Staying behind the curve

[MGBguy]

I'm curious; who among you stay "behind the curve" or do not feel that you must have the most current technology?

I freely admit that I am a bit frugal in my spending, but I just don't have that desire to be on the cutting edge of things.

This comes to mind because of the constant reminder from Verizon that I am due for another upgrade on my cellphone; a LG VX8300 released in 2006.

http://www.mobiledia.com/phones/lg/vx8300.html

This phone has been exceptional for call clarity, text messaging, and battery life. The camera is adequate for casual use and being retired I don't need an abundance of current features.

My daughters have moved on to their own plans so I'm down to a Verizon bill of $50 -$55  a month. They think that I should upgrade to a "smart phone". I don't see it.

What am I missing, if anything?

I truly would appreciate any input. 

[Nok]

I think technology uptake very much depends on your needs. I'm not a power user of computers or phones, so realise that I don't need high power equipment. I know many people who have the latest smart phones and quad core pc's, yet never use anything more than basic operations. It's like having the latest Ferrari but only using it to go to the supermarket a mile down the road.

[µT6]

you don't have to move to a new phone if your old one is still working fine

i would change yours for only one reason, it is a flip phone and the flex cable connecting the screen to the main body after 4 or 5 years will finally break, of course it can be replaced but i don't like phones with mobile parts

if you are happy with battery life, call quality and the camera it has, there is no reason to change to a better phone

if my previous phone had a decent camera i wouldn't get a smartphone but that camera was crap and blurry pictures was the norm, not the exception

something i like to do is connect to internet from my phone, i don't carry my netbook to everywhere and visit forum using linux(android) with opera is nice

as mentioned in the past, you can get good phones for low prices depending on the plan and the company you have, some offer a iphone 4 for free and that is a phone with a excellent camera and capable of open internet pages easily but as any other smartphone, the battery won't last a week with low use, 4 days maximum doing couple calls per day

no smartphone can compete with a simple phone in battery life, maybe some droid razr with their enormous battery but not the same

the truth is that a smartphone can offer alot but demands alot too, every couple days i connect to internet i see lots of updates available for the apps on the phone, nothing hard to do, just as on pclinux but a bit annoying, also keep it charged depending on how you use it is annoying but some apps available will close tasks saving battery considerably

if you want to change your phone for a new one, not a smartphone, the options offered at the moment are not that great unfortunately, probably identical to the one you have but maybe with lower quality, the market is focusing on smartphones mostly 

[MGBguy]

Thanks Nok, apparently we are like minded.    

I do see the advancement of cellphone/camera/media technology yet I have a nice Canon Powershot camera that I keep in the car and a 4GB iPod (on my only Windows XP machine) that my daughters bought me some time ago for my morning walks and rare air flights.

I also have a Garmin GPS for mostly "timing" trips, so I feel that I am covered with the technology that I need.  

Again, I'm curious as to what (if any apps) I might be missing due to old LG VX8300.

I must be too old to appreciate what current technology has to offer.  

[The Chief]

Again, I'm curious as to what (if any apps) I might be missing due to old LG VX8300.

Well, you can't read/edit your Word documents, you can't sync with your google calendar, you can't tweet or post on Facebook and you can't play Angry Birds...  Other than that, I can't think of much.   

[MGBguy]

Again, I'm curious as to what (if any apps) I might be missing due to old LG VX8300.

Well, you can't read/edit your Word documents, you can't sync with your google calendar, you can't tweet or post on Facebook and you can't play Angry Birds...  Other than that, I can't think of much.   

Yeah, I know that! What else am I missing? 
BTW, ya made laugh! 

Seems that I'm not missing a heck of a lot.   

It also seems that I made an excellent choice on the LG VX8300 for longevity (6 years) and economy. 
I consider that being a retiree my needs are much less; I just don't want to be that ol geezer that the young folk be dissin'. 
Ya dig? 

[Nok]

Again, I'm curious as to what (if any apps) I might be missing due to old LG VX8300.

Well, you can't read/edit your Word documents, you can't sync with your google calendar, you can't tweet or post on Facebook and you can't play Angry Birds...  Other than that, I can't think of much.   

Yeah, I know that! What else am I missing? 
BTW, ya made laugh! 

Seems that I'm not missing a heck of a lot.   

It also seems that I made an excellent choice on the LG VX8300 for longevity (6 years) and economy. 
I consider that being a retiree my needs are much less; I just don't want to be that ol geezer that the young folk be dissin'. 
Ya dig? 

