New damned phones anyway!

Ok, for those of you who don't know, I am a complete technology idiot. I had to get a new phone, since my old one was dying again, and this is the one they sent me.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/s...edPhoneId=4366

After about 30 minutes of fucking around with it, I finally figured out how to get the battery into it, and am now charging it. Having read thru the "quick guide", I am now completely baffled. After telling me how to charge the phone it goes into:

1. Using Personal Information Tools
ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center
Insert the Companion Cd into computer and install
How to get e-mail
Handago
Adding contacts
Adding appointments

2. Using Bluetooth

3. Broadband Access Connect

4. Placing and Receiving Calls

5. Using Speaker Phone

6. Using Voicemail

7. Using Visual Voicemail

8. Locking/Unlocking Your Device

9. Changing Ringtones

10. Screen Orientation

Jesus Fucking Christ on a Bloody Fucking Crutch! All I wanted was a phone I could FIND the keypad on to make and receive calls, use voicemail, texting, and have ringtones. I have no fucking clue how to run this damned thing. It's like something that should be a NASA product, used only by smart people! :mad: Since that completely leaves me out, if someone has any clue how to run this thing, please, please, help Munchkin! :(

I should add, my plan is NOT set up for internet use and all that shit! :sour:

for ring tones, that would be in Sound Settings
for screen configurements, i think that would be Display Settings
for Locking/Unlocking Your Device, that is Security Settings

hope this helps

Thanks. Gonna read the book after I take my contacts out tonight, so maybe I can figure it out better. I can't read that damned tiny print with them in!

Well, there is this thing called thinking you could have done before you bought. There are phones on the market that allow you to make calls and send messages and pretty nothing else. They are as simple to use as the average house phone and some even have bigger buttons. You could have bought one of those; you wouldn't be struggling with something as useless as changing your ringtones.

I can't see the phone your using, but the way you explain it, it seems those phones should just be left to people my age who NEED the uneccisary functions.

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Originally Posted by Hazir

Well, there is this thing called thinking you could have done before you bought. There are phones on the market that allow you to make calls and send messages and pretty nothing else. They are as simple to use as the average house phone and some even have bigger buttons. You could have bought one of those; you wouldn't be struggling with something as useless as changing your ringtones.

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And then there is this thing called I am not due for an upgrade so have to take what they send me or pay out the ass!! I also don't see how you think having different ringtones for different people is useless. I want to know if that is Mommymunchkin calling or just another damned telemarketer, without having to look! (Yeah, maybe that makes me lazy or rude or whatever, but I sometimes don't answer calls that I don't want to talk to right then!)

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Originally Posted by Knux897

I can't see the phone your using, but the way you explain it, it seems those phones should just be left to people my age who NEED the uneccisary functions.

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I agree, to some extent. Also, read above reply to Hazir!

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Originally Posted by Knux897

uneccisary

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Munchie may be a technology idiot, but at least she can spell.:o

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Originally Posted by oldmunchkin

And then there is this thing called I am not due for an upgrade so have to take what they send me or pay out the ass!! I also don't see how you think having different ringtones for different people is useless. I want to know if that is Mommymunchkin calling or just another damned telemarketer, without having to look! (Yeah, maybe that makes me lazy or rude or whatever, but I sometimes don't answer calls that I don't want to talk to right then!)

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So, it's still not the phone but your unrealistic expectations. And don't you get snotty with me about 'not being due for an upgrade' because that only makes you come off as more of an stupid buyer who doesn't think before she hands over the cash.

Err ... Hazir. She is saying this is the phone that was given to her by her provider.

To choose differently, she would have to pay. Or pay extra.

So this indeed makes her sensible, not stupid. :confused:

munchie, you said you didn't pick the provider, the service was a gift, the phone was a gift. You know what they say about gift horses....

It is a bit odd to complain about free stuff.

well, when it's just a phone and you need to be a computer expert to operate the damn thing, it's very annoying. I don't think Munchie was complaining about a free phone as much as she was venting frustration about the complexity of it, and asking for a little help.

@ munchie: Your link didin't go anywhere useful. Maybe if you post the make and model number somebody will be familiar with it. at least it will enable us to look it up and provide you some answers. good luck.

the phone link requires a zipcode. So thats why people in bumfuck locations aren't going to see it. Its the Samsung Omnia.

