Continuing my bid to get in the 20th Century

[[JiF][AARP]Tissueman]

I finally got my first cell phone. Naturally I'm using it to drive my colleagues crazy. I like to walk around pretending like I'm talking to someone. Of course, I used to talk to myself all the time anyway. I just get fewer stares if I'm holding a cell phone.

Then I decided it was time to upgrade my PC. The first step was upgrading the video card driver. If you go from a 2004 vintage driver to the most recent one available it makes a BIG difference. Finally, I added a gig of memory to get to 2 gigs. It has also made a big difference. The only downside seems to be that everything looks much shinier now so I've been getting more distracted in game.

My next purchase will be a flat panel LCD TV. Watch this space for news of when I get it. Actually, by the time I get it we'll probably have gone through two more website upgrades.

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

I got my first cell phone about 2 years ago. As I suspected it is a horrible device. Get rid of it quick
I did have a pager before that which was bad but not as evil a device as a cell phone and back in the day I had a bag phone for about a month before I trashed it.
I can understand the PC upgrades and maybe the TV. Wish I had a flat panel TV. The cell phone is a big mistake. Take it back before the 30 trial is up

[[JiF][AARP]Tissueman]

The cell phone was wife directed. She want to reach me when I travel on business. I share your sentiment.

[[JiF]Stepovich]

Yes indeed, those cell phones really are just a husband tracking device

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

I actually had given my wife 2 for her birtday. One for her and one to hand to another family member as needed. I did not carry it at all.
She complained that it was yet another gift I bought for her that I wanted. Believe me I did not want one I just felt better knowing they had one for emergencies.
I don't think she actually turned hers on for 2 weeks. Then for the most part it was off and still usually is. She pretty much only turns it on when she wants to call one of the family.
After about 2 years I ended up using one of them for work. So really I have not had one for very long myself. Probably less than a year. Get rid of it before you get hooked

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

I forgot this part which I find a little funny and annoying. I got the ATT Wirless phones originally. They got taken over by Cingular. The have been wanting me to get off the ATT phones for some time. I have refused as it actually would cost me more money. So now I read ATT is taking over Cingular Wireless.
I swear companies must do this to filter off money to someplace or executives just feel the need to do something and waste millions of dollars buying and selling each other, pissing off customers and employees. It has to be some kind of racket

[[JiF]Stepovich]

It's absolutely a racket...that and the crap phones that barely last a year
before imploding.
I just did the discounted upgrade thing for my phone that was barely
working anymore. I broke down and got an extended warranty so that
I wouldn't have to go through that again.

The older cell phones were great- sturdy, good reception. My wife had
one of those old Motorola Startac when I first met her, it always sounded
like a landline and seemed indestructable. I was talking to one of the
salespeople who was saying how that was the last decent cell phone they
made and that they get worse every year- built to last a year at best.

Racket indeed.

[[JiF][AARP]Tissueman]

I went with Virgin Mobile on their pay as you go plan. I have to put in $15 every 90 days. Since I don't use it often (at least that is the plan), it looked like the cheapest option. I have a cheezy looking $20 cell phone. It has a color screen and a speakerphone so I can put it on the desk and keep working while I talk to her (meaning listen). We'll see how long it lasts.

[[JiF]Mentat]

When I moved to the mainland, I decided NOT to get a land line and just go with the cell phone. I have an old Kyocera, which you could drop from a three story building with no worries. I have saved a couple hundred bucks already.

It's snowing here!

[[JiF]KellysHero]

After about 2.5 to 3 years, time for me to get a new cell phone. It's a non-flashy motorola flip phone (no camera) that still almost works. When I flip open the handset, the phone doesn't turn on. There is a tiny button that when the handset is closed is depressed, and when you open it, the button turns the phone on. Well that tiny button is stuck and the phone doesn't turn on anymore. I can jam it with a key to get it to depress, but that stopped lastnight. Guess 3 years isn't so bad, but still sucks.

[[JiF]Sandretzky]

My Opinion: ALL CELL PHONES SUCK! They just mean Work for me. OH, my furnace, oh my AC, OH my Toilets on Fire! OMG what am I saying thats how I provide for my family. Show me a company with a good cheap plan---I'll show you the worlds worst service. Good service rotten plan Remember when cordless phones came out?? Mobile phones had there own suitcase GRIMP you still using smoke signals??

[[JiF][AARP]Grimp]

Nah, I kept catching myself on fire. I use semaphore now

[[JiF]KellysHero]

Went yesterday to look at phones. After the guy tried to "fix" my sticking button by poking it with a paper clip (why didn't I think of that), he declared it fixed. Of course it only lasted a couple of minutes and then stopped working again. Time for a new phone...

Wasn't too impressed and realized all the motorola (my current phone) charger connections changed and a new one would be in order, my old headset wouldn't work either, and there was the $15 fee for the new phone for existing customers. In other words, more $$$$. Disgusted I left.

Of course the button didn't fix itself and still needed to be replaced. Ended up getting a motorola Razr V3, it's thin but a bit wide with halfway decent sized buttons for my decent sized fingers. Haven't used it enough to determine reception stuff, although did hear it had issues, so who knows.

One nice thing is I got a nice company discount. The phone had a $40 mail in rebate but got the price without having to do the rebate, and 25% off all accessories. I've got to pull the corporate discount card out more often.