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I have no idea. How much does the iPhone cost? By the way, what does it do, and why might I want one?
I'm serious. Somebody tell me what it does. If I google it, all I get is a lot of techno-doubletalk. What, in plain English, can I do with an iPhone?
Somebody who has one, tell me the last five things you did with it that you think might be of interest to me. Besides make a phone call, which I can do with my five-year-old prepaid $10 Tracfone, for $65 a year.
A hundred bucks a month for a device that doubles as multiple devices, is really not any more than we paid in years past for a combination of comparatively crude devices, which approximated only the basic communications functions of today's smartphones.
For less money per month than a circa 1990s home phone, I can access a computer halfway across the world from my mobile device, from the comfort of my first class seat, blazing across the country at 35,000 feet.
I must be getting old, because I now say things like "I remember my first mobile phone". It was installed in my car in the 80s. There was a mile of cable buried somewhere in my car to feed the trunk mounted transceiver, the rear window mounted antenna, and the center console mounted handset. The phone cost me $300 at that time. Don't even ask about the monthly bill. And all it did was make phone calls.
Having said all of that, it is definitely possible to buy less expensive smartphones than an iPhone. The market is very competitive, as smartphones have gradually become a staple.
Here in LA it seems virtually everyone is carrying an iPhone. Many of these people I notice are also students with part time income or those that are in lower end jobs. I am truly surprised just how many people have one considering how expensive a device it is, especially the monthly service. Do you think this is just a reflection of our society living above their means?
No idea about LA, but my son got one as soon as they came out, plus he can afford it. It's small - unlike his laptop - he can use it to email, chat, talk, cruise the net, use it as an ipod or ereader... he has multiple email addresses, he can chat with multiple people simultaneously, and oddly enough, it works when at times the available satellite phone doesn't. It works for him, but his situation isn't exactly normal because of what he does for a living.
Oh, when he got his laptop, he paid around 3K for it, and the ISP wasn't that much less than having the data plan for his iPhone. All he ever used the laptop for was to download music to his iPod, anyway - he just wanted the best he could buy at the time.
Last edited by karibear; 04-20-2011 at 06:12 PM..
Reason: add
Somebody who has one, tell me the last five things you did with it that you think might be of interest to me. Besides make a phone call, which I can do with my five-year-old prepaid $10 Tracfone, for $65 a year.
- Check E-Mail
- Keep a calendar
- Search for a restaurant or movie theater closest to your location (the phone has GPS built in)
- instead of having a GPS unit, the phone is a GPS unit
- instead of having a MP3 player or CDs, your phone can hold music
This doesn't apply just to iPhones, but most young people keep a cell phone but don't pay for a home phone, so their cell phone is their only phone bill.
- Check E-Mail
- Keep a calendar
- Search for a restaurant or movie theater closest to your location (the phone has GPS built in)
- instead of having a GPS unit, the phone is a GPS unit
- instead of having a MP3 player or CDs, your phone can hold music
I don't have one but hubby has a smart phone.
How important is any of this REALLY? Can I not wait to get home to check my email? Can I not plan in advance where I want to eat and know where I am going? Why can't I use mapquest and print out the directions or write them down? Why can't I play a damn CD? Why would I even need an MP3?
People have been sold a bill of goods called CONSUMERISM and, IMHO, the sheep follow.
Sure you can. You can go home, turn on your computer that uses 300 watts of electricity just to check your email rather than a 5 watt phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mistygrl092
Can I not plan in advance where I want to eat and know where I am going? Why can't I use mapquest and print out the directions or write them down?
Sure you can, you can again, turn on your 300 watt computer to print out on a piece of paper from trees rather than use a 5 watt device that is not wasteful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mistygrl092
Why can't I play a damn CD? Why would I even need an MP3?
Sure you can purchase a $12 CD full of 12 songs on a piece of plastic and play it on your bulky CD player that skips while you are jogging rather than spend 99 cents on the single song you want to play on a 5 watt device.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mistygrl092
People have been sold a bill of goods called CONSUMERISM and, IMHO, the sheep follow.
Maybe you should take an economics class. Consumerism is good for the economy. Everyone benefits from it.
Oh, and did I mention, that 5 watt device also makes phone calls? I mean, you're right... why own a 5 watt device when you can own a seperate phone, a computer, a printer, a cd player and a bunch of plastic cases full of plastic discs.
Did you even think when you created your post? I've never seen someone argue being so wasteful as a good thing.
Whatever, a bunch of consumerist sheeple whose values are completely out of whack. You know, keeping up with the Joneses seems to NEVER go out of style.
Oh, and BTW, NJBest, why don't you try volunteering as a way to help people instead of buying crap you don't need? I work at a food bank once a week. Quantify that.
Last edited by mistygrl092; 04-20-2011 at 10:37 PM..
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