Almost like AOL...

[hitchface]

http://get.live.com/messenger/overview

Notice the conversation being had. They seem to be tempted by the dark side...

[mairving]

Everybody (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2363039.ece) seems to be in phones nowadays.

[doubledragon5]

I can't stan AO Hell or even instant messenger by Microsoft..

[Force Flow]

What's this obsession with phones these days?

I've been using an old Motorola V60i for years. It's simple, it has quite the battery life (no fancy bells and whistles means that it consumes less power), it's durable (metal case as opposed to flimsy plastic), and it just plain works. It's a little bulky, but everything else seems to outweigh that drawback.

I don't see the reason for having all these bells and whistles inside of a phone it all just seems to get in the way of the telephone feature.

[doubledragon5]

Agree force flow, there are to many features in phones these days, and i wounder how many people actually use them.. My phone as a built in camera that I use, but that is about it.. As for battery life, these new phones batteries do not last as long as advertised.. My phone has an entended battery, and it doesn't even last as long as the normal one did...

[Force Flow]

The new and shiny hardly seems to outlive the tried and true.

[shadowpr]

i can swear that i actually had to pay extra to get a phone, that was just a phone.

that's all my phone has to do, is just ring, and let me talk.

[doubledragon5]

I had a couple fo samsung analog phones a few yrs back.. They sat in the basement of my house for a few yrs, before I decided to sell them.. It took over 1 1/2 hrs for the batteries to dran. Talk abuot good phones, you can't say that for the new phones these days..

[David M]

I was issued a new phone a work. I hate it. It has more useless crap than you can imagine. All the useless crap makes it all that much harder to maneuver through the menus just to see who called and to do other basic phone related things. I have to carry a 60 page owners manual in the cars glove box just in case I forget how to do something. It has a camera which I never need. It has a multicolor screen which is useful for what? It has text messaging which is worthless to me. It even has eight games built into it. It also makes all sorts of unnecessary noises when I do different things. I'm sure it has an attachment for an electric toothbrush somewhere.

Speaking of other unnecessary technology...how about those Borg like people who talk to themselves while wearing those blue flashing lights in their ears. It's bad enough seeing a blue flashing light in the rear view mirror. But is that really necessary? I always feel a little embarrassed for them when I see them in public. I am tempted to call one of them five of seven. I wonder if he would get it?

http://uk.gizmodo.com/borg.jpg

Same thing but easier on the eyes: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1182/548882487_e2ea5e0e9b_o.jpg

[hitchface]

Unfortunately, the cell phone is no longer the businessman's tool as it once was. It is now, in pop culture, an indicator of status. The sleekest looking phones with the most crap on 'em are the hottest items. I am sure you will all agree with me when I say the following conversation expresses our feelings:

"Look, my new phone has a camera!"
"Yeah, with 1 megapixel. How 'bout this useful camera, with 6?"
"But it also has an MP3 player!"
"It can only hold about 50 songs. Welcome to my (insert favorite player here), which holds over 5,000."
"Yeah, but does yours have an organizer?"
"It's called a calendar."
"How about a bunch of games? Like Snake II!"
"My computer plays better games, faster."
"Text messaging?"
"Just call the guy. Less money, faster talking."
"Downloadable ringtones?"
"I'm leaving."

[shadowpr]

Unfortunately, the cell phone is no longer the businessman's tool as it once was. It is now, in pop culture, an indicator of status. The sleekest looking phones with the most crap on 'em are the hottest items. I am sure you will all agree with me when I say the following conversation expresses our feelings:

"Look, my new phone has a camera!"
"Yeah, with 1 megapixel. How 'bout this useful camera, with 6?"
"But it also has an MP3 player!"
"It can only hold about 50 songs. Welcome to my (insert favorite player here), which holds over 5,000."
"Yeah, but does yours have an organizer?"
"It's called a calendar."
"How about a bunch of games? Like Snake II!"
"My computer plays better games, faster."
"Text messaging?"
"Just call the guy. Less money, faster talking."
"Downloadable ringtones?"
"I'm leaving."

classic conversation

[blue60007]

What's a text message?

[doubledragon5]

What's a text message?

something only my kids do with their phones. they hardly use the phone itself..

[shadowpr]

text messaging is extremely popular overseas....so know i'm used to using that.

[David M]

I don't get the point of a text message when it is so much easier to call them up or use a voicemail. Is there an advantage to text messaging?

[doubledragon5]

If you have unlimited text messaging, like my kids do and it costs only $15 more a month you can save your minutes and not have a huge bill.. My oldest daughters friend at one time didn't have it, and her phone bill was $800 and that was all text messaging. boy was her mother pissed...

[shadowpr]

well i know a lot of the places i've been to, people will just use text messages cause it's cheaper. and a lot of people use cards that you can refill, so when their card dies, then can still get ttext messages.

[tigstah]

Agree force flow, there are to many features in phones these days, and i wounder how many people actually use them.. My phone as a built in camera that I use, but that is about it.. As for battery life, these new phones batteries do not last as long as advertised.. My phone has an entended battery, and it doesn't even last as long as the normal one did...
my coworker went to verizon about 2 weeks ago and got a new phone. turns out the phone has a defect with the battery. it holds a full charge for about 2 hours. she took it back to them, they analyzed it. they ended up telling her to pick out a new phone.