Non-running commentary: The one where I’m a grumpy old lady
Let it be known: I’m not a techno-phobe. I’m not a dumb girl who sits and says things like “I’M NOT VERY GOOD WITH COMPUTERS” while flipping my hair and looking innocent. I’m also not the type who talks about my “routine” and how I’m an old “stick in the mud” or “homebody.” No, it’s the contrary. I don’t sleep, I own shitty technology due to being broke and if I had my choice, I’d never ever ever be home. Ever.
However, if we start talking about cell phones? I become this:
I HATE the fact that it’s getting really hard to find non “smart” phones. Because simply put: I DON’T FUCKING WANT A “SMART PHONE.”
I don’t fucking need one. And I certainly don’t want to spend 100 bucks a month for a fucking phone that I never talk on.
Why is this my position?
1. I live in a second rate city. I don’t take public transportation. I’m never more than 10 minutes away from a computer.
2. I work a second rate job. Nobody cares what I do. And I’m never more than 10 minutes away from a computer.
3. Phones are fucking EXPENSIVE and I don’t talk on them. Seriously. I have the smallest phone plan available (like…400 minutes?). Last month I used 15 minutes. I have a fair amount of texts, most of which I don’t pay for thanks to the whole mobile to mobile thing. And I still pay over 50 bucks a month for the privilege. Seriously? THAT’S HIGHWAY ROBBERY. AND I REFUSE TO PAY MORE.
Yet…as far as I can see, cell phone services are taking away the choice as it’s getting harder and harder to find a little flippable phone. A plain old ordinary phone without a fucking keyboard (that’s what the fucking number pad is for, asstwats). Which leads me to…
4. Why did phones get so fucking big?
Remember when people used to have those annoying, ugly phones about 10 years ago?
O hai, 2001.
They were stupid because if you forgot to lock the keypad, you could butt dial. They were uncomfortable to put in your pocket. They were awkward. Ever try running with one of those things? Yeah, it sucked.
Low and behold, flippable phones came out.
And they were WONDERFUL. They fit in your pocket! If you had to go running and bring a phone, they could be carried easily.
I got my first flip phone in…gah, I don’t even know. Maybe 2003? And I remember telling someone how I’d never go back to a phone that didn’t flip! It was so much easier to deal with! No butt dial nightmares! I could put it in my pocket without it appearing that I had a growth. THIS IS BIG NEWS.
I think I got a Razr with my next standard upgrade in 2005. People talked shit about those phones but mine lasted for four years. Four years without a single issue. I had a shitty charger I had to replace, but FOUR YEARS with that wonderful, slim, sleek little phone. I could talk and I could text. And I loved it!
Yaysies!
But as my love affair with the Razr continued while everyone else hated on the damn thing, something else was afoot:
People stopped carrying my beloved flip phones. They were suddenly carrying…big bulky phones again?
Wait…what? Why? Are we not into these nice little convenient phones anymore?
Apparently not.
Somewhere along the line, you people decided that phones that allow you to talk (and maybe text because let’s face it, talking to people sucks and texts are an easy way to get an answer out of people with minimal effort) aren’t good enough. So we can’t have beautiful little phones like my current one anymore.
I can't quit you.
No. You assholes insist on carrying big bulky blackberries that allow you to have your office in your backpocket.
Or you fucking tech geeks insist on those droids to say “HEY I HAVE A DROID. I’M BETTER THAN YOU.”
Or you fucking hipsters carry around your stupid 500 dollar iphone you bought by dipping into your trust fund so you can e-mail your mommy and daddy to say “OOOOO I AM E-MAILING YOU FROM MY PHONE. SEE? IT SAYS ON THIS E-MAIL! BRB GOING TO PLAY ANGRY BIRDS INSTEAD OF GETTING A JOB BECAUSE I DON’T NEED A JOB BECAUSE I HAVE A TRUST FUND!”
FUCK YOU PEOPLE.
Why can’t we go back to the days….the days of…2005. The days when phones were SMALL. And slipped in your back pocket! The days when you had to look up directions BEFORE YOU LEFT HOME OR THE OFFICE. The days where you couldn’t just pull out your phone and say “LET ME GOOGLE DIRECTIONS ON MY PHONE!”
Fuck that shit.
At this point I half want to return to a rotary phone out of spite. I won’t actually talk to you though, I’ll have to revive my old school answering machine.
(Ok, maybe I just wanted an excuse to post that.)
But seriously…can we stop with the fancy fucking phones?
Like, I get if your job makes you have one. Fine. Whatever. I also get that if you live in a real city, you have to look up public transportation schedules. These are legit reasons to have one of these things!
