The Phone Poll

[CommonKnowledge]

My work requires me to have an on call Blackberry phone with one of the most awkward navigation methods I've ever encountered. I guess people who use a Blackberry have gotten used to it but it took me ages to figure it out, even then I was thinking "how can such a recognizable brand have such frustrating controls?" What was wrong with four arrows to navigate menus? Or even using 2, 4, 6 and 8? No, much cooler to use one button for navigation but have fifty million spares right beneath it.

Normally I only use a land line because mobile networks are prohibitively expensive and if I need to call someone they can wait until I get home.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I think it's called "planned obsolescence."

On the hardware side, this is partially true. They do not engineer phones to last as long as say, a dishwasher or refrigerator. OTOH, it's incredibly hard to build a mobile device that is powerful, small, long lasting and cheap all at the same time. So I don't really blame the manufacturers lately. I know someone is going yell at me that they aren't cheap. To that I say: look up the cost of a mainframe computer from the 60's, and tell me how much that cost and how powerful it is compared to the spacemagic gizmo in your pocket.

I've been considering getting a cell phone, but my brain glazes over when I try to research what sort of gizmo might be best for me. Maybe when I find one that also does the dishes and cleans the litter box, as well as everything else phones do (besides letting you talk to people)...

I would get a cheap phone that you buy minutes for (prepaid cellphone). Don't go for one with internet and GPS and stuff if you only plan on having it as a replacement for phone booths. There are plenty of cheap options you can buy that don't have a contract or fancy functions you don't need. Plus, the battery life on basic cell phones is pretty fantastic.

As for narrowing down the options: If it costs less than fifty bucks or so, it's probably what you are looking for. Just pick one you think looks cute (not joking, they are all pretty much the same).

 

[DroopyTofu]

My work requires me to have an on call Blackberry phone with one of the most awkward navigation methods I've ever encountered. I guess people who use a Blackberry have gotten used to it but it took me ages to figure it out, even then I was thinking "how can such a recognizable brand have such frustrating controls?" What was wrong with four arrows to navigate menus? Or even using 2, 4, 6 and 8? No, much cooler to use one button for navigation but have fifty million spares right beneath it.

At least on mine, most of those "spares" serve as shortcuts for something. For example, U pulls up the newest undread message and R automatically replies to the selected message.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I would get a cheap phone that you buy minutes for (prepaid cellphone). Don't go for one with internet and GPS and stuff if you only plan on having it as a replacement for phone booths. There are plenty of cheap options you can buy that don't have a contract or fancy functions you don't need. Plus, the battery life on basic cell phones is pretty fantastic.

As for narrowing down the options: If it costs less than fifty bucks or so, it's probably what you are looking for. Just pick one you think looks cute (not joking, they are all pretty much the same).

"Cute"? For me, "cute" applies to cats, whether they're live cats, stuffed cats, cat pictures, cat fiber art, etc. Considering I lived most of my life with a basic black rotary dial phone (and I'm old enough to remember when we were on a party line with 3 other neighbors), I want function over what it looks like (although it has to be comfortable to handle).

It'd be nice if the thing could take pictures, though. Not crucial, but nice. And I am not at all interested in texting. I don't want to become one of the new variety of "thumb twiddlers."

 

[LucyDuke]

It's a cellular phone. With a camera.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Using that in public would either get me laughed out of town or mugged, not sure which...

 

[Borachio]

Ah. But if you had sufficient charisma and poise, you might start a new (ironic?) trend.

 

[Optical]

I've got a one-year old Android smartphone with a touch screen. It's also really small.

 

[sophie]

Using that in public would either get me laughed out of town or mugged, not sure which...

Why would that warrant a mugging? Generally you get mugged when the mugger sees something he wants or is of some value.

 

[Disgustipated]

my screen is small, so what? I want a phone not a tablet.

