pocketmail). You have a good point about battery life. AA's in a pocketmail will last longer than a phone battery, but I only use my phone once or twice a day. This results in minimal battery drain. I can get about two weeks out of the battery with intermittant use, maybe longer if I really needed to. Sly: I didn't send a long wordy e-mail from the Notch, I sent pics and video e-mails. The reason: to make my friends jealous(they're stuck in the office while I'm enjoying the Maine woods) and to show my family(none of whom hike) what I was experiencing. My parents really enjoy that. I doubt we'll see hordes of people e-mailing from the Notch because it is a rather inconvenient place, but it is a perfect example of the level of cell phone coverage along the trail. I'm sure most hikers would expect no coverage there. I picked up the Verizon Digital Extended Network without difficulty. I feel its a nice option to be able to shoot an e-mail to friends and family from just about anywhere on the trail instead of storing them for several days until the next town. The option of also sending photos and video allow others to vicariously enjoy the trail along with me. That's why I like smartphones a lot more than pocketmail.

[SunnyWalker]

I thought we were hiking to "get away from it all"? Sounds like you're taking it all with you. -SunnyWalker

[Undershaft]

I don't hike to get away from anything. I have a great life. I hike because I enjoy the scenery.

[freefall]

I thought we were hiking to "get away from it all"? Sounds like you're taking it all with you. -SunnyWalker

For some, a thru is an escape "from it all".

For many, a thru is a check mark on an agenda in life.

Whatever the reason, they are out there. Experiencing the nature that many of us hold sacred. I personally hate cell phones in the wilderness and on the Trail. But as long as the users are respectful of other hikers, let `em carry them.
But if they ring at 2am at camp, feel free to hurl them into the abyss!:D

[SunnyWalker]

Here, here! Or is it Hear, hear???

:sun SunnyWalker

[Hammock Hanger]

I don't hike to get away from anything. I have a great life. I hike because I enjoy the scenery.

Ditto. :banana

And I'm not trying to find myself, I'm not lost.

[SunnyWalker]

Well, OK, I bought a used Pocketmail and signed up for service. I tried it for a couple of months and it was great. I even downloaded email from a phone in the local Golds Gym! But in the end the weight got to me. I think I will continue to use some paper and send home each week or so what I have written. Lots lighter, simpler, quieter, more away from it all.

[Red Hat]

Gave my pseudo pocketmail (JVC) to another hiker. I'll be using my AT&T 8525 Smartphone. I can do my journal and take photos even without service, then email them when I do have service. Great weight savings for me!

[Bare Bear]

I still have my old Pocketmail but that is so outdated now.
Jellybean has been using a new Blackberry ??? on the PCT and says she loves it. Check her journal and PM her for the specifics. She says it is mail, journal, camera, phone, everything in one, cheaper than separate nad a lot lighter. She may even read the directions on how to use it once she gets back to Phoenix.