But really, let’s be honest: MOST PEOPLE DON’T NEED THESE FUCKING THINGS. For everyperson with a legitimate need there are at least 500,000 worthless hipsters carting out their iphone to take ironic pictures and brag about owning every apple product on the market because it goes so well with their vintage clothing. And if that’s what floats your boat? FINE. DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT.
But phone companies, please stop phasing out these perfect little flip phones that operate without data packages. And please get some phone plans that cost lest than 50 bucks. And please, DON’T MAKE US HAVE DATA PLANS.
Because in MY DAY? We never imagined that.
Now excuse me while I go fire up my Victrola and dance the Charleston.
23-skidoo.
(Serious question: I AM THE LAST HOLD OUT? Give it to me straight. That’s what she said.)
But… but… it’s easy to run with my iphone as long as I get that nice supersexy arm pouch to strap it on to me… Um, yeah.
Meh, I can’t defend the iphone. It is what it is. BUT, for the record, I did change “sent from my iPhone” to say “sent from my phone” to avoid hipster pretention.
That? Makes sense. I get why things say “sent from my wireless device” or whatever, particularly if I’m emailing them about work matters.
FIRST!!!11!1!!1
you are a cranky old lady. i friggin love my iphone. i read TEH BLOGZ on it and play angry birds and do the twatterz and check my work email (so profesh) and check the weather and take secret photos of my girlfriend with it. it’s a fun gadget. NO SHAME.
DAMMIT TRACY
SECOND!!1!!!!!1!1!
LOLZ DEFEAT
NOT FIRST AFTER ALL HAHAHAHAHAHA
You should be ashamed. BE VERY ASHAMED.
also it was a gift from my mom so i feel like it is okay to have since i did not use my trust fundz to purchase. (lol if i had any trust funds. endless lolz.)
OK I WILL LET IT SLIDE BUT ONLY BECAUSE I LIKE YOU
I’m still rockin a flip phone razor.
HIGH FIVES AND SHOTS ALL AROUND!
I don’t have one either and I’ll hold out to the end of time. I hate talking on the phone. I’ve been known to return calls with texts to avoid having to say words to people.
ME TOO. And it amazes me that people haven’t picked up on the fact that I do this.
I do that too.
Meh, I can’t really comment because I have an iPhone and a Mac, but I most definitely don’t have a trust fund, just lots of credit card debt! Yayzies! I spend a lot of time sitting in traffic, like not going anywhere traffic, so words with friends and angry birds keeps me entertained.
I was a loyal mac user until about 2001 when they priced me out. (If I can find a classic picture of me circa 1999 with my blue imac I will post it. Second generation imac!) Now? Fuck Apple and their “cheap” 1600 laptop! LONG LIVE THE 200 DOLLAR REFURB.
Proud hold out right here. I’m on the computer all the friggin time as it is, why do I need to carry one with me? I should also note that I grew up with rotary phones and my parents only switched to cordless phones a couple years ago. They actually gave me one of the old ones and I fully intend on hooking it up again one day in the far future when iphones are considered archaic.
I love it. I WILL NOT CARRY A COMPUTER IN MY BACK POCKET. It’s my protest.
I just tweeted at you, but I miss my razr so much! I hate my friggin blackberry.
LONG LIVE THE RAZR!
OMG you have no idea how much I can relate. I’m 1000% with you on the trust fund analysis/conclusion–I bitch about this oft denied reality on a regular basis. I also chose legal writing shortly after saying fuck the law firms, which greatly reduced my disposable and non-disposable income, but it was damn well worth it, since now I can run and sleep whenever I want. And I have a $50 non-smart (stupid?) phone as a long-time hold-out on the exorbitant cost and hassle of carrying a computer everywhere I go, which doesn’t include many places or much distance. And I overwhelmingly prefer text over talking in any format. *But* with the advent of forums, blogging, and FB, I have just lately been considering this very type of device, which I admittedly don’t even remotely need and can’t afford. *And* the one sucky thing about my phone is that texting to avoid my friends and family takes more time, since I have to push each button 1-3 times to type one letter, and a smart phone would nicely cure this problem–which shouldn’t really be a problem because I have plenty of time but still.
Anytime I’ve considered these devices I’ve immediately slapped myself. 100 bucks a month for a phone? HELL NO. Though if I had to get one, blackberry does make a flippable phone.
Not a phone person at all. But my company issues blackberries to those who get them and I do find the functionality useful. Not sure I’d care if it was my dime. (and *THAT* is an old-fashioned reference)
More importantly, I was staying at a hotel in Toronto about five years ago and was waiting for an elevator down. Doors open and a man with reddish/gray beard tumbles out into me then says “oh, terribly sorry to leap on you, I thought this was my floor” We rode down together and I realize THAT IS FREAKING ALAN RICKMAN …it was all I could do not to ask him to say “shoot ze glaaaassss”
OMG BEST STORY EVER
I was going to try to defend my use of one of those giant android phones, but I decided I’m too busy monitoring how much interest my trust fund is making this morning.