As for the restarting (my phone doesn't shut down, only restart), I assume it's only because it's installing updates or whatever. It sometimes seems to restart when it goes out of range and loses connection with a cell phone tower.

 

[Ondskan]

So how much do we get payed to do your survey for your school project?

 

[Farm Boy]

For home phone users:
Do you think you'll ever give it up all together?
Do you still find it usefull and why?

I won't get one, my reasoning is that though it's nice to not worry about minutes for local calls, when someone calls the house phone, they only want to talk to either me or my wife. Not having a home phone is kind of like cutting out the middle man, they can call us direct. I haven't found a good reason to get one.

Couple reasons. Land line is pretty cheap. I get unlimited US calling and DSL internet(stable and plenty fast) in one package. Have two cordless phones for convenience and one rotary plugged into the wall in the kitchen so I always know where one is(and the battery can't die).

Also if, God forbid, I ever need to call emergency services when you ring 911 in the states and you are on a land line the address pops up immediately for the dispatcher when she picks up the call. If for some reason you call on a cell phone and can't answer the dispatcher immediately they have to ping your phone and triangulate your location. They're pretty reasonably accurate down to within a city block or so of where you are, but it takes some time.

Most importantly though, cell phones are increased service for expense. I don't really value the service provided that much. I had a cell phone only house for a couple years after my wife and I got married, it cost more and I don't actually want to talk to people on the phone when I am driving or out and about. I'm doing something, I can talk on the phone when I get back. I carry a 3 year old basic prepaid tracphone for when I absolutely need to call somebody when I'm out or my wife needs to get in touch with me. I get very sad when I go to say a bar and I notice half the people at the tables are dinking with, texting, or talking on their phone. Why did they bother getting together with people and going to the bar and paying a higher price for that beer if they are going to spend half the night not interacting with the people they went with? I just don't get it. Nothing I post on here is so desperately important that I need to check the internet while I'm having dinner or whatnot.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

the price suggestions are a little of. I pay less then 30$ (or about, depending on exchange rates) for my phone a month and I even got a SMS flat, a flat to fixed-line in the whole of Germany and a flat other customers of my provider. I even used to have a flat to another provide for a year. Oh and people can call my phone like it was fixed-line.
So ..er.. yeah that is my point.

 

[Marla_Singer]

In France, unlimited phone landline and digital TV comes as bonus with the internet connexion. Everything unlimited for 30€ per month (US$39).

With the new operator on the mobile phone market, you can also have a mobile phone with unlimited calls together with internet+landline+digital TV for 45€ per month ($58). Everything unlimited again.

You guys in the US are getting scammed.

 

[Farm Boy]

In France, unlimited phone landline and digital TV comes as bonus with the internet connexion. Everything unlimited for 30€ per month (US$39).

With the new operator on the mobile phone market, you can also have a mobile phone with unlimited calls together with internet+landline+digital TV for 45€ per month ($58). Everything unlimited again.

You guys in the US are getting scammed.

I believe the usual explanation/excuse or whatever you want to call it revolves around infrastructure. There is simply more building of towers/cables/lines if you want to deal with all domestic users and servers. It's a good reason why trying to provide the internet speeds that South Korea gets all throughout the USA would be prohibitively expensive.

This would of course not hold true if your unlimited service extends to all of Europe including the land area of European Russia(actually, I think I can call anywhere in Canada unlimited too, but I'd have to look it up to be sure).

 

[bhsup]

Marla, what if your internet goes down or your power goes out? My landline still works in either of those situations.

 

[Farm Boy]

Marla, what if your internet goes down or your power goes out? My landline still works in either of those situations.

If you are on a chord it can also electrocute you from a lightning strike! Mine too!

 

[Marla_Singer]

Marla, what if your internet goes down or your power goes out? My landline still works in either of those situations.

I still have my mobile phone.

 

[bhsup]

Check and mate. I'll just shut up now.

 

[Farm Boy]

I still have my mobile phone.

Huh. Old technology ftw in some ways.