You're using a touchscreen smart phone. That list is only half of it....
Believe it or not, try Youtube. Its usually full of people trying to review, brag or give pointers on new hardware. When I got my first iphone knock off, the instructions were in Chinese or some crap, an youtube is what I used.
You also don't need any of the crap you listed, so walk into a local Verison store and ask for some face time on getting to the phone's basics.


This reminds me of the meeting I had with my boss' boss, for why he is trying to secure us new hardware to teach more technology classes:
"We have way to many dumb people trying to use smartphones, and employ to many smart people still using dumbphones."

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Originally Posted by rumrunner

Munchie may be a technology idiot, but at least she can spell.:o

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It was a poor atempt at a joke. In the end, does it really matter?

Everything matters.

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Originally Posted by Timbuk2

Everything matters.

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Nothing really matters.

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Originally Posted by Timbuk2

Err ... Hazir. She is saying this is the phone that was given to her by her provider.

To choose differently, she would have to pay. Or pay extra.

So this indeed makes her sensible, not stupid. :confused:

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Actually, any subsidized phone means you got yourself a deal that was only a good deal for your provider. It is never a redeeming factor.

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Originally Posted by Hazir

So, it's still not the phone but your unrealistic expectations. And don't you get snotty with me about 'not being due for an upgrade' because that only makes you come off as more of an stupid buyer who doesn't think before she hands over the cash.

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Hazir..do NOT fuck with me! Read rest of explanation below!

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Originally Posted by Timbuk2

Err ... Hazir. She is saying this is the phone that was given to her by her provider.

To choose differently, she would have to pay. Or pay extra.

So this indeed makes her sensible, not stupid. :confused:

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Thanks Tim! :) Yes, I ended my "contract" early on the phone I had, since it sucked! I took what they gave me in exchange!

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Originally Posted by GGT

munchie, you said you didn't pick the provider, the service was a gift, the phone was a gift. You know what they say about gift horses....

It is a bit odd to complain about free stuff.

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NO...didn't say that. Payed for the phone myself when I was married to The Thing. When I left him, went to my own plan,

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Originally Posted by rumrunner

well, when it's just a phone and you need to be a computer expert to operate the damn thing, it's very annoying. I don't think Munchie was complaining about a free phone as much as she was venting frustration about the complexity of it, and asking for a little help.

@ munchie: Your link didin't go anywhere useful. Maybe if you post the make and model number somebody will be familiar with it. at least it will enable us to look it up and provide you some answers. good luck.

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Thanks rum, It's a Samsung Omnia Got the "touch screen" and I am completely losted!!

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Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer

the phone link requires a zipcode. So thats why people in bumfuck locations aren't going to see it. Its the Samsung Omnia.

You're using a touchscreen smart phone. That list is only half of it....
Believe it or not, try Youtube. Its usually full of people trying to review, brag or give pointers on new hardware. When I got my first iphone knock off, the instructions were in Chinese or some crap, an youtube is what I used.
You also don't need any of the crap you listed, so walk into a local Verison store and ask for some face time on getting to the phone's basics.


This reminds me of the meeting I had with my boss' boss, for why he is trying to secure us new hardware to teach more technology classes:
"We have way to many dumb people trying to use smartphones, and employ to many smart people still using dumbphones."

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1 small problem...nearest Verizon store is 110 miles away! Why the fuck do you think I am asking for help?

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Originally Posted by Hazir

Actually, any subsidized phone means you got yourself a deal that was only a good deal for your provider. It is never a redeeming factor.

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It is NOT subsidized! It was/is also NOT free! This is one of those few bills that i get NO governmental help paying!

The subsidy comes from the phone company that 'gives' you the phone for 'free', or what goes for free these days.

Why didn't she get a Jitterbug phone? It's made for olde people.

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Originally Posted by Hazir

The subsidy comes from the phone company that 'gives' you the phone for 'free', or what goes for free these days.

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The Friend is paying for the phone, and the monthly charges. After I got set up with my own plan, I added a line for him because his service sucked. The agreement with him was, he piggybacks on my plan and he pays the bills. There is really NOT a subsidy for any of it.