Seriously though, you run with a phone? Why? Is it a safety thing? I run so I don’t have to be around the stupid phone.
lolercoasters. Not really. I’ve had one or two occasions a year where I needed toothough, particularly after getting locked in a cemetery and not having a phone to call security. Oops?
I love my iPhone too.
Sorry. I actually never would have gotten one if it hadn’t been for my husband’s insistence on getting them. He’s kind of a big Apple geek. Don’t hold it against him. I never saw the need for it and thought it was just stupid excess, but of course now that I have one I’m addicted. Meh.
Anyway, I am glad to hear that you also loved your razr, because I loved my razr phone and couldn’t understand why other people didn’t!!!!! In fact, I’m pretty sure I still have it somewhere in a drawer. I couldn’t bear to throw it away or donate it to a cell phone charity or whatever.
BOOOOO. As a loyal Apple user throughout the 90′s they lost me when they insisted on pricing everything out of my budget. And seriously, 500 dollars for a phone? If I had 500 dollars to throw away, it sure as fuck wouldn’t be on a stupid phone that looks like an mp3 player. FUCK THAT.
I still have my RAZR too!
Haha, funny you mention that it looks like an mp3 player because I carry that phone around with me playing music out of the speakers like it’s my mini jukebox! I am not sure if others do this, but I listen to music on it while I’m in the shower, in the kitchen, grading papers, etc. I would say I use it for the music playing more than anything else on there…except maybe checking email.
As for the $$, technically we only had to buy iPhones once. We paid $200 apiece for the iPhone 3G, then we sold those on eBay for $200 each and used the $$ to buy our iPhone 4′s. I wish I could say that somehow we came out ahead in this whole scenario…but I guess not. At least we didn’t pay for them TWICE though. That would be slightly ridiculous.
I love my iPhone, and guess what, it was practically free with my long overdue upgrade! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to not having web/email on my phone. It makes life easier.
*this comment was sent from my iPhone*
You’re lucky we’re BFFZ4LYFE because the hipster smugness of that comment would get anyone else a punch in the face, which is probably what you’re going for. ;p
I’ve got a Droid. I am a huge fan because my work blocks so much shit on the interwebs I use my phone to get at it. I am also directions challenged and the phone has saved my ass a time or two while driving in L.A.
Have you thought about a Tracfone? They come in the flip style and you only have to pay for what you use. I am not sure how texting works on them but my dad has one and its cheap cheap cheap for him to use because he never talks on the thing.
Can’t do the tracfone – you generally can’t transfer numbers to those.
Oh sucky!
And I’ve had the number since 2001 so….BLAH.
I love flip phones, I miss the security of mine.
It died and when I went to replace it at verizon, they didn’t have any in stock. So I ended up with a phone that makes me think I’m going to butt dial all the time.
That’s why I am soooo scared of mine dying.
I switched away from Cingular since they were phasing out flip phones before Verizon was and now I’m really SOL
bhahahah. this was my exact thought process. then i got an iphone. and now i have anxiety when i’m separated from the damn thing.
That is why I am sticking to my guns. I WILL NOT BECOME ONE OF THEM! I refuse. I need my old lady bitterness!
AT&T is based in San Francisco and he couldn’t get a fucking phone signal in his own apartment. He’d have to sit with his head up to the window when he wanted talk, which is no way to have A PHONE. Messed up. Back to Verizon he went.
btw – this one was for you: http://angryrunner.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/non-running-commentary-the-one-where-im-a-grumpy-old-lady/#comment-3441
This is for Alyssa: San Francisco is really weird because they have a whole lotta RF shit goin on in the 900′s around there…which most cities were smart enough way back when to avoid. I believe both AT&T as well as Sprint are somewhere in that band, and therefore, you’re fucked if you have those.
MM, we should start a support group.
I loved my pink RAZR when I had it. I also never had ANY issues, other than losing it in seats of cushions at restaurants. Still, it always showed up in the lost & found because no one wanted that piece of shit.
But then I moved to a studio where I didn’t want to pay for internet + cable, so I got a Google phone so I could surf the web.
Now that I’m in an apartment with a roommate (and the internet cost that we need to share), I’m thinking of going back to my trusty pink RAZR.
Until then, you are not alone. My boyfriend still has his flip phone & he doesn’t even text. He tried the iPhone and hated it so much that he returned it.
