very new to this and need help

[SoPas Pat]

Originally Posted by Richard10002

Get a phone that does internet, and a Yoigo SIM, and you can have unlimited GPRS for 1.39 euros per day. Alternatively, you can put the SIM in a datacard in a laptop/pc and browse just like you do at home, (not quite as quick though ).

Richard. I have a Nokia 6310i (oldie but goodie) that I used in Europe a while ago. It is unlocked and I can buy a SIM in Italy where I'll be traveling for a month. Do the SIM cards in Italy automatically allow you to use the phone as a modem,i.e. data? I will be staying mostly in a villa in Tuscany so no good internet service there. I have an IBM Thinkpad T40 which unfortunately does not have bluetooth. It does have infrared but I'm still trying to make that work re: modem. Can't seem to find the right driver for IRda. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by SoPas Pat

Do the SIM cards in Italy automatically allow you to use the phone as a modem,i.e. data?

Italian prepaid SIMs have a wide variety of plans, programs and "bolt-ons" that are generally activated or deactivated by texting a particular phrase to a particular number. I don't know all the plans because they seem to change them almost weekly. At one time, long ago, Wind had an unlimited GPRS plan that give you full Internet access for 20 Euro per month. I traveled all over using my laptop tethered to my T68i. It was slow but much cheaper and more convenient than an Internet cafe.

Wind dropped that plan and changed to other and then changed them yet again. Look on the Italy page for the (more or less) current information. But your plan will work: I've done it.