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Originally Posted by Bitter Jeweler

Why didn't she get a Jitterbug phone? It's made for olde people.

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Because I am signed up with Verizon and they don't support the Jitterbug. Besides which, I want the camera, text messaging, and features like that.

I still haven't activated the damned thing. Called Samsung to get an actual BOOK, instead of a computer disc for an operator's manual. They will put it in the mail on Tuesday, so I should have it by Friday. In the meantime, I am struggling along with a fucked up phone, because I really don't want to screw up the new one. :p

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Originally Posted by oldmunchkin

The Friend is paying for the phone, and the monthly charges. After I got set up with my own plan, I added a line for him because his service sucked. The agreement with him was, he piggybacks on my plan and he pays the bills. There is really NOT a subsidy for any of it.

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*cough*

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Because I am signed up with Verizon and they don't support the Jitterbug. Besides which, I want the camera, text messaging, and features like that.

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*cough*

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I still haven't activated the damned thing. Called Samsung to get an actual BOOK, instead of a computer disc for an operator's manual. They will put it in the mail on Tuesday, so I should have it by Friday. In the meantime, I am struggling along with a fucked up phone, because I really don't want to screw up the new one. :p

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My opinion is the same. You do have choices, you just don't like them. You want a fancy phone that does everything, without having to figure it out OR pay for it.

I'm also old and stupid about these tiny computers they call phones, but my expectations are fairly low. Walmart sells good phones without contracts or apps never used, pay-as-you-go, and you get to decide if it's actual talk time or text time that matters.

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Originally Posted by GGT

*cough*





*cough*



My opinion is the same. You do have choices, you just don't like them. You want a fancy phone that does everything, without having to figure it out OR pay for it.

I'm also old and stupid about these tiny computers they call phones, but my expectations are fairly low. Walmart sells good phones without contracts or apps never used, pay-as-you-go, and you get to decide if it's actual talk time or text time that matters.

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I didn't want a fancy phone...I simply wanted one that would make calls, take pics and video, send and receive text and pic messages, have an alarm, and have a calendar function. Anymore, that is NOT fancy, that's pretty basic.

Just because I made an agreement with The Friend, which he asked me to do, does NOT mean I don't want to pay for it myself. I just happen to be stuck at the moment!

The problem with the "pay as you go" phones is you do pay! The cost of the minutes and text messaging is unbelievable, and not having a contract would have definitely been a bad deal for me this go-round. That fucking Motorola phone has been replaced 5 times, at Verizon's expense, because it kept fucking up. Now, I would have had to buy, at my own cost, a new phone every time that one broke. How the hell would that have been a good deal for me? To say nothing of the fact all you can buy here in BFE is Alltel pre-paid phones. Alltel has shit for service in this area, but that's what Radio Shack carries for their stores. Why would I bother paying for something that only works about 1/2 the time, and usually doesn't have coverage when I might have needed it most, such as out on the road?

That's not even worth quoting. :donkey:

Cell phones and new technology, I swear, has turned too many people just plain lazy and stupid.

<anecdotal case in point--just today we had 7 people moving about between points in 2 cars. No sooner did our group get moving into traffic (about 30 seconds) when my phone rang. Caller from the other car. I didn't answer within 5 rings, so she called another person in the car, just to say they had one of our coats! We were all going to the same damn place. So there I was, answering my phone and leaving her a message, because her phone was busy while she talked to the person in the car right next to me. Now that's some stupid stuff right there.>

Munchie dear, you could use a walkie-talkie or two way radio to keep in contact with your mom and son, any time of day or night. You guys are within walking distance of each other and don't move around much. Your boyfriend could use his cell phone OR a computer to send you texts. Yes, there's a cost to this stuff. Most of it is just silly, IMO.

But who the hell wants to pay for Hi, LOL, where r u now, call me?

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Originally Posted by GGT

That's not even worth quoting. :donkey:

Cell phones and new technology, I swear, has turned too many people just plain lazy and stupid.