Hearing stories of people hating the iphone warms the cockles of my cold, cold heart.
hahaha. when I was in Buffalo a few weeks ago we took my dad to get a new phone. He is a very simple man who does not own a computer nor an email address, and the poor man had very few options for a nice, easy flip phone that he could talk on and nothing else. I think you guys could be friends (he also likes to swear and drink).
Ok, but I’m a Giants fan.
Oh how I miss my flip phone. If only I didn’t drop it 1000x. I am still hanging on to my non-smart phone. What! What! People make fun of me but I’m cool w/ it.
Now let’s put on our flapper dresses!
HELL. YES.
BRB GETTING A BOB AND EATING A TAPE WORM TO GET THIN WHILE DRINKING MOONSHINE MADE IN MY TUB
My favorite phone ever was a teeny tiny little samsung flip phone that when I got a call, the colors of the blinking light changed (it’s the little things in life). It was approximately 1/3 the size of my blackberry (people called it my barbie phone). And I say approx because someone totally stole that shit and I cried about it and pouted for days.
Awww
I lost an awesome phone the night of the 2004 election after puking my guts out upon learning Bush had won a second term….
Are you talking about the Samsung S307? Because I had one of those too and loved it so deeply that I still tear up a bit if I stumble across it packed up somewhere. SO IMPOSSIBLY TINY and the flashing lights were rad.
Ohhh, now I want to go find it when I get home. <3
YES! That would be the one… I believe I walked into AT&T and was like, “What do you mean you don’t sell it anymore???? THAT IS THE PHONE I WANT AND REFUSE TO USE ANYTHING ELSE.”
I walked out with a Nokia.
I love my iPhone. I’m also writing this reply on my big huge iMac. I am also known to run while wearing a side ponytail and often wear kitschy ironic clothing. (My sister said in Korean soap operas side ponytails symbolize power so I wear it to strike fear into my competitors!)
I am so the opposite of hipster. (Also iPhones don’t cost as much as you think.)
But why pay any money for a fucking phone when they rape you so much for the service? I’ll stick with the free phone I am entitled too and i will never buy a fucking mac product again as long as they’re so overpriced.
ipod shuffle excepted because for 60 bucks, those are ok by me.
Sorry, you get no sympathy or empathy from me, whiney baby. I’m 4,000 years older than you and carry an Android phone EVERYWHERE. (True, my job requires I carry a stupid-ass Blackberry around) However, my MyTouch3G? It’s a thing of wonder. It goes on runs with me and tracks my pace and mileage on its built-in GPS. As it does this, it also plays my “running” playlist so I can jam to the 70s. When I’m done, it automatically updates my Twitter feed and posts to Facebook. I love it. It’s actually quite small, compared to other smart phones; and it’s a touch-screen, so no buttons on which to butt dial.
I’m hoping the next Android OS upgrade will make it so the phone just goes and does the flippin’ runs for me.
If you have a job that requires you to have one, you obviously make more money than me and can afford those fancy schamncy things. I’ll stick with my computer. Why would I want to read twitter on a phone? THAT IS WHAT MY COMPUTER IS FOR.
obviously, one has twitter on their phone so that they can tweet from the toilet. DUH
My job requires the Blackberry — which I hate — and it just sits in my purse and sucks the life out of the room.
My PERSONAL phone is the Android one. Lurve it. My PC at work blocks every f-ing thing on teh Intertubz, so I use my Android to surf the webz and see ur awesomesauce tweetz.
Dear Lord, it is like you’re reading my fucking mind! I loved my flip phone, but couldn’t get a new one when I switched carriers!!! Urgh! I still got the most basic phone I could find to repace it.
I will never have an effing phone that requires a data plan. I’ll go all Grizzly Adams and live in a cabin with a big fucking bear and an indian before let Steve Jobs or that Canadian asshole that owns Blackberry force a data plan down my throat!
Amen. FUCK THIS SHIT.
I don’t have a smartphone, but I do want one. I can’t really identify with you. However, having been in Europe the past 2 years, they cost an arm and a leg so I’m staying with pay as you go worthless phone…fun!
I was a hold out until recently. One of my favorite phones was a flip phone that had a panda (!) that walked on the screen when you opened it. I want my panda back.
I recently got a droid. It’s been more or less a toy, but man was it amazing on a recent road trip to the middle of North Dakota. 6 hours of entertainment! The Worlds Largest Buffalo is only cool once, afterall. My husband refuses the smart phone. He is against everything they stand for except when he wants to check baseball scores on my phone. Hater fail.
Yeah, actually I’ll fess to checking twitter from someone else’s phone if they’re on it. But that’s my only hater fail! I swear!
