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So, once you've switched over to Cingular with your T-Mobile MDA, you realize that you've been branded.

With a little strong solvent like acetone, you can easily remove the T-Mobile logo that imprinted onto the front of the phone. Once you've done that you need to change the splash screen. To do that you'll need to flash the phone (yet again) with Cingular's updated ROM.

But, if what you really want to do is to get online browsing websites from your MDA on the Cingular network, you'll need to change the settings:

Start -> Settings
Click the Connections tab
Click the Connections icon
Click the Add a new modem connection link
Enter any name for the connection (Default is "My Connection") like CingularGPRS
Under the "Select a modem" drop-down menu, select "Cellular Line (GPRS)"
Click Next
Under "Access point name:" enter "wap.cingular"
Under "User name:" enter "WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM" (Case sensitive?)
Under "Password:" enter "cingular1" (Case sensitive?)
Leave the "Domain:" section blank
Click the "Advanced" button and make sure you have "Use server-assigned IP address"
Click "Finish"

Voila! Now you'll note that either "G" or "E" will be present. Browse away!

Oh yeah, and if you're confused by Cingular's pricing and "bundles", don't worry, so are we. Start with the MEdia Net basic package and go from there. As for the PDA Connect service, what does it do?

Take a look at Cingular's menu:

Data
Media Net
MEdia Net 1 mb $4.99

Data Connect for PDAs
PDA Connect Unlimited $39.99

Smart Phone Connect
Smartphone Connect Unlimited $19.99
Smartphone Connect 5MB $9.99

Messaging Packages
Messaging Unlimited $19.99
Messaging Starter+Unlimited M2M Messages $9.99
Messaging Starter $4.99

Media Bundles
MEdia Max Unlimited $39.99
MEdia Max 1500+Unlimited M2M Messages $34.99
MEdia Max 1500 Bundle $29.99
MEdia Max 200 + Unlimited M2M Messages $24.99
MEdia Works 1500+Unlimited M2M Messages $19.99
MEdia Max 200 Bundle $19.99
MEdia Works 1500 Bundle $14.99
MEdia Basic + Unlimited M2M Messages $14.99
MEDIA BASIC BUNDLE $9.99

Are you even more confused now?

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Yeah, T-Mobile's service with the MDA still sucks.

That's why, after logging hours with support, customer service, and being promised that they'd "look into the problem", we just fell short of obtaining an attorney to cancel the service without paying the early termination penalty. Well, seing that getting one of those would surely cost more than just paying T-Mo off, we let the 1-year contract come close to expiring before calling them again and saying something to the effect of "hey, you guys suck!".

Off we went to AT&T/Cingular/SBC/PacBell, the other behemoth of a telco. Good news is that the MDA works as it should. Now we're happy.

Did you know that you can still get a 1-year contract? Don't be fooled by everyone, resellers and corporate stores telling you that 2-year contracts are the only option out there. Phooey. It's more than likely that you'd only have success with 1-year contracts at the corporate stores since resellers don't make as much commission on signing up the 1-year contract customers. So, buy a used MDA/8125/8525 (or a refurb) and then get on with AT&T. T-Mo's a lost cause.