You could always be that ol' geezer that quietly laughs to himself about the amount of money the kids are wasting. 

[Old-Polack]

Thanks Nok, apparently we are like minded.    

I do see the advancement of cellphone/camera/media technology yet I have a nice Canon Powershot camera that I keep in the car and a 4GB iPod (on my only Windows XP machine) that my daughters bought me some time ago for my morning walks and rare air flights.

I also have a Garmin GPS for mostly "timing" trips, so I feel that I am covered with the technology that I need.  

Again, I'm curious as to what (if any apps) I might be missing due to old LG VX8300.

I must be too old to appreciate what current technology has to offer.  

I have a Nikon Coolpix 14.0 Megapixel camera for pictures and a $9.00 Samsung "burner" Go Phone to make calls. The "plan" is a $25.00 refill card every 90 days. Imagine, a phone that's used to make and receive phone calls. It has internet options and other useless, to me, crap installed, but I've never used any of it, just the telephone capabilities. The only reason I have the phone at all is that it's cheaper than a land line, and fits in my shirt pocket.

I have the 4 core, 16 GB RAM real computer to do all the internet stuff, with a 23" LCD monitor, as opposed to a 1" x 1" screen available on the phone, and a real full sized keyboard to type with. I am quite content with this arrangement.  

[gandy]

I'm the same way with computers. The only reason some people need the high end is for gaming or video editing and other things that require it. Some people have money to burn, I don't.

I paid $300 for my newest Lenovo tower about a year ago. It's only a dual core but it's plenty fast for what I do. I usually use one for around 5 years then get a new one. I didn't really even need this one, I just wanted something newer.

I have no use for a cellphone so I don't have one.

[µT6]

"I must be too old to appreciate what current technology has to offer."

you explained very clearly that you already have devices covering what a smartphone could offer you like the gps, a music player and a decent camera

i personally won't carry a camera with me but i carry my smartphone and this is must have for me, especially after my point and shoot camera broke and i decided to get a smartphone covering that and it almost worked with the bonus that i now have a led flashlight with me, very useful to check mainboards in rooms with low light conditions

if you don't use facebook alot(to chat with friends and family), don't have a need to use watsapp or viber(free chat and calls over internet with other viber users), for the moment you don't have a real reason to feel that you are missing something

about angry birds, it gets annoying after a couple hours, just as any other game, the only game i like to play from time to time is classic words free, it is identical to scrabble but it is using words i never heard of  

"It also seems that I made an excellent choice on the LG VX8300 for longevity (6 years) and economy."

yes, it seems that way, have you replaced the battery or is still working good?  some motorola and sony from that time still works well with the original battery but not others, seems to be more luck than anything else

"I have the 4 core, 16 GB RAM real computer to do all the internet stuff, with a 23" LCD monitor, as opposed to a 1" x 1" screen available on the phone, and a real full sized keyboard to type with. I am quite content with this arrangement."

i wish i had a 4 cores pc that i could carry with me in my pocket, even better with a 23" screen     

[MGBguy]

µT6 ,

Like you I have my best stuff at home (Quad core AMD processor, 8Gb ram, 22" wide screen). When I'm out and about I carry my cellphone; and in my car a Canon Powershot A1100 in the event that I spot Bigfoot or a UFO, and a Garmin GPS in case I should get lost.    I take my ipod in my morning walk.

All of these "gadgets" are 3 or more years old. I seem to do fine away from home.

Perhaps this is a "young person's" issue; consolidating all manner of gadgetry into one device.

But getting back to my concern; what are (if any) the compelling reasons why I should consider a smartphone and associated monthly expenses?

[Just17]

I have a Samsung Galaxy that was gifted to me by my son after he upgraded.

The only reason I have it is to play with it. .....  not games .....  but just trying out stuff on it to see what works well and what doesn't.

I rarely make calls using it .....  but when I do I tend to use Linphone and make the calls over VOIP.

That allows me to call any one else who has a VOIP number without cost.
Of course I need to be within wireless range of an internet connection for this.

Rarely it occurs that I am not within range, and then the 'normal' mobile phone network is used.

It is convenient to have several devices in one package, when out and about ......  GPS and Google maps and street view integrated, for getting to the correct address in a timely fashion .......  email ..... IM .....  SMS ........  VOIP .......  mobile network phone ...... flash light for emergencies .... and so on.

