Progress???

[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
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