The answer is that it depends on your cell phone, or mobile phone, and on your computer and on your services provider. The SMS, or Short Message Service, used by cell phone providers is designed to enable users to send short text messages to each other. Most cell phone providers also have a special email address that enables you to send a text message to a cell phone via email.
To take a concrete example of using this system in the United States, the Verizon service allows you to send an email to *@vtext.com where the * is a 10-digital cell phone number. The message you send will appear on the cell phone as a text. Some other service providers offer similar systems (ask your service provider for details.)
Some providers allow you to perform the same process in reverse - that is to send a text message from your cell phone and have it appear on your, or someone else’s PC as an incoming email. Again, your own service provider will tell you what address to use.
There is one important point to watch here. The text system that we use phone to phone is designed specifically for short messages. You may have noticed that if someone sends you a long text some of it gets cut off and may be sent in a second or subsequent text message. If you are sending from a PC remember not to get carried away and send too long a message, or it may get broken up or not delivered at all.
You can also arrange to be able to read your Instant Messenger (IM) messages from your cell phone if you have the right set up.
If you have a cell phone that is Internet enabled, (such as an iPhone or a Google Android phone or Motorola’s Treo) and you have the right software installed and you have a contract which includes the internet then you can read your text messaged directly.
To take a concrete example of using this system in the United States, the Verizon service allows you to send an email to *@vtext.com where the * is a 10-digital cell phone number. The message you send will appear on the cell phone as a text. Some other service providers offer similar systems (ask your service provider for details.)
Some providers allow you to perform the same process in reverse - that is to send a text message from your cell phone and have it appear on your, or someone else’s PC as an incoming email. Again, your own service provider will tell you what address to use.
There is one important point to watch here. The text system that we use phone to phone is designed specifically for short messages. You may have noticed that if someone sends you a long text some of it gets cut off and may be sent in a second or subsequent text message. If you are sending from a PC remember not to get carried away and send too long a message, or it may get broken up or not delivered at all.
You can also arrange to be able to read your Instant Messenger (IM) messages from your cell phone if you have the right set up.
If you have a cell phone that is Internet enabled, (such as an iPhone or a Google Android phone or Motorola’s Treo) and you have the right software installed and you have a contract which includes the internet then you can read your text messaged directly.
