Text messaging from a computer to a cell phone?

[fletcher]

I don't have a cell phone but other family members do with FIDO and BELL (Canada).  There must be a free way to text message from my computer to these carriers as my daughter can do it thru Facebook.  I do not want to join Facebook and, even if I did, I assume I would have to add her as a friend therefore being able to view her Facebook page ([FONT size=1]which I would like to be able to do but it is like reading someone else's diary so there are privacy issues there I have to respect[/FONT]).  Does anyone know how or where or have any information on this type of service from computer to cell phone? Or recommend something?  

  Something I have wondered about is why can't we text from a land line - yet?  And, why don't cell phone numbers register the name of the caller on land line call displays - yet?  I have noticed lately that some do - perhaps Fido?  

  Thanks for any information.

[margretli]

Depends on what kind of plan they have, they might be charge a 10c fee for recieving text from a web page. I have a Fido plan that include 50 text messages a month, and been told that getting a web based text message will count towards those 50 messages.

Here is Findo's text message thing. Feel out the Fido number, and stuff, and send your message. I asume Bell will have something similar on their wireless web pages too.
[a href="vny!://www.fido.ca/portal/web2fido/compose.do#sms"]vny!://www.fido.ca/portal/web2fido/compose.do#sms[/a]

There are other ways to send text messages too. I need to go to a staff meeting now. I will try and post more later.
 

[fletcher]

Got an 'Internal Error Message" from that link.  Thanks, tho.  Any info is appreciated.  If Facebook can do it for free, to any carrier, there simply must be a way to do it otherwise.  Fifty messages?  OMG.  

[margretli]

Hum, go to FIDO.ca and look for a link on its front page after you select a langauge, or simply try again.

I think every carrier has their own web based text message service that's free to use to send. However, most carrier will charge a fee on the recieving end, unless you are sending cell to cell.

I am sure there are other web sites that will allow you to send text messages to cell regardless what carrier the message goes to. I don't know one that will do it for all Canadian carriers, most of these services are only for US.

Hope this doesn't complicate things.
 

[observer]

For Rogers it's:

  (xxx) [A href="mailto:[email protected]"][email protected][/A]

[fletcher]

Thank you.  It worked.  Sent a text message from the Fido site to my son who is driving to LA and is 3 hours outside of Sacramento and he received it and replied within 15 minutes.  I did not try the reply to my email part but asked him to text my daughter's Bell phone if he received it.  I then tried to send one to my daughter (who is the next room) from the Bell site (10 mins later) and she hasn't received it yet.  Weird.  Maybe I didn't click send?  But, anyway, thank you.  I didn't look at the carrier sites as I just assumed it couldn't be done from them.  If you have messaging options on your cell phone, it is free but I am not sure about the email part.

[Sarah_Belly_Poo]

All you need to do is download Yahoo! Messenger and add the persons as a contactand include their cellphone number in their details. It has a function that you can send them text messages and they can text back to you. It is free for you. They are charged normal rates.

I use this when in Vancouver with family back home in NZ and have a Fido prepay phone.