My 4 year old Razor just died and I am so sad that I can’t find a normal phone to replace it. I really don’t want to become a person who is attached to my smart phone 24/7. I like not being connected.
I was selling phones for a living back when the RAZR launched (o hai, Cingular Wireless!) and there was a contest going on for us sales dorks. If you hit a certain number you’d win a RAZR, if hit another you’d get a Motorola V551 (which, although bulkier, was also considered to be extremely ballin’ for the time). I won a V551 and my coworker won a RAZR, I remember how stupid excited we were the day our phones came in, oohing and ahhing over how slim and sleek the RAZR was. Customers would come in and ask when we were getting it and how much it’d be and she’d whip hers out and everyone would be “OMGWTFBBQ THAT’S SO INCREDIBLE!”
And weren’t those things going for like $500+ on ebay for a while? Friggin’ crazy, the world had a raging boner for the RAZR.
Then the software issues began, hence everyone bitching about it; although it’s not really a shock when considering the ridiculous demand for the phone and how fast Motorola had to pump them out. Plus, Moto was notorious for software issues on their phones after the retirement of the universally beloved V60.
My personal favorites during the time were still from Samsung (see above response to Amy regarding the S307), although LG was starting to prove themselves a worthy contender.
BUT ANYWAY. Flip phones have a special place in my heart, both because I was selling them at the peak of their popularity, and because there is still absolutely nothing more satisfying than slamming a flip phone shut when pissed off and hanging up from a call. Somehow, finger-punching the “end” button on a touchscreen phone just doesn’t have the same effect.
That said, I’ve been a proud iPhone owner since they first came out. I was a few months behind the initial rush, but my first one definitely was the aluminum-backed original. I upgraded to a [white] 3GS probably about two years ago now and have had that since. The screen is cracked, the back is cracked, the side is cracked right where the button to switch it to silent is, so I CAN’T switch it to silent…but it still performs like a champion. I’d like an iPhone 4, sure, but at this point I’ll probably wait for 5 to come out. I’m too broke to do anything about it either way.
I do have a MacBook Pro, it’s five and a half years old and still runs like a beast. My iPod is also a Shuffle, which I got for free by signing the lease several years ago on an apartment which I never did move into. So, no, I don’t have the latest and greatest Apple equipment. Would I if I could afford it? Yes. But I can’t. No trust fund or rich mommy and daddy for me. Oh, and if someone could buy a hosue from me, that’d be great, because this whole “real estate” thing isn’t doing much to support my techgeek habit (or to pay my bills)…
WHY do I have an iPhone? Because it really is awesome to be able to check my email (multiple accounts!), Google something if I want, check the weather, etc, etc right in my hand. Am I usually around a computer? Yes. But for the times I’m not, I like the entertainment and convenience of an iPhone. It has saved my ass more than once when I’ve been out showing houses and needed a lockbox code or details on random house a client wanted to see. It’s also nice for traveling and finding places on a whim, I don’t have to track down a computer with a working printer to find directions and I don’t have to pay even more money for a separate navigation device.
And yes, it’s fun to just fuck around on. I get bored VERY easily and having something in my pocket that lets me tweet, read blogs, check email, play Angry Birds and Words With Friends, or even watch TEH PORNZ is amazing. Plus, texting is my primary way of communicating with people (I hate talking on the phone; I’ll sit there watching it ring, let it go to voicemail and text the person back instead) and it’s easier when it’s in a thread format rather than individual messages.
I do miss the awesomeness of a flip phone, but I love all the capability of my iPhone. As far as the argument about “who wants to be that connected all the time?” well, it’s just as easy to ignore calls/texts/emails on a smartphone as it is anything else. I don’t particularly love paying $125/mo, but I have unlimited everything and I do legitimately USE the fuck out of my phone. It’s not some iconic device I just bought with spare change to be trendy, it’s something I saved up for both times I bought one and truly use it to excess – both for recreation and business purposes.
LONG ENOUGH REPLY FOR YOU? lolz.
Holy vodka you weren’t kidding!
But a lovely counterpoint it is. I remember hearing a lot of stories of the shitty RAZRs, just glad it wasn’t my experience as I still miss the hell out of that phone.
Also, you’ve got a job where smart phones are handy. Not me! Sticking with my 50 dollar a month plan till the end of time, though I hope to find a cheaper option. ;p
Oh, toilet tweeting/facebooking/FMLing is another perk. SUCK IT, HATERS.
Please, like I can’t do that with a laptop?
Touché.
I have the purple version of your phone! I love it. All I want to do is text and call. If I had to much internet on my phone… the real people with hearts beating near me would never see me. I know this, I geek out over the boyf’s phone on occasion and it’s hard to pull myself away. When I’m with real people. mattPhone is all I need.