<anecdotal case in point--just today we had 7 people moving about between points in 2 cars. No sooner did our group get moving into traffic (about 30 seconds) when my phone rang. Caller from the other car. I didn't answer within 5 rings, so she called another person in the car, just to say they had one of our coats! We were all going to the same damn place. So there I was, answering my phone and leaving her a message, because her phone was busy while she talked to the person in the car right next to me. Now that's some stupid stuff right there.>

Munchie dear, you could use a walkie-talkie or two way radio to keep in contact with your mom and son, any time of day or night. You guys are within walking distance of each other and don't move around much. Your boyfriend could use his cell phone OR a computer to send you texts. Yes, there's a cost to this stuff. Most of it is just silly, IMO.

But who the hell wants to pay for Hi, LOL, where r u now, call me?

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Have you never gone back to someplace because you think you forgot something, only to find it was in the other car all along? To me, calling to tell you your coat was in their car is polite. You might have driven back to where ever you were, searching for it.

Uhm, no. Walkie-talkie or 2-way radio is not practical. For one thing, they get left in odd places, because they are usually too large to fit in your pocket, whereas a cell phone is easy to carry. Besides which, I do a bit of traveling with The Friend (not my boyfriend, BTW) and need to be able to be in contact in case of emergency. Yes, there are a great many times he calls and says, "Get a shower and get packed" and neither one of us know exactly where we are going to end up. That does make it a bit hard to tell Mommymunchkin in advance where I am going, now doesn't it?

I would have to look at my bill for sure, but I think unlimited texting costs something like $5 or $6 per phone per month. And believe me, I send and receive texts from more than just The Friend.

As I said, we were all going to the same damn place. The coat would have ended up there with us no matter what. It's like those idiots in the grocery store, talking on their cell phones to their partner shopper ("I'm in the ice cream aisle now, do you want vanilla bean or chocolate?")

FFS, it's lazy and stupid. People use this new technology instead of using their brains. Everything is 24/7 instant gratification, the illusion of being "together" when it's really just their phone they're partnered with. Make a list, check it twice, use some problem solving skills instead of a qwerty and your thumbs. It's okay to be "disconnected" for a while, it's probably even "healthier".

IMO all this easy cheap attitude cheapens communication. We now textspeak constantly, without ever really talking. Emergency contact is one thing. Thinking you've got control over all situations because of a tool in your pocket or purse....not so much.

Haven't you ever had to go back, even if the other car was going the same place, because you DIDN'T KNOW your coat (or purse or wallet) was in the other car and you were concerned about finding it? Hell, my Mother would have been insane..."OMG, where is my coat? OMG, we have to go back, I forgot my coat!" Or it would have been, "OMG, flag them down and see if it's in that car!" "OMG, I need to find my coat!" This way, that kind of shit was completely avoided, since you now KNEW where the coat was and that it would end up at the final destination when the other car got there.

Yes, in some ways we have gotten a bit lazy. I try not to use textspeak in my general typing, such as here or in an e-mail, altho sometimes I do slip. And yes, sometimes in a store, it's much easier to be able to call or text and ask about what the other person wants, instead of running all over the fucking store to find them and ask. Especially if you have trouble walking or standing for long periods of time.

Altho it's rare, I do "disconnect" occasionally. Usually after letting Mommymunchkin and The Friend know for sure I am shutting the phone off. There are times, like this last week, when I just was too sick to give a damn if anyone else wanted/needed something.

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There are times, like this last week, when I just was too sick to give a damn if anyone else wanted/needed something.

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Sounds like cell phone fatigue. The very tool you think is helpful, can actually suck all energy and work against you. There's a price to pay for being on-call and reachable 24/7.

Your mom probably just wants some face time and physical visits, but puts that energy into short cell phone calls, because that's mostly what people offer her now. You want to think she can reach you when truly needed, but in that case 911 should be her first call and not to you.

I understand how long distance relationships can benefit from cell phones and text messages, but it's still no substitute for the real thing. It's amazing how many people can't spend time together without texting under the table to other people, or they can't turn off their damn phones to have a real live conversation. Or they use cell phones to get as far away (physically) as they can, and milk the illusion.

Yes you may call me a Luddite now if you want.

I see my Mom, face to face, at least 3 times a week. And not just for a couple minutes, but for a real visit. She also likes the short calls to let her know I'm ok and for her to let me know she's ok. Hell, even she has a cell phone! :p

The Friend and I try to get together about once a week. Sometimes that's not possible tho. Also, when he goes back out on the road, I won't get to spend as much time with him, so if we want to have any sort of relationship, phones are the only way we can.

