The Cutting Edge: Computing / Technology / Innovation : Paging Through the Many Options of Communicating With a Pager
Since computers these days are as much communications devices as anything else, and since your PC can work with your pager, a primer in pagers doesn’t seem out of order in this space.
Lately, pagers seem ubiquitous. Doctors and managers have them, but so do plumbers, waitresses and even schoolchildren. Like telephones and automobiles, the first generation were black only. Today, you can get them in designer colors to match your wardrobe.
“Our customers are about evenly divided between business and consumer users,” said Glenn Chow of Pro-Group Cellular, a Redwood City, Calif., pager dealer. “Many of our customers are families who buy pagers for both the parents and the kids.”
Some parents equip their teen-agers with pagers, although some schools bar pagers as potential tools of the drug trade. Other parents like their children to give out a pager number--instead of the home phone number--to their friends. “Kids like to wear them because they’re cool,” Chow said.
Basic pagers are small radio receivers that are carried in a pocket or worn on a belt. Like most categories of electronic devices, they range from the simple-to-operate to exotic and complex.
Some paging companies provide software to let personal computers and Macs send text messages--rather than simply a phone number--to their alphanumeric pagers. RadioMail of San Mateo, Calif., ((800) 597-MAIL) offers a two-way wireless electronic mail service that works with PCs, Macs and hand-held “palmtop” computers such as the Hewlett-Packard 100LX.
RadioMail plans to offer service for the Apple Newton, Motorola Envoy and other personal digital assistants. For $89 a month, you get unlimited two-way electronic mail via the Internet. RadioMail also offers a $20-per-month one-way paging service that lets you receive Internet e-mail via any standard alphanumeric pager. The service requires you to subscribe to an alphanumeric paging service.
The basic numeric pager consists of a little boxlike device that weighs just a few ounces. Usually you get a private telephone number to give to your callers, who punch in a numeric message (usually their phone number). A few seconds later, you get a beep or feel a vibration. The number appears on the pager’s display.
Prices vary greatly, but consider the whole package when getting a pager. There is the cost of the unit, the cost of activating the service, the monthly fee for the service and any extras. Companies that offer free or very low-cost paging units sometimes get you with long-term contracts, higher monthly fees or per-page charges. Some will sell you the pager outright and others will lease them to you. Pagers themselves are pretty cheap these days, so consider that when evaluating a lease option.
Low-cost pagers, which you can purchase outright for about $40, will store up to five messages. That may be adequate if you call people back promptly. For about $20 more, you can get a unit that stores 16 or more numbers. Some pagers just beep, while others vibrate to get your attention without disturbing people around you--a must if you get paged in restaurants, theaters or during meetings. Most pagers come with a belt clip, but you don’t have to wear them. I keep mine in my pocket and it works just fine.
Most pagers come pre-configured to work with a specific paging company. You can change service companies, but with most pagers, you’ll have to pay to have a new crystal installed to change frequencies. That, plus an activation fee, could cost you as much as $50.
Like cellular phones, the cost of the hardware is just the beginning. Most paging companies charge between $8 and $10 a month for basic service. Some limit the number of free messages but typically allow 200 or more free pages, which for most people is more than enough. There is also a variety of service options. Many paging services offer an option that lets your callers leave a recorded message. The system pages you with a special code, signaling you to call in.
Mobile Telecommunications Corp. operates the SkyTel ((800) 759-1911) nationwide paging service. For $69 a month, they’ll equip you with an alphanumeric pager with coverage in most metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada, as well as selected overseas locations. They offer regional service starting at $39 a month. The company offers a standard numeric paging service but also provides software for PCs and Macs that lets you type in text messages. Or, for 50 cents per incoming message, you can arrange to let your callers dictate messages to a live operator, who will transmit the text to your pager.
The service also has links to MCI Mail and other e-mail services to provide you with the first 240 characters of incoming e-mail messages. Another MTEL service, called SkyFax, provides you with an incoming fax mailbox. The pager notifies you of an incoming fax, and you can use a touch-tone phone to direct the fax to any machine in the country.