I totally hear you. I can’t have a laptop without me without ignoring everyone around me so…..gotta cut the tie somewhere.
FLIP PHONE POWER
I have an iPhone and a Mac… But I am careless and have broken both. And no trust fund here either, sorry.
I never thought I’d get an iPhone really… Who wants to spend $400 on a phone? And then I got one. And then I got addicted. It’s helped me survive maaaaany days of work though with it’s blog-reading capabilities (cough, like right now, cough) and random games. HR can’t track my phone usage like they can my solitaire playing!!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I was an apple user for years! Apple IIe was my first computer! But since the 2000s? No chance in hell. Bastards priced me out!
That’s a good point. Though I’m not sure HR cares what I’m doing…I’ll have to be open minded if I ever get a real job.
I’ve held out on smart phones mainly because of the cost of data plans rather than the size. I carried around one of those bulky Nokia phones up until 09. I had the same phone for 4-5 years, I think. I was too lazy to get an upgrade even if my plan allowed it. I also was teased by EVERYONE even though they had no problem reading my texts or calling me. Seriously, I hated that people made fun of my out-of-date yet functional phone. I don’t make fun of your old, ugly car, do I?
I KNOW, RIGHT? And it’s a different reaction from the different crews. Blackberry uses look at you like “ok, you’re missing out on some shit.” Droid people have a geeky smugness to them. But fuck, iphone users are rabid….
I don’t feel like reading through all the comments so I don’t know if I’m repeating what has already been said. I loves me Droid because I do the following with through various free apps:
- Listening to Pandora or Slacker Radio or Last FM all day at work (hooked up to speakers). They block those sites through our network (plus I understand you can only listen to 40 hours/month for free via the Pandora web site – not so with the app).
- Listen to free audio books in the car during my 45 minute commute (2x day)
- Get accurate directions and traffic info via Google maps
- Track distance/time/pace/elevation when running
- Take pics on the 5MP camera
For the initial $200 for the phone and $30/month for the data plan …
- I get the equivalent of satellite radio
- I get audiobooks (the CD player in my car doesn’t work so I can’t check them out from the libarry)
- I have an mp3 player
- I don’t have to buy a Garmin for my car and then pay for the map updates. yes, I could look up directions before I leave and print them up if they include more than 3 steps, but I’m always out of ink in my printer.
- I don’t have to buy a fancy running watch (although as you know I’m looking into it anyway)
- I don’t have to carry around my camera unless I know I’m going to take a lot of pics (yes I’m one of those has-to-take-a-pic-of-everything a-holes)
Plus there are lots of other free apps that have made things much more convenient. But I won’t bore you with those details since you’re drinking so much haterade. The one I thing I think you will appreciate is the app I use to track my cycle and my waking temp so I don’t get the preggers. (That is the only app I’ve ever paid for and I think it was like $3.)
Plus my work wants me to have constant access to my email, and they reimburse me $72/month. If I still used their Blackberry, I’d have to pay $8/pay period (“because of IRS regulations”). So I’m actually making money by having my own smartphone.
I actually hardly ever use my phone as a phone. I text a lot on it. But the majority of the time I’m using it, it is for non-phone stuff. Yes it is expensive, but it is much more convenient, and saved me time and aggravation in other ways, so to me, it’s worth the price.
SO there you go. I was just having this same conversation with a friend who still has a cellphone so these arguments are fresh in my mind.
wow that was a long comment.
Summer still beat you!
See, I don’t need a single one of those things. So I don’t need a phone with these capabilities. It’d be POINTLESS for me and I’ll never ever upgrade since let’s face it, I’m never getting another job so I’ll never live anywhere where I need to commute. ;p
YES BUT HOW WILL YOU PLAY ANGRY BIRDS??? HOW WILL YOU BE A TWITTER SHITTER? Don’t be so two thousand and late. Get with the times. Tweet from the toilet like the rest of us.
Like I told Summer, I can tweet from the toilet with my laptop if I want to.
No reason to spend another 1200-1500 a year to do it on a device I have no reason to own.
$1200-1500 a year? What the heck kind of smartphones are you looking at? My data plan is $30/month. My phone was $200 and I’ve had it 1.5 years and still works fine. Even if I get a new $200 phone every other year, that’s only an extra $460/year to own a smartphone instead of the cost to own a regular cellphone.
I pay 55 for my basic plan with a 20% discount.
Add on another 30 for the data plan, 85…87-88 with taxes.
Any of the verizon phones set you back at least 200, even with my upgrade. So roughly 1200 a year. (Fine, high end estimate. But those fucking iphones were 500 bucks when they came out. What a rip!)
