Mac OS X 10.4.7 and Sprint Connection Cards |
| Wednesday, 28 June 2006 | |
Apple released Mac OS X Update 10.4.7 24 hours ago and we have had time to evaluate it and test it with different Sprint Connection Cards.
Initially, we were very excited about what this functionality means for PowerBook Users. Finally, native Mac OS support for a variety of EVDO cards. Verizon has been providing native Mac software called VZAccess since August 2005 (That currently supports the KPC650, PC5740, V620) Insert your EVDO card and click Connect and you are connected. This will only work on a card that is unlocked and provisioned, the cards you get from a Sprint Store will not work out of the box - OR if you order direct from Sprint.com, they will NOT work out of the box. For those that purchased their Sprint cards from us, we include a step by step PDF that gets your card working, it is included with your shipment, OR you can download it from our customer support area.  Current Issues:
When you purchase a connection card from Sprint, the card comes locked. You need to unlock it with the last 4 of your Social Security Number (or use a special code if you have a business account with Sprint. Below is what the Sprint Connection Manager looks like on a Windows PC:  When you insert a locked card into a Mac, the signal indicator and network status are disabled. We found a way to get the card to connect, by connecting twice and then it would connect. BUT, every time you would insert the card in your Mac, you would have to go through a "connect twice" for it to work and we noticed a much bigger problem. We have been helping Mac users for the last 6 months use Sprint cards by offering a "Pre-Active / Unlock" of the Sprint card before shipping it to you. We have unlocked 100's of Sprint Cards. When we stick a connection card into a PC for the first time, the firmware is automatically upgraded. On the Merlin S620 that we first used in our Mac and tried to connect while the card was locked, we had a major malfunction, when we inserted the card in our Windows PC to do the unlock/firmware upgrade. The firmware upgrade failed and the card is completely dead and there is no way to fix a failed firmware. So, we do not recommend that you use a locked Sprint Connection Card in your Mac, since you may have a problem with it, if you ever insert it in a Windows PC to do any firmware upgrades. When you pickup a Sprint card at a Sprint Store, the card needs to be activated by calling Sprint. You will NEVER see the following screen, so it is impossible to activate it on your Mac:  As a service to the Mac community, we will continue to offer Sprint cards that WE unlock before sending. We will also save you the 150mb download and include Mac OS X Update 10.4.7 on CD and include a Mac EVDO Tip Sheet (that explains how to use and some hidden features) so you will have everything that you need to start using your Sprint Connection Card with your PowerBook. Related Articles:
|
|
| Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 February 2007 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Mac EVDO
