T-Mobile temporarily discontinues the Sidekick line following data outage
If you make your way onto T-Mobile’s website, you might end up shedding a single tear for what you find in the Sidekick section — they’re all labeled temporarily out of stock. T-Mobile is reportedly stopping the sales of Sidekick online and in some retail stores. We really can’t blame them after the massive outage that the Danger servers had followed by permanent loss of user data. We’re not sure if or when the Sidekick will be available again, but drastic times call for drastic measures. The last thing T-Mobile needs is more customers demanding refunds or trying to terminate contracts after losing valuable info on their phones. Is anyone shattered by this news, or are you feeling indifferent?
I can’t stand the number of times a month I get a FB invite from a friend “Help my phone drowned” or “I need your number, I murdered my phone”. These are people with BlackBerry and iPhones and I am like why don’t you back your shit up!?!?! It takes 30 secs and it saves you a ton of aggrevation. I remember backing up my phone back when I use to have just a basic little samsung flip phone. Even that wasn’t hard. Nowadays it take next to no time or tech know-how to do a simple backup.
And a word of advice to anyone who considers Google Sync or Mobile Me to be a suitable back up. It isn’t; for the same reason that the Sidekick users learned this weekend. If for some reason, be it a virus or tech glitch, or even accidental user error, deleted all or a bunch of contacts, those are all immediately synced up to the cloud and gone. Thats not too comforting.
With the way the SK hasn’t been keeping up (closed off OS, no WiFi, interface is practically the same for ~5 years now) and Microsoft firing a bunch of old Danger employees it almost seems intentional.
This is just me but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a sidekick. It’s no suprise I haven’t since tmo’s coverage blows in TN. The capital Nashville just now got 3g. No wonder they are so cheap, you get what you pay for!!
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
In Rochester, NY, which has a large deaf population (NTID, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, is here), every, and I mean every, deaf person has a Sidekick.
I gotta believe T-Mob will continue selling them once they have a good story about why the user’s data is safe now.
hey fanboys… i had sidekicks since the black and white and it was the best devicr ive ever used and the most practical.. the ONLY reason i finally left for an iphone is for the coverage.. if any of you used one for more then a week you would understand.. best keyboard on any phone EVER .. best AIM EVER.. if it was with at
Not surprised whatsoever. I live in Nassau Country (Western Island) and TMobile has always had the worst service with dead zones all over the place. I would find that unacceptable anywhere, but this is New York. With a population this size, coverage should be at least decent. I haven’t seen a sidekick in year around here, and whenever someone asks me if TMobile is good, I always say “not in this country”.
Plus, who builds a phone that loses all its data when the battery is pulled? I think I had a PocketPC in 1995 that didn’t do that. Either they’re stupidly using regular HDD technology or the Flash Memory it has loses all its benefits due to programming.
^ Kevin, No – It just syncs with Danger’s servers when ever it loses power, basically all of it’s data is remotely stored.
MICROSOFT IS HELL FOREVER!!!!!!!!
MICROSOFT IS EVIL
MICROSOFT IS A**HOLE
MICROSOFT IS MAKE MONEY IS BULLSH*T BECAUSE BILL GATE IS A**HOLE BILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I WANT TO BACK TO DANGER SERVER STAY AWAY FROM MICROSOFT!!!!!!!
1st of all, Sam… you’re an idiot.
2nd. .. why hasn’t anyone gone off on samsung? It was thier equipment that effed up. Ultimately Danger should have had mitigating controls for such a case. This just proves that we can’t be entirely ”in the cloud”.
I love that some people are complaining about coverage when it has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. AT ALL. Yes, I’m shouting. Yes, you’re morons. Microsoft dropped the ball, big time. Its not T-Mo’s fault, but they’ll be the ones to bear the brunt of the damage. I’d love to see T-Mo sue the pants off of Microsoft. And I wouldn’t mind seeing Sidekicks go away, and I sell them. I hate seeing customers come in with them, because it is always a tech issue that I get to spend 30 minutes to an hour fixing it. If you’re going to do a cloud-based service, make sure you do it right.
And Sam, you’re an idiot. Your post is burning my eyes.
@ Eric: The reason you never heard about the Sidekick has nothing to do with coverage and EVERYTHING to do with you living in TN.
And I thought the Okies were living under rocks?
There are over a million PLUS of them in circulation over T-Mobile’s network. Although they have a reputation for being used by black thugs, the biggest userbase believe it or not are young females between the ages of 16-30.
Think the Kardashians!
rocktripod, i have to disagree with you about microsoft. They own Danger, that’s it. They didn’t design the system and they sure as hell didn’t make the drive that went bad.
Lets be serious here, blaming microsoft is like blaming GE for your broken leg because they make the MRI machine.