Like I said, no need. I’d prefer a pay as you go cell plan because the 55 bucks a month one is a total rip off and ideally, I’d pay like…30 bucks a month. I can’t upgrade my phone at all with verizon because they’ll make me buy a data plan and I really just don’t want one. I can’t switch to pay as you go because they can’t switch a non pay as you go number to one of those phones.
ah I thought you were saying $1200 on top of what you already pay for a cellphone. if after all of my (and everyone else’s) praising and encouragements of being a twitter-shitter don’t justify that you need one, then stay strong with your flip phone. but how will I stalk you on foursquare???
Don’t get me started on my hatred of foursquare….ha!
hey I got some free chicken salad at my local fancy grocery store because of foursquare. so. um. yeah.
So, there is a point to “checking in”? It’s not readily apparent. It sounds to me like the lottery nobody actually wins…
There’s basically no way I’d ever pay $100 a month for something I (1) already have a bigger, more functional version on (aka my computer…which is NOT a mac – $400 for my acer vs. $1000 for the same computer stats but not the pretentious Mac brand.) or (2) Can get for free – my free not-smart-phone.
My friend bought a mac laptop. She raved about it. Then she got the iphone. Now she says she doesn’t really use her mac, because she’s addicted to her iphone. So, let’s see, that’s about $1000 down the drain, plus the $1200 a year for the stupid phone. Plus, she now checks it constantly while we’re together, so there’s THAT.
And that’s actually my biggest pet peeve with smartphones and why I want to avoid them. Like, people already have a hard time not texting in social situations, when you get a group of people together and all they do is check their smartphones, it’s annoying as hell. And I know I could easily be one of those people. So I will NOT get a smartphone .
Also, I hope to forever be able to get away with texting people back instead of calling them. Because talking to someone on the phone is so awful.
Um, did I write this comment? Because you’ve just summed up my feelings really, really well.
maybe it’s just my friends, but the ones who check their phones all the time are selfish a-holes with or without their phones. so it’s not their phones. it’s them. if they didn’t have their phones, they would either dominate the conversation and talk only about themselves, or get distracted by something shiny.
To me, these multi-purpose phone things are like Swiss Army knives: They do lots of stuff but they don’t do any of it particularly well. For example, If I want to listen to music, I would not do so through a phone/MP3 player because the quality just isn’t there. If what you want is sonic wallpaper then it’s fine, but if it’s worth taking the time to actively listen to and enjoy a piece of music, I will listen to my nice stereo in my studio, thank you very much.
I do not own a cell phone or similar device. I don’t want or need to be contactable all the time. And when it comes to driving, I use these things called maps. Nice big display and no need to zoom in for detail. I leave them in my glove box. Super convenient. And many times you can get them for free. Way cool. But I don’t get lost that much anyway, so…
Oh, and I’m an electrical engineer/computer programmer so it’s not like I dislike or fear this stuff. I just believe in the application of appropriate technology versus heavily marketed technology.
I <3 maps. Real maps.
I like this guy.
Give me an Atlas and I’ll take you anywhere.
OH OH OH and funny story. My luddite brother who refuses to join Facebook and never checks his email and is super cheap and refused to use a GPS and used maps until a couple years ago (and drives all over the country to BMX-it-up) … has a smartphone. Still rarely checks email and refuses to join Facebook … but is on Twitter. Actually that’s the primary way we communicate these days.
Look at me. I’m commenting from my phone!!!!! JK. No but really. I love it b/c I take public transit and it gives me something to do when the train sits for an hour between stations. And I don’t get lost as often. Yay droid. Oh and work pays 40% of bill.
See, that’s proper, logical usage.
There was a two-week period in January where I lost my phone and also didn’t have internet in my house. Loved it. Now I have a phone again (flip-phone, like always) but all my people know that I rarely even answer the phone and I take a while to respond. They probably think it’s just because I’m flaky about the phone, but it’s a conscious decision. I have TRAINED the people in my life not to expect me to be instantly accessible.
I feel bad for people who have to be that plugged in all the time due to their work. Ugh.
I understand the convenience of having a smartphone and I’d probably love mine if I had one, but it seems like once you go Smart Phone, you can’t go back. Therefore, I WANT TO MAINTAIN MY TECHNOLOGICAL VIRGINITY/INNOCENCE… keep life simple. OMG let’s get anti-smartphone promise rings?!!!?
OMG PROMISE RINGS!!! I’ll feel so pure.
