Does I-mode use GPRS?
Talking about Japan, maybe it’s different here. I-mode does not work on GPRS. But both use packet switching (always on) technology. GPRS, which came about from GSM uses a gateway, that means when connecting its handy-gateway-www-gateway-handy in that order. I-mode does not connect through a gateway. I’ve no info on how there’re doing it here. Is it on top of GSM??? But I doubt it. Anyone?
If so is it just some diffrent kind of software on the phone that makes it useful (ie, that “simplified” html thing)?
I-mode is not just a software, it’s the whole package, i.e phone, network, protocol, software on the phone etc. I-mode uses c-Html, which is a subset of Html. It’s not a software that you can download.
Is it just cool in japan because everyone has it?
No, everyone has it because it’s cool. There’re couple of reasons why it became so famous. When I-mode came out, it came with email. They had kind of an SMS thing, but it was pretty primitive. Just like in Europe, SMS took off, here it was I-mode/email. Then came the Java phones, you download games etc., then the camera phones, for taking pitures of your dog and sending to a dozen friends and now they’ve got I-mode on 3G networks, on which you can watch streaming video, news etc.
What makes it better then Igogo?
No idea what Igogo is!
But what makes i-mode really cool is, you get to browse the net, see pictures and mail, in color. I don’t think there’re any other system which you can do that. Plus, you can download value added content and apps., and they charge it to your phone. So you get really cool apps., games, porn ( ) etc.
Does anyone have any info on I-mode and the network in Taiwan?