Unutterably Silly The "All my phone does is make calls and text" Support Group

[CCDMan]

Personally, I think that unless you REALLY need data (and I include text in this) or have to make a lot of calls or texts for real, actual, serious, reasons (real and serious not to include texting/twittering the latest gossip or the precise color of your most recent excretion), a prepaid and fairly simple phone is plenty. To have more is a HUGE waste of money. The cost of owning a smartphone is HUGE:

Cost of Smartphones Link

I recently went from a monthly plan to a T-Mobile prepaid. Since I make few calls and do not have data or text, my average cost works out to $26 per YEAR (five year average). That is right, PER YEAR. Smart phones cost over 50X that! Or to put it another way, that is over 3 Basic iPads per year difference. In fact, speaking of iPads, a monthly (3G) data plan for that is only $300/year, or less than 20% of the smartphone cost.

I am far from a Luddite. I take astro images with sophisticated equipment and build my own PCs. Our household has 7 PCs, 2 iPads, and 2 Kindles. I just refuse to pay for what I consider to be ripoff data plans.

Of course, the ideal is to have a smartphone someone else pays for (an attorney friend has one his firm pays for 100%). We are speaking of personal pay here, I would assume.

I do have small amounts of both Verizon and AT&T stock, however, which both pay nice dividends. I am more than happy to make money at the expense of other suckers!

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I don't even have a cell phone. Can I join?


(never mind that I have a small palm-sized computing device)

does it make calls?

[CCDMan]

I had a phone that did many things, including take pictures. We went back to our old brick of a cell phone, as the one thing my new shiny multipurpose phone could not do was actually make phone calls in remote or rural areas.

Indeed. I miss my old analog 3 watt bag phone with a roof antenna which I needed for my business back in the 90s before I retired (when not every yackety yahoo and his dimwitted 10-year-old had a cell phone). I could get a signal out of places that these wimpy digitals could never access, even with the larger number of towers available today. Sadly, analog phones will mostly no longer work with todays networks.

Most things get better, but in the process, some will inevitably get worse.

[rebarnmom]

Okay. I just found this thread. (I've been too busy discussing purses.)

My name is rebarnmom and all my phone does is make calls and text. I can receive text messages, but it costs to actually send text messages, so I don't. It has a camera, but it takes worthless pics, so I don't. (That's why I keep my digital camera in my purse. Oops! that's the purse thread.)

[jrabbit]

My name is Janis. I use my phone as a ~"gasp"~ phone. When my previous phone died, I sent my husband to buy me a new one with the FEWEST bells & whistles. My requirements were that it did nothing fancy and it could live through being dropped 1000 times.

My phone has a slide out thingie with a whole keyboard, but I can't use it ... I prefer to text on the 12-keypad. I do text alot, but that's because I don't like talking on the phone, and I'm always out & about with 3 kids.

My geek-quotient dropped to zero when I had my first child 10 years ago. Prior to that, I was a private CAD consultant. Now, I can't even unlock my husband's fancy touch-screen phone - or tell you what it is.

Oh - and I despise caller ID, so I try not to look at who the caller is. I prefer "hello?" and am genuinely surprised by who is calling me ... or I just don't even answer the phone or check voicemail, so I don't know that "so & so" called me ... if anyone says "someone called me from this number ..." I will probably hang up on you.

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by CCDMan

Personally, I think that unless you REALLY need data (and I include text in this) or have to make a lot of calls or texts for real, actual, serious, reasons (real and serious not to include texting/twittering the latest gossip or the precise color of your most recent excretion), a prepaid and fairly simple phone is plenty.

To have more is a HUGE waste of money. The cost of owning a smartphone is HUGE:

Cost of Smartphones Link

That's disingenuous; you're including monthly charges you'd incur for a landline as well. In addition, that list cherry-picks packages and doesn't do much in the way of bargain-hunting or checking which phones (like the T-Mo G1) which are only available on certain carriers and/or have no analog with another carrier.