@Emma,
I was just saying their coverage sucks ass here in TN. No need to get your pantys in a wad. Just stating facts, just facts that’s all. Pull your panties outta your crack. I back my phone up every time I charge it so I don’t have to worry about this bullshit. Tmo might be good where you live and more power to ya for having them. They’re only 4 years late on deploying 3g. = LAME, lousy ass service.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
@ Eric
Yeah ok, you’re on AT&T and T-Mobile is creeping up on their 3G coverage and they started rolling it out in 2008 unlike AT&T. I’ve got a map for that if you want.
@Eric
You’re stupid. You the stupidest person I’ve ever read so far on BGR.
If that’s your definition of “facts”, then its a complete and real fact that you were born with no penis, hence you allow your frustration and angers out on BGR comment boards. Like most penis-less guys, you couldn’t even make it to an actual forum to share your stupidity and settles for BGR comments, because you have no drive or will to go all the way…. you know, due to your lack of penis.
Its a fact.
@mistermix ( every, and I mean every, deaf person has a Sidekick)
Your information is NONSENSE and is not TRUE! 60% of deaf RIT students use BlackBerry. Approximately other 35% of them carry iPhone and that leave to about 5% who still use SideCRAP or SideShit! It’s pathetic.
Anyone who is under 18 years old get Sidekick.
Anyone who is over 18 get BlackBerry or iPhone or others. Make senses?
MU HA HA HA @ A Different Eric
Ok that was funny.
So here are the facts (quasi since no one REALLY knows the facts(.
Work was being performed at Danger’s servers.
One of the Samsung drives didn’twrite properly before being pulled.
People lost their data.
Now… these are the facts as I’ve read them. Were talking about Danger employees at Dangers facility. Not MicroSoft employees at MicroSoft. Not T-Mobiles employees at T-Mobile.
For those with heads up their asses, please quietly remove said head and pay attention.
Now… I for one cant see where removing the drive or having a bad drive for that matter caused such havoc. These are redundant drives in their servers on raid. Me thinks me smells a cover up. Someone EFFED up major and won’t admit it. There are contingency plans for cases such as these, there are mitigating controls…. this doesn’t “just happen”.
So while yes, I believe there is a cover up here, it sure as shit aint by T-Mobile or MicroSoft. Wake up and smell your asses people, your heads are far enough up there so there shouldn’t be any problem there.
Well, that’s not true. Microsoft fired all the Danger employees or put them on the PINK initiative. They spent very little time on the backend service-and the neglect caused a mega failure when someone did try to upgrade the SAN. About 75% of the useful employees have left. The remainder could be considered useless, parasitic middle management
@watbetch,
Wow that’s funny!! I’m glad you just thought that up. You must be a genius.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
@A Different Eric (I have a penis, unlike the other Eric),
Ask your momma. She likes it…
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
HAHAHA So this is turning into a “Yo Momma” conference?
People relax… this is supposed to be enlightening.
Hmmm I wonder if the Sholes will ever make it to TMo? Faster processor, more ram, full keyboard, and as thin as the myTouch? Oy veyz mir…..
Sharp has been the mfr of all SK’s since 2nd gen, not Samsung. The problems had nothing to do with the handset hardware but with the server-based software and its data. Danger/MS screwed up in their operations procedures (a failed upgrade). A further failure occurred at the design phase (users had no option to backup up the local content to an inserted memory card or USB-connected pc…they relied entirely on their own abilities to manage the cloud).
@Yaniv
” Now… these are the facts as I’ve read them. Were talking about Danger employees at Dangers facility. Not MicroSoft employees at MicroSoft. Not T-Mobiles employees at T-Mobile.”
Fact 1: Microsoft bought Danger 2 years ago so there are no Danger Employees anymore.
Fact 2: Microsoft laid off 20% of the workforce and started such a shit storm that a large number quit.
Fact 3: Microsoft assured T-Mobile that they have enough resources to maintain and develop the Sidekick, thereby taking money from T-Mobile while on the side pulling all Danger employees to other projects like Operation Pink.
Please think before belittling a bunch of talented engineers who created a ground breaking product and kept it running against competition from giant from 5+ years.
I’m sorry but you you’re a bit mistaken.
Yes they laid off 20% of the workforce, but that wasn’t on the tech side. The bulk was in customer service and nonsense.
Also, there wasnt any shit storm over the buyout… Danger employees are leaving MicroSoft because project pink is WAY behind its target schedule and I guess theyre trying to read the writing on the wall.
In fact MS never had any intentions on changing anything, the reason they bought Danger was simply because of the deal Danger had with TMobile. I guess MS figured if it could get other carriers to start carrying the SideKick it could be lucrative… because LORD FRIKKIN KNOWS… Danger was a big gamble/loss for MS.
So… as I was saying… you want to blame someone… blame Danger for a STUPID STUPID STUPID framework. How can you have a phone that is tied ENTIRELY to the cloud?
Its one thing to say you sync with the cloud… but only dreamers live in the cloud… and that my friends… is that… HA!
CAN YOU FEEL IT?!?! I have Exorcised the demons. My work here is done =)
well this sidekick suckzzz
all of ya suckk wastinq
your time on this shit!. likeee
oddd! fuck yeaaa!