Market disbelief is merging to possible excitement at Three's X-Series

Check out Steve’s post here on Carrypad regarding X-Series. I’ve quote quite a bit because this is almost exactly the same point of view that I’m encountering when I talk to people throughout the industry about Three’s X-Series.

We all can’t quite believe it. Well actually, I think, in terms of believing, I do. I have faith. It’s that, or a rather large bill next month… 😉

Steve’s questions arose after reading the answers posted on the X-Series blog here.

Link: The Carrypad UMPC journal.: Three’s X-Series 3G data service update. (UK)

I’m still highly skeptical about the transparentness of Three’s X-Series service. There’s too many marketing words floating around the product for my liking. ‘Unlimited Web Browsing’ instead in Internet Access. ‘Fair Use’ and other such warning signs.

Ewan is a happy chappy but I can still see a hole. It doesn’t say that access to Internet service won’t be billed. All it says is that website access or web-based services are included. Mmmm. Now what’s a Web-Service when it comes to network access. To me, its TCP port 80 and port 443. (HTTP, HTTPS.) What about FTP or IMAP or POP3 or SSH or VPN use? These aren’t ‘web’ applications, these are Internet applications. These are capabilities that you get with a normal broadband connection. The question remains. Can I use the X-Series phone as a data modem for a UMPC/Notebook?  Ewan, if you read this, can you put the Q to Three UK for me? Cheers Matey.

I read the X-Series answer and took away from it the concept that anything going to and from your handset — in terms of data — is included in the Unlimited offer.

This line here in particular helped:

If you can download clients and access websites or web-based services of your choosing, then this access will be included as part of the Unlimited data offer, other than where we separately offer that same service with a client we have provided (such as Sling and Orb).

That says to me that whatever you download — whether it’s an SSH, FTP, TELNET or whatever application, internet access – web access – whatever – the data will be included in the Unlimited deal.

That is, apart from 3Mail at the moment 😉

I’ll see if I can put Steve’s point to the X-Series team.