Progress???

[Termite]

Well a few years ago the company I work for dragged me kicking and screaming into the modern age of communications. ie. a mobile phone. So being the with it swinger that I am :rolleyes: I chose one that just made phone calls and could receive phone calls and messages, I mean whats a phone for anyway?
Well we're with Vodaphone and they have a loyalty programe, so this morning arrived a super whizbang thing about as big as a matchbox with buttons the size of a pinhead and it does everything. SMS, PXT, TXT, Voicemail, email, pictures, video, pxt video, games, songs, internet, and when I finally figure out how to turn the bruddy thing on I might be lucky and find that it actually does phone calls too. Its got a colour screen and I can, for a fee of course, download god knows how many ringtones and songs from people I've never heard of, pretty pictures to stare at on the screen while I figure out which mini-button to try and press with my pudgy digits. I can take a video of a dancing dingbat and send it to some poor SOB who doesn't realy give a rats behind.
All this in the name of progress, all I want is a damn phone.

[jackiew]

you're in good company ... my son was amazed that I'd never even tried the games on my phone, much less modified the ring-tone.

So far its survived being kicked around the dance floor at a gig ( its sufficiently old fashioned that I got it back :D ), dropped from heights and otherwise abused.

Why would I want a new one? I can just about see that there might be occasions when taking a photo of something while you're out would be useful but its just one more thing to worry about losing.

From my observations those who can least afford an all singing and dancing phone are those who HAVE to have one.

[Wongo]

All this mobile stuff is getting ridiculous. A phone is a phone. That’s why I still refuse to have one.

Here is a trick question for you. Would you buy a mobile phone that takes photos or a camera that makes phone calls? Something for the marketing gurus to think about. :rolleyes:

[craigb]

The only reason I have one is because work wants me to have it and are prepared to pay for it.
They'll only pay for the bog standard one though so I don't have to worry about cameras and such like. It's probably only a matter of time though. :rolleyes:

[silentC]

The friggin things are getting so small and complicated it's a joke. There should be a law against it because the only motivation is to sell them to kids and get them to ring up huge bills that their parents will have to pay.

Beam me up Scotty... (now THAT would be a phone feature I'd pay for :rolleyes: )

[Wongo]

A bit off the topic and sorry to termite.

Can someone please tell me why would you want to access the internet on a fridge? And who the hell came up with such idea? :confused:

[barnsey]

Me too - my phone has all those features and I'm flat out answering the bloody thing much less able to memorise the 360 pages of detailed instructions for all the other fandangled money spending features :mad: :mad:

PS If the telly screen was on the fridge at least I wouldn't have to walk so far to get a tinny :D :D :D

[jackiew]

A bit off the topic and sorry to termite.

Can someone please tell me why would you want to access the internet on a fridge? And who the hell came up with such idea? :confused:

apparently its so you can create your online grocery order as soon as you realise that everything in your fridge has turned into a health hazzard.

If its a really smart fridge it will detect the fact that you've just removed the last tomato and order you some more without you having to do anything :D

I'd just settle for a self cleaning fridge :D

[Rocker]

I have had a bog-standard mobile phone for three years and still don't know how to use it. I only got it because the phone was free and the monthly rental is $4.99. Of course, if you do actually make a phone call on it, they charge about $2 per second. Only time it was used was to report that our land line was out of order, and that cost us about $25 to do :(

I suppose it may come in useful if the car broke down. But we have a very reliable car.

Rocker

[Wood Borer]

If the telly screen was on the fridge at least I wouldn't have to walk so far to get a tinny :D :D :D

Perhaps a fridge under your TV rather than a TV on your fridge.

If it keeps heading this way, what will happen to woodworking? CNC machines in every shed? Doing woodwork remotely? Perhaps I can suggest to Thomas Lie Nielsen that he brings out an addition to his planes so the tools in my shed can be operated from my desk at work or when I am flying. Gee that would be fun!!! :( :( :(

[ozwinner]

be operated from my desk at work or when I am flying.
What have I told you about borrowing Megs Broom!! :eek:

Only jokeing Meg!! :p :p :o

Al :D

[AlexS]

I thought I was the only neanderthal who didn't have a mobile phone. Don't need one, don't want one, got better things to waste my money on.

When mobiles first came out, I hired a brick to check out reception for some field instruments that we had installed. There I was, sitting in the middle of the Hay Plain when the thing rang. I answered it and a voice said "Is that the Wagga stripper?" Explained that I would be if the price was right, but he probably wouldn't be happy.

