Phones and the relentless march of technology

[Rhythm Thief]

The other week my phone died when I (and it) got soaked in cider effluent at work. So off I went the next day to buy another; it turned out that the cheapest option was to buy one of these phones with a QWERTY keyboard and a camera and all sorts of capabilities. I managed with it for about three weeks, but eventually I bought a new phone off ebay. I've gone back to one of those phones that's like a sort of advanced Etch-a-Sketch. Has anyone else found themselves fed up with ever more complicated gadgets that really don't work as well as what we used to use?

 

[trustysteed]

yeah. had a LG Chocolate a few years ago when touch screen was becoming the rage. what a pain in the arse that was. gone back to a nice safe nokia 6300 with push keys and simple menus that suits my 'occasional text, even less talk on the phone' style.

 

[marinyork]

I've never had a very advanced phone, despite being very interested in technology. Until that went recently I had a £20 phone. Was a shame as I was very fond of it. I do find it annoying when you want a new phone and you don't fit in with whatever fashion is in at the time - flippy, bar, slide,keyboards whatever as that rules out a large number.

 

[JiMBR]

Has anyone else found themselves fed up with ever more complicated gadgets that really don't work as well as what we used to use?

I'm afraid that I'm the exact opposite....the more gadgets, the better.

 

[Noodley]

I "upgraded" a couple of months ago from a push button to a touch screen as my teenage daughter said she would not go out in public with me anymore unless I got rid of the 'so last week' push button phone.

I have yet to figure it out. I sent an e-mail to a friend in Australia this morning when I was trying to send a text to a work colleague....I'm not sure he'll want to phone me to discuss a quality assurance audit!

 

[marinyork]

Also anybody else find it really annoying it has taken up until this point to agree on something as sensible as standardisation of chargers (and still a long time till we see it) and standardisation of data connections?

 

[numbnuts]

My phone is so old it runs on steam and it the size of a house brick

 

[Norm]

I've just got a touch screen Samsung thingy, the screen works well and is nicely accurate on the key presses but, shoot, the desktop software is crap. I thought the Nokia PC Suite was but but, sheesh, this is unusable.

Sadly, though, much as I love the phone for playing music, the GPS is fantastic and texting with the on screen keyboard is glorious, the phone reception is pretty pants.

Luckily, I also have, from work, a Nokia. Although it's the E71, so it comes with the qwerty keyboard, GPS, camera etc, it's a good solid phone which can make and receive calls in a way that many seem to have forgotten.

The best reason for getting a phone with GPS built in is to use GPSED.com software, which can track your route and show live updates of where you are. Handy if your SO is the worrying kind and you are out for a day.

 

[XmisterIS]

I hate mobile phones!

I am with Vodafone, I went to their shop when I needed a new one. Conversation went something like:

Salesman (beaming from ear to ear): "Hello sir! Can I interest you in the new Nokia Whizzbang 60000 with full internet browsing capabilities, facebook, google, gurgle, twitter and twat?"

"Not really."

"Oh ... er ... what are your lifestyle usage profile requirements?"

"You mean, what do I need to phone for?"

"Yeah, umm yeah, I suppose, yes".

"I want to be able to phone people and send text messages".

"Oh. Will you need access to your Mobile Office?".

"No."

"Ok. Will you need touch-screen access to the internet?".

"No."

"So you want to call and text, (laughs), I think they all do that! What other lifestyle packages do you need?"

"I don't."

"You don't?"

"No. Just the calling and the texting. On a phone with buttons that goes 'ring, ring' when someone calls and 'beep' when someone texts".

"Oh, sir, all our phones come with a variety of real-phonic ring tones and with our integrated internet lifestyle package you can download thousands more!".

"I don't want real-phonic ring tones, or internet, or twitter or tweet or twat, or lifestyle office usage profile google. I just want a phone. A bog ordinary phone that I can call and text people on. That's all."

<silence>

"Oh, umm, I'm sorry sir! We don't sell anything like that".

 

[trustysteed]

or twitter or tweet or twat

 

[yenrod]

The other week my phone died when I (and it) got soaked in cider effluent at work. So off I went the next day to buy another; it turned out that the cheapest option was to buy one of these phones with a QWERTY keyboard and a camera and all sorts of capabilities. I managed with it for about three weeks, but eventually I bought a new phone off ebay. I've gone back to one of those phones that's like a sort of advanced Etch-a-Sketch. Has anyone else found themselves fed up with ever more complicated gadgets that really don't work as well as what we used to use?

Yeah I tried a touch-screen phone but didnt like em !

 

[rh100]

I had a Sony xperia x1 - slide keyboard, touch screen, gps, hsdpa windows mobile - turned out it was sh!te. It could do everything except make a phone call without any difficulty -

I love gadgets and mobile internet and all the rest, but a bad design ruins it.

I flogged it to mazuma and went back to my k800i - if I want internet, i connect either my laptop or pda to it via bluetooth - much better.

 

[TheDoctor]

Cheap Nokia FTW!!
But why did they have to change the charger?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I hate mobile phones!

I am with Vodafone, I went to their shop when I needed a new one. Conversation went something like:

Salesman (beaming from ear to ear): "Hello sir! Can I interest you in the new Nokia Whizzbang 60000 with full internet browsing capabilities, facebook, google, gurgle, twitter and twat?"

"Not really."

"Oh ... er ... what are your lifestyle usage profile requirements?"

"You mean, what do I need to phone for?"

"Yeah, umm yeah, I suppose, yes".

"I want to be able to phone people and send text messages".

"Oh. Will you need access to your Mobile Office?".

"No."

"Ok. Will you need touch-screen access to the internet?".

"No."

"So you want to call and text, (laughs), I think they all do that! What other lifestyle packages do you need?"

"I don't."

"You don't?"

"No. Just the calling and the texting. On a phone with buttons that goes 'ring, ring' when someone calls and 'beep' when someone texts".

"Oh, sir, all our phones come with a variety of real-phonic ring tones and with our integrated internet lifestyle package you can download thousands more!".

"I don't want real-phonic ring tones, or internet, or twitter or tweet or twat, or lifestyle office usage profile google. I just want a phone. A bog ordinary phone that I can call and text people on. That's all."

<silence>

"Oh, umm, I'm sorry sir! We don't sell anything like that".

Good post, and my sentiments exactly.

 

[Andy in Sig]

They're just starting something in Germany which has been going for a while in Japan: dead simple mobile phones that basically only do phoning and texts. The original target audience was pensioners who didn't understand all the bells and whistles but apparently they have also caught on with people who want a phone that sort of acts like a phone. I've no doubt that if they are a success over here they will be coming to the UK soon.