Assuming that, like with a smartphone, you get your voice and Internet from the same provider, this is actually cheaper than having a DSL/long distance/voice package from one of the major landline carriers. When you add in the fact that it's mobile, a mobile plan runs away from anything else in terms of practicality and utility; so much so, in fact, that many people (myself and my wife included) get rid of landline service entirely, and for some--this isn't on a cloud someplace, I actually know some of these people--it's also their primary source of Internet connectivity. Here are some real numbers:

My former DSL/phone bill: $93, and I provide all the hardware at my expense with the exception of a modem which appeared to be made by Fisher-Price.

My current Verizon bill (primary line): $107 for 1400 anytime minutes, unlimited-everything-else and not only do they provide the hardware, I get new hardware every year (New Every Two + VIP). Also, y'know, I can take it with me. I've never been to Antarctica but I'm pretty sure Verizon has a cell-tower there.

So, for $14 extra per month, I get the device, or basically a $600 Droid X for $168, which I can then resell if I choose for maybe half it's retail value. You may not be able to justify the cost but I for one am glad PCWorld isn't responsible for managing my finances.

Originally Posted by CCDMan

I am far from a Luddite. I take astro images with sophisticated equipment and build my own PCs. Our household has 7 PCs, 2 iPads, and 2 Kindles. I just refuse to pay for what I consider to be ripoff data plans.

Are any of those PCs online? Pretty sure that data plan isn't free. But it's worth it to you, right? Even if you're just "texting/twittering the latest gossip or the precise color of your most recent excretion".

Originally Posted by CCDMan

I do have small amounts of both Verizon and AT&T stock, however, which both pay nice dividends. I am more than happy to make money at the expense of other suckers!

Add some from your landline carrier while you're at it; I'm sure they feel the same way.

[CCDMan]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

That's disingenuous;

TOTAL nonsense. You seem to be implying that your way is somehow cheaper than a simple prepaid and one simple landline, which is just plain wrong.

1) VERY few people that have a smart phone do not also have a home high speed internet connection, so counting home internet cost in such a comparison is not legitimate in the real world.

2) Find any data packages that are $26/year? That is so low it is effectively zero. Sure, there may be some that are cheaper than in the article, but not many and not by much when compared to a basic prepaid phone only.

If you want to do your business over a cell, feel free to do so but you will not have the security or legal protections afforded by the long legal history of landlines. And when you have to call 911 with a cell or VOIP, maybe they will find you before you die, and maybe not. Good luck.

Add some from your landline carrier while you're at it; I'm sure they feel the same way.

My landline carrier does not happen to be a good investment (they do not have a cell division). In fact, landlines are not a profit center these days since so many folks are dropping them and the lines still need to be maintained. The profitable companies are getting the lion's share of profit from the fools paying for big data plans. I am happy to take some of that. And I sure as hell do not need investment advice.

I've never been to Antarctica but I'm pretty sure Verizon has a cell-tower there.

I have, they don't, at least not in 2005 at McMurdo, Cape Evans, Royds, or Adare (much less Taylor Dry Valley). It is F'ing ANTARCTICA, for God's sake!

[kindlekitten]

I think the point that you are missing is that many of us have bundled packages. I pay about $250 for satellite (full package), DSL, and 2 cell phone accounts. data and texting are automatically part of that package. so trying to split out those costs for many of us is not workable.

[kennyc]

I dumped DirecTV so I could pay for my DroidX Service plan.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I dumped DirecTV so I could pay for my DroidX Service plan.

we all have different priorities

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by CCDMan

TOTAL nonsense. You seem to be implying that your way is somehow cheaper than a simple prepaid and one simple landline, which is just plain wrong.

Not at all. I pointed out specifically where the money was going on my actual bills. The only thing left to opinion is whether it's a waste of money, and since it's my money (and I therefore decide whether the utility value is worth the price) I get to make that call. Duplication of services is where I see a waste of money.