If you arrived in BFE and we went out to lunch or to have a drink, even tho my phone would be on, it wouldn't get answered unless it was Mom. I wouldn't be texting under the table or any of that nonsense. I believe in paying attention to the person I am with. Then too, I absolutely hate sitting some place, whether restaurant or bar, and listening to other people's conversations on the phone. If you must take the call, go into another room or go outside, FFS!

So we'd go to lunch, but you'd check your phone in case it's your mom. Calling to say what, pick me up some bread on your way back?

Sounds like parents I know who hire a babysitter, but never really leave the house to let them babysit. They just use the babysitter to use the cell phone to continue micro-managing in their absence. Or they go out to dinner within transmission distance and leave the baby monitor on, or have a live-feed of video from the crib.

First of all, yes, I would answer if it was her. If it was nothing important, I would tell her I was busy and would have to call her back later. You make it sound like I just jump when she calls, and that's not how it is at all!

Second of all, appreciate the fact I wouldn't answer if it was anyone else, including The Friend, because I consider that to be rather rude to the person you are with at the time!

Third, I know you don't "get it", but to me, having a phone and being in contact with the world is damned important. It's worth everything I pay for it and more, IMO! If my Mom needs to get hold of me for some important reason, it means the world to me for her to be able to do so.

ps Just so you know, I'm not banging on just you munchie. The whole notion of being everywhere and connected at all times, while feeling free to move about with no cost or price to pay, the illusion of choice, that's what I'm on about.

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Originally Posted by oldmunchkin

First of all, yes, I would answer if it was her. If it was nothing important, I would tell her I was busy and would have to call her back later. You make it sound like I just jump when she calls, and that's not how it is at all!

Second of all, appreciate the fact I wouldn't answer if it was anyone else, including The Friend, because I consider that to be rather rude to the person you are with at the time!

Third, I know you don't "get it", but to me, having a phone and being in contact with the world is damned important. It's worth everything I pay for it and more, IMO! If my Mom needs to get hold of me for some important reason, it means the world to me for her to be able to do so.

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:) we posted at the same time.

Yes, I "get it". It puts you in limbo la-la-land, constantly. Having a cell phone gives you the idea that you can be in two places at once. It gives others the impression they're not alone, when they really are. Then it becomes the norm, the expectation, and I'm saying it's riddled with myth and falsehoods.

But it is a choice, not an illusion. There is a power button, and the phone can be shut off at any time if I want it off.

Then there is the little detail of my reaction to my pills at times. There are times I get so dizzy I actually fall down. Now, if I am out walking, or in the tub, or whatever, and fall where no one is around, then the phone is invaluable. What? You would rather I fell and laid there with a broken leg or something, for hours waiting for someone to realize I hadn't been seen/heard from for all that time? My phone is never more than a foot away from me at any time for this reason. At least that way I could get some help if I needed it!

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Originally Posted by oldmunchkin

But it is a choice, not an illusion. There is a power button, and the phone can be shut off at any time if I want it off.

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I've told you that for years. Yet you say it's kept ON "in case you are needed".

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Then there is the little detail of my reaction to my pills at times. There are times I get so dizzy I actually fall down. Now, if I am out walking, or in the tub, or whatever, and fall where no one is around, then the phone is invaluable. What? You would rather I fell and laid there with a broken leg or something, for hours waiting for someone to realize I hadn't been seen/heard from for all that time? My phone is never more than a foot away from me at any time for this reason. At least that way I could get some help if I needed it!

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If you have those kinds of medical problems, a cell phone won't help as much as you'd like to think. Anyone can slip on the ice or fall in the bathtub and be unconscious.

What's amazing is that folks in east bum fuck managed all sorts of weather, illnesses, and emergencies....long before the invention of the cell phone. But now they can call 911 when their burger from the drive-up window is made wrong.

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Originally Posted by GGT

I've told you that for years. Yet you say it's kept ON "in case you are needed".

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Up until recently, The Thing needed to be able to get hold of me from where ever he was at. Now I'm done with him! :D BUT, I still have an elderly Mother who has medical issues that might make it necessary to get hold of me immediately!

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If you have those kinds of medical problems, a cell phone won't help as much as you'd like to think. Anyone can slip on the ice or fall in the bathtub and be unconscious.