Oh yes .....   the text on the bigger screen makes it easier to see who is calling 

 

[Steve161]

Some of the smartphones  do take nice photos/videos, but I am like you MGBguy (and we may have the same phone).  I need to make and receive a lot of calls, that is all.  I need reception, call clarity and long battery life.  The small size is also a plus.

[MGBguy]

I have a Samsung Galaxy that was gifted to me by my son after he upgraded.

The only reason I have it is to play with it. .....  not games .....  but just trying out stuff on it to see what works well and what doesn't.

I rarely make calls using it .....  but when I do I tend to use Linphone and make the calls over VOIP.

That allows me to call any one else who has a VOIP number without cost.
Of course I need to be within wireless range of an internet connection for this.

Rarely it occurs that I am not within range, and then the 'normal' mobile phone network is used.

It is convenient to have several devices in one package, when out and about ......  GPS and Google maps and street view integrated, for getting to the correct address in a timely fashion .......  email ..... IM .....  SMS ........  VOIP .......  mobile network phone ...... flash light for emergencies .... and so on.

Oh yes .....   the text on the bigger screen makes it easier to see who is calling 

 

When you say VOIP without cost...do you really mean without cost? I'm truly curious. As I said, after my daughters got their own smartphones (an iPhone and an Android something or other) my Verizon basic service plan comes in at $50-55 a month US (depending upon text messaging). The Verizon data plans seem a bit pricey. In my social circle I have maybe 12-14 people that I call/text on a regular basis; and to be honest the LG VX8300 is not great for texting.

My daughters and their significant others seem to be amused by my phone, but I don't have the pressing need to access my email while I'm away from home for a day (or two).

I guess that I'm so old school (perhaps just too old) to appreciate the apps of them thar newfangled smarty phones. 

[Just17]

I have a Samsung Galaxy that was gifted to me by my son after he upgraded.

The only reason I have it is to play with it. .....  not games .....  but just trying out stuff on it to see what works well and what doesn't.

I rarely make calls using it .....  but when I do I tend to use Linphone and make the calls over VOIP.

That allows me to call any one else who has a VOIP number without cost.
Of course I need to be within wireless range of an internet connection for this.

Rarely it occurs that I am not within range, and then the 'normal' mobile phone network is used.

It is convenient to have several devices in one package, when out and about ......  GPS and Google maps and street view integrated, for getting to the correct address in a timely fashion .......  email ..... IM .....  SMS ........  VOIP .......  mobile network phone ...... flash light for emergencies .... and so on.

Oh yes .....   the text on the bigger screen makes it easier to see who is calling 

 

When you say VOIP without cost...do you really mean without cost? I'm truly curious. As I said, after my daughters got their own smartphones (an iPhone and an Android something or other) my Verizon basic service plan comes in at $50-55 a month US (depending upon text messaging). The Verizon data plans seem a bit pricey. In my social circle I have maybe 12-14 people that I call/text on a regular basis; and to be honest the LG VX8300 is not great for texting.

My daughters and their significant others seem to be amused by my phone, but I don't have the pressing need to access my email while I'm away from home for a day (or two).

I guess that I'm so old school (perhaps just too old) to appreciate the apps of them thar newfangled smarty phones. 

Calls between two VOIP clients are free from cost .....  except of course whatever internet connection is used ....  in a similar manner to the way that Skype users can call each other without cost.

The difference when using SIP is that there are many providers of the service, and for the most part calls can be made between someone on one service to someone on another.

The service provider will also provide a means to call other phones such as landlines and mobiles, at a cost.

There are lots of options out there and a great many 'plans' from different providers, so you can choose the plan that suits your calling pattern.

For instance I use one plan that I pay a €10 payment to when I need to, and in return I can make calls to landlines in many countries worldwide, without cost for 90 days.
Calls to other phones such as mobiles will be charged and deducted from the payment.
If I do not use the €10 in the 90 days I have the option of not making another payment, and then all mobile AND landline calls will be charged and deducted from the balance, until used up.
Alternatively I can make a payment after 90 days, and get another 90 days of free landline calls.
Mobile call rates are typically 50% of what the normal providers charge for mobile calls, and about 2c per minute for landline calls, when out of free days.

I have the VOIP set up at home, and there I use a desktop phone as (apparently) normal, except all calls go out over VOIP.
I have the same settings in the Samsung and can use that at home or when travelling and within wireless access range.

I think that explains my setup ....  but there are many ways to do it, depending on requirements.

Ask if you need clarification