I can’t bring myself to spend more than like $50 on a phone which I will inevitably break. Zack Morris would be so proud of the size of cell phones these days. You remember Saved by the Bell? If you want to watch it, I’ve got an ap for that- it’s called a tv.
ahahahahahahaha
Virgin Mobile. It’s less than $6 a month for prepaid (the minutes don’t expire either) and you can get a nice, simple, little flip phone for around $15. You’re welcome.
Can you transfer an old number over? They don’t seem to let you do that with most pre paids and I refuse to change my phone number since I’ve had it for so long…
Sweet Jesus, woman. LOOK IT UP. Or I’m going to start calling you Unresourceful Runner.
http://web.virginmobileusa.com/help/service/local-number-portability/switch-to-vmu#i-am-switching-from-another-company-can-i-keep
I was too lazy. ;p
Flip blackberry here. My main issue is if I have a phone with a big ass screen in my pocket, I’m going to break that shit the first day I carry it. Blackberry lets me google map or do quick research or most importantly…CHECK THE FUCKING WEATHER WHEN I’M ON AN OUTDOOR GIG. Flip makes it not gay.
The trackballs are flimsy though, so I may have to switch to Sprint when this one dies so I can get the newer flipberry.
i love this post! because even though i WANT to WANT an iPhone (because i have apple-fetishing, nerdy faux-hipster tendencies), i really cannot convince myself that i need it in any sort of way. like you, i’m almost always seconds away from an internet connection. i do use my phone a lot — in the traditional way — for talking (for my job, mainly!).
the only time i have ever thought ‘i wish i had a smartphone’ is when i’m traveling and it would be nice to have a map / search engine at my fingertips. but those moments are rare enough and besides, i actually LIKE having to plan ahead!
oh, and i’m still rocking a small motorola flip, circa ~2007. i will be sad when it breaks. i love sleek tiny phones that are just . . . phones.
I’m totally with you – when traveling it’d be nice but…I haven’t gotten lost, mugged or hung out to dry yet. So I’m going to hold out with my little motorola flip phone as long as I can.
Despite the fact that I now carry a F#$%ing iphone, I understand your fustration. A phone should be a phone and just make calls! However, I have found the solution. Rogers finally got around to putting out a basic flip phone. It is marketed for seniors but who cares. It makes calls, it sends/recieves texts and that is about it.
Check out
http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wirelessBuyFlow?forwardTo=PhoneThenPlan&productType=normal&productId_Detailed=410GSMREDR&N=52+11
If the link does not work, google the Doro PhoneEasy.
I’m not in Canada! Fucking America.
Sorry. I noticed the Scotiabank banner at the top of the page and the Corner Gas clip and figured you lived up here in the North. It is rare for there to be technology available here that did not exist in the States for at least 6months first.
Yeah, I gotta imagine and American with knowledge of Corner Gas (and I’ve seen every episode) is kind of weird. Ha. I live close to the border and quite honestly, would try to move to Toronto if it were an option! I looked it up. It’s not. The Canadian government isn’t looking to bring in any sarcastic Americans to sit around and be wiseasses. D’oh
… NO SETTING UP SHOP IN THE SECOND CUP AND BLOGGING FOR ME!
And pic is from STWM…love that race!
All the weather, with none of the social safety net. Boo.
It ain’t right. I’m closer to Toronto than any other major metro area too!!!
1. Love Corner Gas.
2. Guess what I won today? My first cell phone. And it is of the iVariety.
I miss Corner Gas!!
So…perfect.
I hate cell phones in general, and I’m not even completely clear on what an iphone does. And I don’t have cable. And it was only last month that I made an effort to figure out the fuck the Kardashians were. I WIN!!!
sigh… we had a lot of the same cell phone overlap going on. no surprises there. I thought I was one of the last hold outs on the ol’ smart phone dealy. To be honest, I wanted to use my last phone forever, since verizon changed their plan to ALL PHONES NEEDING A DATA PLAN and I didn’t want to have to renew to pay that jazz.
Then, since my phone broke, and I HAD to renew, thus HAD to pay for the data plan, I figured, to hell with it and got a smart phone. (precisely their plan, I’m sure). I love mine, and can’t imagine not having a smart phone now, but if that ol’ phone was still working, I guarentee I’d still be using it, and not thinking wistfully about a smartphone in the slightest. Ho hum.
Still have a flip phone for all the same reasons. Plus my husband being way too cheap to get anything other than the most minimal plan for anything.
I own the Nokia at the top of the post. I’d take a fantastic picture of myself in the mirror with it to prove it except it doesn’t have a camera.
I’ve dropped it in the dirt, dropped it in the toilet and have run over it with my bike. It still works. And my plan is $48 a month. I am in luv.
This made my fucking life. I am holding out with you, all the way! Flip phones 4 eva.