Customer Reviews

The Cell Phone Handbook

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever wonder what people did for portable telephony before cell phones? Ever wonder how cell phones came about and how they have developed? Ever wonder how a cellular system works? Ever wonder what the difference between cellular and PCS is? Or digital vs. analog? Or a dozen other questions regarding cell phones? Then this is a good book for you.

This book tries to answer just about every question you could have about cellular phones and the technology associated with them, and it does a pretty darn good job of doing so without having to have an engineering degree to understand it all.

Comprehensive, insightful, and fun to read This book is a very well written and in-depth treatment of cellular telephony technology. Not only does it provide extensive coverage of the basics of cell phone technology, it also covers more advanced topics such as roaming and zoning. If you've been unfortunate enough to fall into the trap of a cell phone service provider with a '$20/month' plan and soon realized that you're trapping footing $60/month bills for your service, you'll soon realize why this book is is also very practical. I love the way the author discusses (p.75) the process of making service choices using an interactive worksheet. Having taught classes on telecommunications in a business school at the university level, and having gone through the proces of making a book choice for my entire classes, I truly believe that this book is the best I've seen on the topic. A comprehensive index, a fun to read FAQ chapter (that answers questions that are sometimes even embarrasing to ask), and a clear writing stuyle make this a cool addition to my book shelf. For sure, this book is worth every dollar.

A MUST read for anyone who wants to know a little or a lot about cellular service! The Cell Phone Handbook can give you all the information, (and then some,) that you need to become a knowledgeable member of the wireless phenom. It is well written and succinct. If you happen to be in the cellular industry then it is a great reference guide as it is also more than the basics. Regardless of your reason for reading, from basic to advanced, you will get your money's worth. The GLOSSARY alone makes this book a bargain!

My husband and I have had a cell phone for several years. We've used it often but never really understood how it works or whether or not we had the best plan for our needs or even if we had the right phone. The Cell Phone Handbook answered all of our questions and provided us with all kinds of additional information.

The book is full of details if you want to know everything there is to know about cell phones but it's organized in such a way that you can easily find the topic you are looking for and you can read as much or as little as you want about it. For example, Chapter 3 - Wireless Equipment and Services - describes the type of phones that are available and provides a detailed checklist to help you determine what kind of phone to buy. It also discusses where you can buy cell phones and how to determine if you're getting the best deal. Chapter 4 describes in detail what roaming is and how it works, and Chapter 9 is full of frequently asked questions about cell phones and their use. Questions range from the basic "Are cell phones safe to use?" to the much more complicated "Which carrier is offering dual NAM in my market?"

I highly recommend the Cell Phone Handbook to anyone who wants to know a little more or a lot more about the cell phone industry and how it works. It is well organized and easy to read. No matter what your current level of knowledge is, if you want to learn more about cell phones, this is the book for you.

Wireless telephone products have become more and more confusing and difficult to understand.

I always wonder if I should just purchase any phone that will fit my budget or should I worry about whether the phone uses CDMA or TDMA technologies. I like to ask why there are so many kinds of batteries to choose from? And the questions go on.

Luckily I found the book that has everything I need to know about the cellular phone. Now not only I know what I should do but also I know why. It is a good feeling when you finally know what this is all about.

Thank you Penelope.

Penelope Stetz ably covers a lot of ground, clearly describing cell phone technology as well as the pros and cons of various types of wireless equipment and services. This book is a model of how to explain a technical subject for both beginners and experienced users.

Although you don't need to know how your cell phone works any more than you need to know how an internal combustion engine works in order to drive a car, it does help when it comes time to select a phone and service. This book will give you essential information for selecting the phone and service plan that's right for you. It does so in clear language, explaining technical details in a way that is not only understandable, but is actually fun to read. The author has a thorough knowledge of the industry and a gift for writing. That alone makes this book invaluable.

I appreciated the way that phone features and accessories were clearly explained. More importantly, I like the way Ms. Stetz navigates you through the confusing maze of service plans and options, which cuts through the confusion and makes you a more informed consumer. This is especially important when it comes to selecting a provided based on their technology. While the average consumer may thing that terms like GSM, TDMA and CDMA are not important, I can assure you from personal experience that they are. It also is important to know whether or not the provider you're considering has an all digital network or also has a mix of the older cellular technologies and digital because the ones with the old and new are less likely to impost roaming charges if you are in an area where digital service is unavailable and you have a phone that will switch modes. The providers that have only the newer digital technology will likely impose roaming charges if you go off their network, despite the advertising claims of for "anywhere" and "one rate". Armed with the information in this book you'll understand the fine print and can make informed decisions when selecting a provider (of understanding the costs of switching to a new provider).

If you're the type of person who is curious about how things work, then you're in for a treat because the book digs into details. Like the parts about phones, features and options, and service plans, the book sorts out the complexities and clearly explains them. You need not have a technical background (or even a technical mindset) to understand the book. I personally enjoyed learning about how the networks operate and what happens behind the scenes.

One of the good books in the market about cell phones. As the title indicates, the book is targeted to the average user. It has some useful tips on understanding cell phone services in the North American market. A good understanding of the American market is important even for people in other countries. How many times I've been asked by folks in Australia and UK about global roaming, multiband, and multimode phones.

When I started a new job as a salesman for a software company offering solutions for the wireless communications market I bought this book. The result: in a few days I caught up with my colleagues and was able to very properly conduct myself in sales calls. I am buying a third volume, because the first 2 I gave to my customers. The last one, to a friend of mine who became IT Manager of a large communications company. He keeps it permanently on his credenza and it is his most frequently checked reference. If I could give Ms. Stetz more than five stars, I would.

I got a lot of information from this book, it even have listing of internet services for wireless phones. A friend of mine refered me to one of those services also. I get to read my emails on my cell phones, or the a website, they are all getting internet on the phones.