fractional slacker Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I know I am not the only one who doesn't have a Galaxy Something or other or the ubiquitous Fruity Phones. I am curious why others don't have one. A matter of preference? A matter of economics? A practical matter? Something else?
adaywillcome Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I have one and love it! Don't even have a phone plan on it. It's just that useful. When I do therapy I can just put the appointment straight in my phone and don't have to carry around the appointment card and enter it in later. I can read books on my Kindle app. Listen to podcasts. Use a calculator. Write journal entries. I get so much use out of it!
nathanm Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I love computers but hate touchscreens. Things I have to click on=small The Cursor=smaller (good!) My Fingertip=HUGE (bad!) No tactile feedback (bad!) Smart phones and their plans are waaaay too expensive for my blood. I have a $20 Tracfone, I buy the minutes I need and then there's a service protection plan which costs me 6 bucks per month to keep it alive. Even this I am not crazy about, the idea of having a pile of unused minutes that I paid for but can't use because the "service" ran out. I don't get that, but whatever. Smart phone behavior in public is ubiquitous and slightly annoying so being contrarian in this regard fosters a small semblance of the definition of 'normal' I grew up with, i.e. people not face down in electronics 247. I was the last person I know to own a cell phone. I got one after my car threw a rod on the highway and I had to walk to a gas station to call my father to pick me up. It was then that I learned that pay phones no longer exist and I had a massive Rip Van Winkle moment.
Saarl Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 Well, I think it's all you've mentioned. I still have Samsung B2100. Serves its purpose, it's really durable and small. Since I don't text or browse net with phone I don't need huge screen. And the battery lasts longer.
Songbirdo Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I -just- got my first smartphone two weeks ago. Before that I had a four and a half year old flip phone with a mini keyboard. Only used it for two things: calling and texting. The old phone was getting...old: battery not lasting very long, operating system was noticeably slowing down, etc. It was time for a new phone. I decided to upgrade to a smartphone for multiple reasons. I've been getting more and more into crypto currencies, and I wanted to have access to them away from my computer. I don't personally have a GPS but wish I had one. The smartphone is one. Remote access to weather information. I recently got stuck in a Walmart during a bad storm. Had no idea how bad the weather was getting until they told us to take shelter. These phones have up to 16 megapixel cameras! Girlfriend dropped my regular camera in the ocean last year, the phone saves me from buying a new camera. Notepad, camera, flashlight and tons of other tools. Internet access: I can deposit checks with my phone, check e-mail and track orders. Apps, apps, apps. I agree with the others on the touch screen: I wasn't a fan. I've had an iPod touch and a Kindle for years and absolutely hate the flat, touch keyboard. However! The technology is improving to where I now like the touch keyboard over the regular button one. They've improved the auto correct which allows you to press the wrong key in the general area and it tries to guess what you meant. In addition, they've developed a drag-touch keyboard: drag your finger across the keys and it is in my experience 95% accurate at guessing what the word is. I draw some scribbles and it fills in the word. It saves so much time compared to the button keyboard that I wouldn't want to go back to a button keyboard on my phone. On the cost, go for a limited minutes plan instead of "Unlimited talk/text + data". Between the five of us on a shared plan, our maximum minutes used was around 400 minutes total for that month. If you pay for the X number of minutes, then it's like $10 per phone to add a line, not $30 per phone/$40 per smartphone for unlimited talk/text. Texting is $20 for the whole family, not each phone. Then pay by the gig for data ($10-15 per gig per month).
J. D. Stembal Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 Why I don't have a smart phone? I simply don't need one. No one does from any practical standpoint. It's just aesthetics - a status symbol the kids like to present at to their friends during show and tell for social approval. Oh, and the NSA can't track me.
Alan C. Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 My reason for not having a smart phone is that I can't justify the expense. Some of my co-workers spend $50-100 per month on their calling plans. Everyone at work has either an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. My phone is a Samsung SGH-T139, for which I paid $40-50 (can't remember), but they can be found for $30 or less at many places. I'm on T-Mobile's pay-as-you-go plan which costs $100/annually for 1,000 mins, and the unused mins carry over.
NotDarkYet Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I initially bought a smart phone for the GPS - - I moved to a new city and it was a lifesaver 100 times over. Also I didn't have internet at my apartment. My whole internet life was on that phone. If you don't need one, fine.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I initially bought a smart phone for the GPS - - I moved to a new city and it was a lifesaver 100 times over. I am amused by this line of reasoning. Did you get lost every time you went out before using a smart phone? Or did you ask for directions? Did you also know that there are these printed pieces of paper called maps, which are substantially cheaper and more recyclable than phones? My phone is a Samsung SGH-T139 We are phone buddies, Alan!
Pepin Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I use a tracfone for calls and messaging, while I use my Samsung Galaxy II as a PDA mp3 player. I don't know why I'd need a fancy plan.
Songbirdo Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 I'm not sure if you're making fun of GPS tracking in general, or the fact phones have the capability and he got one with such a capability? He said he moved to a new city. I'm sure he was able to navigate to familiar places with ease, but to a completely new place is difficult. How often do you navigate to new places, really? If you don't look up where you want to go before leaving the house, you're left with your directional instinct and prior knowledge. This is a problem if you've never been to the area where you want to go. Most cities don't have street-level maps readily available, and if they do, they don't have every address marked. They can't fit all of it on a useable map so they just put the street names. You manually scan the streets marked on the map, and hopefully where you want to go is a numbered street and not some named one like "Acorn Blvd". And these maps are only updated yearly at best, so you could be looking at an outdated source. Your best bet is to Google it rather than use a preprinted map of the city/county/state.So you get a turn by turn printout from Google Maps prior to leaving, which is how I've done it up until two weeks ago. This requires the equivalent "startup capital" of a smartphone which consists of a computer, mouse, keyboard, internet access, router, modem, printer, paper and ink. That dumb piece of paper doesn't tell you where you currently are in relation to where you want to go, it uses reference points that you must find and follow to get you to your destination. It doesn't tell you how far you currently are from your next turn (you could estimate it manually with a trip meter). It doesn't tell you a whole lot except the bare essential, point by point directions to get you there.Now, the phone has all of that in one device. You don't need to print anything so you don't need a printer/paper/ink. You can get directions for any number of locations, not just one per piece of paper. The phone updates dynamically and shows you how to get where you want to go from your exact current location. You can even call someone if you get lost. GPS navigation saves a lot of time and prep work in finding new places. I don't understand why you are making fun of it or him for utilizing the amazing technology.
PatrickC Posted July 31, 2014 Posted July 31, 2014 Battery power, so I just have a £5 Nokia phone that was all the rage back in 2000 which lasts a week without recharging. On a pay as you go plan and probably only spend around £40 annually on it That said, I enjoy smart technology now with a second hand Kindle Fire HD without 3 or 4g
tiepolo Posted August 3, 2014 Posted August 3, 2014 I don't have a smart phone, and don't want one, since I spend too much time looking at computer screens when I am at home (from where I work). I welcome being able to get away from them, and from the internet, when I am out and about.
fractional slacker Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 It's interesting how many have no regard or want for a smart phone. Luddites unite! I wish I could say my lack of a smart phone was driven by ideology, but if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would get one. No doubt.The main thing I find compelling about a smart phone would be for using bitcoin.
PatrickC Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Face it fractional, you are a touchy feely type of guy.. Bitcoin is just your excuse to indulge.
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