Cell Phones

[keith]

Does anyone here use a prepaid cell phone? I've been using Tracfone for about 2 years now, but it doesn't always connect my calls, incoming or outgoing. Actually doesn't always is a bit of an understatement. Price is great though.

I'm going to try ATT for a little while, I just ordered a phone from them, but I've heard that they like to send you a lot of messages, and charge you for them, even if you don't want them or even read them. Not sure if that will be a problem as if I use a cell phone for 10 minutes in a month, that was a busy month for me, so if they steal a couple minutes each month, I'll probably still have plenty left over.

Paying $40/mo for a plan just doesn't make since for me or my wife because of our low usage. We don't do text messages, internet or fancy ring-tones or any of that stuff. Its more like a portable pay phone to us.

I have been looking into the Geezer phone (Jitterbug) but most of the blogs on the internet about it are very negative. Seems that they are having major problems with customer service.

And while I'm at it, why are the phones so damn small anyway, what's with that. Although I can still see the individual keys and read most of the displays, it can be very difficult to hit only one key at a time. And so many extra keys for all these useless menus.

Why not a reasonable size phone that grabs dial-tone when opened up, has only the 12 basic keys and maybe a power key to turn off in restaurants and theaters, and ends the call when closed. It would work like a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) phone.

[ARCHINSTL]

And while I'm at it, why are the phones so damn small anyway, what's with that. Although I can still see the individual keys and read most of the displays, it can be very difficult to hit only one key at a time. And so many extra keys for all these useless menus.

Why not a reasonable size phone that grabs dial-tone when opened up, has only the 12 basic keys and maybe a power key to turn off in restaurants and theaters, and ends the call when closed. It would work like a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) phone.

Boy, I'm glad I'm not the only OF around! I could not agree more!
Tom M.

[thebigbread]

about phone size... i hate most of them, the size would be ok if i was a 9-year-old. otherwise with my large hands (i wear a mens XL glove, & theyre still kinda small for me) theyre cumbersome. i have the razr v3, its ok, but not a lot of features.

another thing that gets on my nerves is why does a seven-year-old need a 300 dollar phone. THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO USE HALF THE FEATURES! much less actually use the phone itself.

[Petros]

I have similar usage and do not want all the extra hoo-haw features either. I went with prepaid Net10, it cost only $30 a month (min charge) and you pay 10 cents a minute (so you get 300 min a month, but I never use them up-ever). You accumulate minutes if you do not use them. They have different models phones but I just got the cheapest one at Wal-mart, I think it was only about $20. You can also buy more time at Wal-mart and Saveway stores, or on-line or through the phone.

Once or twice a year they have an on-line promotion where they sell the service for only $20 a month, you can pre-buy as many months as you want.

I like the service and the coverage, the only complaint I have is for some reason if my phone is off or if I am in an area without service and someone leaves me a voice mail, it may not show up for 5 to 7 days! Even if I turn on my phone and check messages manually. Check it out.

[neonsport]

[ARCHINSTL]

Well - As Arte Johnson would say "VERY Interesting..."

WOW - BIG buttons for big fingers (and weak eyes..).
Tom M.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Does anybody not have a cell phone? I dont have or want one.

[Mattel]

I'm the biggest sucker here and will prob buy a 2nd gen iphone when they come out in Australia and i usually really hold off when buying technology. But I can't handle phones or operating systems that are not intuitive to use worst phone ever was a huyundai phone that screen distorted 8's so that they looked like 0's. I use my phone and ipod all the time and we never even use the house phone cos it's actually cheaper to use the mobile with the capped plans in oz. Tech specs aren't great but I reckon it's all in how it comes together that matters