What's amazing is that folks in east bum fuck managed all sorts of weather, illnesses, and emergencies....long before the invention of the cell phone. But now they can call 911 when their burger from the drive-up window is made wrong.

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Maybe you don't believe me, but I feel a hell of a lot more secure having it with me! Maybe that is an illusion, hell I dunno, but it makes me have peace of mind!

Yes, we survived for a long time without cell phones. BUT, think about all the stories about people getting trapped or injured or lost and are able to be rescued because they had a cell phone and were able to call for help!

Personally, I think people who call 911 for bullshit reasons should be charged with false reporting or emergency line abuse or some such thing. 911, and other emergency numbers, are there for just that...emergencies! Tying up the line because you got a chicken sandwich instead of a hamburger could mean life or death to someone else!

So, let me recap; you want a basic phone so you get a Samsung Omnia. And you think it's free because you don't understand the subsidizing of phones.

Really well thought out choices.

I DO understand the comfort the phone gives you. We've talked about this before. I'd rather you have some real peace tho, and not a false sense of protection (either by thinking you can save your mom, or someone can save you--with their phone).

Letting people know you are alone and should be checked on, physically, goes a longer way than having a tool you may not be able to use.

Phones shouldn't be substitutes for counting on neighbors. That's the gist. Hope that makes sense.

edit after reading Hazir's post: relying on real people in proximity is free. Well, there may be some price to pay in pride, but foolishness is also free.

Oh, but I think that in an urban society a cell phone is almost essential. The alternative is a highly regulated life with fixed agendas, that's something I certainly wouldn't want to go back to. Also, an experience of my youngest sister showed how useful having a phone at hand anywhere can be. She never carried her GSM either, which she came to regret when her horse threw her off in a forest and she broke her under jaw.

What I am going on about is the ill-informed choices people make. Buying phones they don't really want and not even knowing what its real price is, as opposed to the price on the price-tag.

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Originally Posted by Hazir

So, let me recap; you want a basic phone so you get a Samsung Omnia. And you think it's free because you don't understand the subsidizing of phones.

Really well thought out choices.

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Still trying to figure out where you are thinking the phone was free? The Friend paid for it! It actually cost a bit extra since I wasn't due for an upgrade just yet. As to the model, I asked them to send me whatever basically simple phone that was on sale right now, since I knew it was going to cost extra.

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Originally Posted by GGT

I DO understand the comfort the phone gives you. We've talked about this before. I'd rather you have some real peace tho, and not a false sense of protection (either by thinking you can save your mom, or someone can save you--with their phone).

Letting people know you are alone and should be checked on, physically, goes a longer way than having a tool you may not be able to use.

Phones shouldn't be substitutes for counting on neighbors. That's the gist. Hope that makes sense.

edit after reading Hazir's post: relying on real people in proximity is free. Well, there may be some price to pay in pride, but foolishness is also free.

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I don't see where it's a false sense of peace of mind at all. I don't think it will "save" anyone literally, but I do know I can get hold of help for myself if I need it! I also know, if something happens to Mom, The Kid will need to get hold of me as soon as he possibly can. I do NOT want to miss out on spending a last little bit of time with her, or telling her I love her one more time, simply because no one can find me to let me know what is going on!

See, that's the point tho...I don't need to be "checked on" as such. I just need to know, if I need help, I have a phone within reach. I don't substitute my phone for neighbors or friends or family. It just adds to the ability to keep in contact with those people.

Maybe neither of you really quite get it. I DO rely on real people. At this moment, I have to rely on them a hell of a lot more than I really want to, but that's my life right now. If it wasn't for real people, real friends, I wouldn't have things as good as I do. Unless I am sick, I make it a point to come into contact with someone every day. It might be the librarians or the clerk at the grocery store, or the bartender, or just going to a friend's house for a couple hours, but I make sure I have personal interaction with someone every day. See, it's always been easy for me to kind of be a hermit, so I force myself to see people every day, just so I don't sit here, all alone, and brood and cry and drink and smoke and ignore the rest of the world!

Then you don't need a fancy phone that you can't figure out, now do you?

And you don't need to complain about the "costs" since it was a gift from your "Friend" or who ever pays for the service.