The guy we hired it from said that it had been hired out previously, and when it cam back, they were getting about 20 calls a day for the stripper.

Guess I took up the wrong career!

[echnidna]

Guess I took up the wrong career!

Go where yer heart takes yer baby.

[Caliban]

Are you sure it was a phone? Might have been part of the strippers act! Did it vibrate or just ring? Hope you washed your hands after you returned it!

[graemet]

Fellas, I have an old 2nd hand phone that was unwanted by a family member who just HAD TO HAVE the latest, stuck a prepaid SIM card in it and occasionally turn it on when I really need the thing. A friend who works for Telstra finding stolen phones told me I could leave it lying in the middle of the footpath and no one would even stop to pick it up.
Graeme

[fxst]

due to the fact we spend time on our bush block and need some form of communication with the rest of the family we looked for a (simple) cdma phone and ended up with a nokia something or other and the telco was the best part it uses the telstra net but the deal is no contract no fixed monthly fee but if u use less than $20 a month (frequently) they may charge a $5 acc fee....the answer.... easy... I put $30 down so no fees and I have still got a $22.50 credit 6mths on......works for me :D
Pete

[Sturdee]

I thought I was the only neanderthal who didn't have a mobile phone. Don't need one, don't want one, got better things to waste my money on.


You're not alone Alex, I don't have one either.


Peter.

[echnidna]

.. and who wants to be found when yer veg'n out.

[journeyman Mick]

Termite,
that was a very timely post! I was going to write something similar yesterday, but was just too tired. I've had a mobile phone of one sort or other for 14 years now, as my daytime office is wherever I happen to be. I do actually need one, but wish I didn't. Over the years I've killed a lot of them, dropping them off a 3 story high scaffold onto concrete, crushing them in my nail bag as I struggle to handle a heavy and awkward assembly, etc etc.
A few years back some of the manufacturers started making tradesman's phones, dust proof, shock proof (well resistant) and water proof. Suddenly I went from having my phone replaced or repaired several times during the warranty period (usually because of metal dust ingestion) to actually having to replace batteries because they died before the phone did. My Siemens M35 finally died on the weekend, it actually rattles when shaken, I guess some important bits have come adrift inside.
I went out to buy another tradesman's phone and found that the only shock/dust/water proof phones have got colour screens/cameras/compasses/cyclometers/fitness monitors built in. (I'm not kidding about any of those features, they're not all on the same phone but they're out there) Of course all these gizmos add to the cost of the phone and they start at the $600 mark :eek: . Oh, and add another $60 or so for an extra year's warranty, plus extra for a case and 12V charger and hands free earphone/microphone. :mad:

Back in the early 90's the building trade accounted for something like 30% of mobile phone sales and 70% of airtime. I guess today it's only a small proportion of the market and trendoid fitness types and outdoor adventure types are seen as a more lucrative market for this type of phone. After looking at a huge range of phones and being thoroughly confused I ended up buying a $99 phone and a $19 headphone/mic with a prepaid card. Made a couple of calls on the card and then cut it up & threw it away and replaced it with my own card. Much as I'd like to have something that I know will last it's cheaper for me to treat it like a disposable tool, using it till it breaks and then buying another.

Mick

[jackiew]

problem is mick if you make something indestructible no-one will ever replace it ... so once everyone has one you now have no market for your wares.

Which is why everything I buy now appears to of worse quality than stuff which is more than 10 years old.

You could see if you can get a second hand version of your phone there is a second hand market out there.

[Alastair]

I lived on the end of one at work for 5 years. Also had one for my wife, but that was in S Africa, where it was a personal safety issue.

When we came here, I vowed that as the above no longer applied, there was no way that I was going down that route again. Took 4 years of wingeing about "how nice it would be to stay in touch", and then only because a mate gave us a redundant "brick" he had lying around. I ressurected it, and the old one we brought from SA with prepaid cards. Gets used once in a while, so quite nice, but certainly not a necessity.

Now my daughter has won the argument to have one. Went the Virgin prepaid route, like our phones, so calls between our phones 5c/min. Nice. Her prepaid is financed from her allowance, so she is VERY responsible, or else she gets only to receive calls.

Could still live without them. Easily.

Alastair

[Spindleshanks]

I have noticed that many tradesmen running small businesses use a mobile almost exclusively. Question is whether having a mobile phone advantages you or others. I use a CDMA on the basis that it benefits me and only turn it on when I need it. Very handy though to keep in touch, by text messaging, with a daughter currently working overseas.