Originally Posted by CCDMan

1) VERY few people that have a smart phone do not also have a home high speed internet connection, so counting home internet cost in such a comparison is not legitimate in the real world.

Internet is Internet; Amazon.com doesn't care how you connect to their servers as long as you buy something when you do. Comparing one Internet service to another is perfectly legitimate.

Originally Posted by CCDMan

2) Find any data packages that are $26/year? That is so low it is effectively zero. Sure, there may be some that are cheaper than in the article, but not many and not by much when compared to a basic prepaid phone only.

Not seeing the relevance there but whatever.

Originally Posted by CCDMan

If you want to do your business over a cell, feel free to do so but you will not have the security or legal protections afforded by the long legal history of landlines.

Ah, well, you seemed to think so at one point:

Originally Posted by CCDMan

Indeed. I miss my old analog 3 watt bag phone with a roof antenna which I needed for my business back in the 90s before I retired (when not every yackety yahoo and his dimwitted 10-year-old had a cell phone).

Originally Posted by CCDMan

I have, they don't, at least not in 2005 at McMurdo, Cape Evans, Royds, or Adare (much less Taylor Dry Valley). It is F'ing ANRARCTICA, for God's sake!

It is F'ing SARCASM, for God's sake!

I have reached my 2-post limit for responding to troll comments. Have a good day.

[CCDMan]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

we all have different priorities

Exactly!

In my case, I am retired so have no use at all for text or data on a phone and use little voice. When I WAS working in the 90s, I needed a cell (which were very spendy to buy and minutes were costly). But people needed to be able to get in touch with me 24/7 so I had one despite the (deductible) cost.

I am NOT saying people should not have these plans, many folks need them as I did before I retired. I AM saying they are not as cheap as NOT having them and anyone that says that NOT having a monthly bill isn't cheaper than HAVING a monthly bill is deluded.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by CCDMan

Exactly!

In my case, I am retired so have no use at all for text or data on a phone and use little voice. When I WAS working in the 90s, I needed a cell (which were very spendy to buy and minutes were costly). But people needed to be able to get in touch with me 24/7 so I had one despite the (deductible) cost.

I am NOT saying people should not have these plans, many folks need them as I did before I retired. I AM saying they are not as cheap as NOT having them and anyone that says that NOT having a monthly bill isn't cheaper than HAVING a monthly bill is deluded.

I think you are missing the point of D.A. that having bundled services cannot be compared to a stand alone price

[CCDMan]

I think you are missing the point of D.A. that having bundled services cannot be compared to a stand alone price

No, I am not, and yes you can break things down. Bundling is nothing more than a sales gimmick to confuse the customer - careful analysis will show you that real savings are minimal.

I have reached my 2-post limit for responding to troll comments. Have a good day.

Well, this "Troll" is saving my money and collecting yours. That does indeed make for a good day.

If you all want to blow your funds and blind yourselves to the costs, that is your affair and your (lack of) money. The carriers just love you guys and, as a shareholder, so do I.

I am done here. In fact, I would go further (for reasons mostly unrelated to this thread).

**************

MobileRead has been a "check very day" site for me since the first major reader (Sony 500) came out. I have noted of late that there is not much of critical e-reader interest here that is not also covered on other major tech sites. I suspect this is because e-reading has now become very mainstream.

There are also too many threads like this one to tempt me to post and I need to remember that I do have better things to do than to get into some dumb dispute.

The bottom line is I will probably just stop checking here unless some new reader development causes me to do so specifically for that.

Hope you all continue to be well and enjoy the site!

[AprilHare]

My current cell phone does play videos (only ones I record with it's terrible camera), surf the web (sticking to the free website offered by my provider), can check your email (but does not, not under my watch!), could theoretically read books (but does not) and certainly does not kiss your hiney (if hiney means ones posterior)!
The new one I am getting, which runs Android 2.1, may do more...