Amstrad E3 emailer

bleugh · 3 August 2006 at 10:48AM

http://www.earth.li/~noodles/hardware-e3.html

http://www.earth.li/~noodles/files/ukuug-e3.pdf

looks like it's a nice gadget to hack

i'm gonna get one :-), thanks, it'll be better than that blimmin juicebox from argos, i got through 3 before I gave up trying to get a working one

matty69_2 · 3 August 2006 at 11:01AM

sounds like a horrid piece of kit, though I can understand a cheap toy to mess with to get working as a SIP phone...when I say understand, I mean I have no idea how, just why....:rolleyes:

gromituk · 3 August 2006 at 11:36AM

jonathonjordan wrote:

I even threatened them with Trading Standards as they are charging you constantly and most of the time you do not even realise.

Don't you? Seems amply clear to me from the T&Cs quoted above.

I doubt TS would be interested, which explains why Amstrad wouldn't be bothered.

theadore_2 · 3 August 2006 at 1:15PM

isn't it a premium rate number that it dials to connect... so you could just call your provider and add a premium rate bar

andreboyle · 3 August 2006 at 1:32PM

Which Tesco is selling these as I'd be very interested.

Dre

tin · 3 August 2006 at 4:53PM

BEWARE. For anyone thinking of getting this phone to use without paying the premium rates, do not bother. The phone does not even work as a phone without it calling into amstrad (approximately) daily. If you let it just once, it will work for a bit then stop. To be clear if you block the number it will stop working.

I have noted that some people have said they have managed to change this on the E2 (not the E3 mind). I have still not found out how that's done, and I have looked quite hard.

@jonathonjordan I am sorry to diss but you must be blind - it says it will charge all over the box, on and in the instructions and it tells you to look at the instructions on the bit of card that you have to take of the screen. Maybe you bought it 2nd hand? Amstrad have said it costs about £100 to make, so they are clawing the money back off you, then hopefully making a profit on top with the premium rate calls. However I find they are very upfront about how much it will cost you to run.

The hacking aspect looks interesting, but is involved and is still immature at the moment. You can get linux on it after quite a lot of messing, but there isn't a lot of useful stuff you can then do. The possibility of a sip phone working is still some time away, if ever because the momentum of progress appears to have slowed a lot recently.

Really, only get it if you want and will pay for the extra features it has, or are a genuine tech head programming guru and want a toy to play with.

I speak as someone with 3x useless emailers sitting on a shelf

jonathonjordan · 3 August 2006 at 6:02PM

Don't you? Seems amply clear to me from the T&Cs quoted above. I doubt TS would be interested, which explains why Amstrad wouldn't be bothered.

GROMITUK - dont think theres any need to sound so rude !!!! I contacted Amstrad on behalf of my Mother - from what she told me!!!! Not like i had a box sat in front of me. She just phoned me and moaned and was very upset. I asked every question in the book but nothing was ever mentioned to me. The fact was; was that Amstrad themselves sold her the phone via telephone order. She did clarify that she could just use it as a telephone and ansa fone with no addition charges and was politely told that she could. With this in mind - And the fact that she had a huge telephone bill - i contacted BT first who informed me the number was Amstrad. Then i phoned Amstrad and the Customer Service agent was totally ignorant - was passed onto somebody else who didnt seem at all bothered and just kept repeating that it was correct and the service had been used. I asked what service was charging her and she replied "Just for using the phone. Why doesn;t she just unplug it if she doesnt want to be charged?" Why on earth would you buy a phone and have it unplugged ? "I Don't know" was the reply. I asked to speak to a supervisor but was refused point blank. Thats why i mentioned contacting Trading Standards - I didnt contact them but im sure they would have been interested in the disgusting service that Amstrad was openly offering. At the time my mother paid £149.99 for the blasted phone - no wonder they are under £10 now.