[jackiew]

When looking in the local papers for tradespeople I automatically rule out anyone who just provides a mobile phone number and no landline.

[HappyHammer]

When looking in the local papers for tradespeople I automatically rule out anyone who just provides a mobile phone number and no landline.
So do I.

[arose62]

Two of my friends (30-ish types) have just made the decision to ditch the fixed landline, and have only their mobiles.

They've spent a fair bit of time wading through the various plans, churned out Excel spreadsheets, and determined that it's considerably cheaper for them.

I think it can work for folk who make calls to a small pool of numbers, and if most of those numbers can be wangled on to the same provider.

So, until recently, I'd have sided with JackieW and HappyHammer, but now I don't think that's necessarily a 'fair' judgement.

My .02

Cheers,
Andrew

[Rocker]

Spindleshanks,
I used to have a block not far from you (just off Dichondra Road). But looking after 400-odd tropical fruit trees got to be too much like hard work.
Rocker

[HappyHammer]

I might consider it for personal use when international calls from a mobile are cheaper than a landline.

When it's a business the mobile only scenario impacts my confidence in the permanence of the business I'm calling. It also means I do not get an indication of where they are which is probably thier intention.

HH.

[Kev Y.]

I have a mobileas well as a land line, work has my mobile number only, and the land line is for friends.

I have programed the mobile with all of the work phone numbers so I know exactly who is calling me and who I can ignore (not that I ignore any phone calls mind you.) I still consider the mobile a "luxury" and not a necessity.

My kids are getting to the age where they are developing a social life, it makes me feel comfortable knowing that the girls can call me in an emergency.

[Wood Borer]

I have never owned a mobile but have one provided by my company. Why? So I can be contacted/annoyed after hours for the "urgent problems".

If I changed jobs and was not provided with one, I would not be in a hurry to get one apart from using it for emergencies.

[dzcook]

was only looking a t a new phone today as mine is getting so old that the battery charger is giving up the ghost and the battery only lasts for 8 hrs if i leave it turned on it dosent even have the letters on the key pad for sms which my co workers cant believe

so was looking at a $60 dollar one

what gets me with them is 90 % of the time pple are just talking rubbish on them what is so important that u have to answer the call right at that monent in the line at the checkout etc

and of course the smsing all the time worked with a young girl who used to stand at the grill cooking stks with one hand and sending messages with the other and of course she stuffed up 1/2 the orders
god i must be getting old

[journeyman Mick]

When looking in the local papers for tradespeople I automatically rule out anyone who just provides a mobile phone number and no landline.

Well isn't that a coincidence, :p I only give out my mobile in the small town I live in because:
a) My wife hates it when people ring up after hours and want to talk shop :mad:
b) I figure that if people are too tight to ring me on the mobile then they're too tight to pay tradesman's rates (this town is full of arty hippy types who want really fiddly, unusual jobs done with second hand materials to repair their crooked owner built shacks and who want to pay next to nothing or barter with vegies and massages :eek: )
Still get too many calls anyway!

Mick
Excuse me, I've got to go now, that's my phone I can hear........

[jackiew]

I didn't say I won't ring the mobile mick :p ( ok ... 99% of the time I ring the land line ).

I just like to know that they do actually have a home base.

I can quite appreciate that tradespeople's wives don't like fielding the calls ....and I'm sure that there are lots of people who like to ring at what most reasonable people would consider an unreasonable time.

As a cyclist / motorcyclist / pedestrian I get somewhat alarmed by the number of tradespeople I see driving along with one hand on the wheel desperately scrabbling through their appointment book on the seat beside them. I'm really loth to ring someone who might either be up a ladder or negotiating a roundabout and be answering their phone.

[silentC]

I'm really loth to ring someone who might either be up a ladder or negotiating a roundabout and be answering their phone.
Ha ha ha ha :D That's the best laugh I've had all day :D A tradesman who answers his phone? :D :D :D :p

[Termite]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Found out a few things about the new toy. It also records voice.
So yesterday when an over-officious Mr Plod pulled me over and, before starting into me with a lot of b******t, informed me that he was recording everything said, I simply smiled and took his photo. After his explosion, with a lot of swearing, about that, and a further 5 minutes of garbage, he was about to start writing a ticket for a non existent offence when I politely informed him that I had recorded the whole conversation also.
Well he did a complete about face, backed down and said he'd let me off with a warning.(For something he'd dreamed up anyway)
I'm starting to like this new technology after all. :D
But I dont think it will work if I realy am in the wrong.