# Why You Should Love Smart Phones



## Lon (Jun 3, 2017)

If you have been fighting it and think you don't need one and that it's a waste of money, think again. Get with it and make your life better or at least easier.

I will be 83 in July and my computer usage goes back to 1975, not as a techie, just a user. I have had desk tops, lap tops, I Pads and now I Phone. I continue to be amazed at the many things I can do with my I Phone that make my life so easy and pleasurable and new use full functions  are continually becoming available. Getting old Ain't For Sissies and Smart Phones will ease the passage.


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## tnthomas (Jun 3, 2017)

The cool thing about smartphones is the numerous devices you have, all rolled into one.

Some of the devices:

A phone
A GPS navigation device
A pedometer
An internet browser
A MP3 player(music)
A video player
A game platform(Freecell, Solitaire, Mahjong, plus 500 million other games)
An encyclopedia
A document writer
A clock
A stopwatch
A timer
An alarm clock
A bunch more that I can't think of right now.


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## Ken N Tx (Jun 4, 2017)

Can't afford one, don't need one..


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## Pappy (Jun 4, 2017)

I'm four years younger than you, Lon and about five years ago my daughter bought me a iPod. This was the start of my apple addiction. I now have my iPad Air and a iPhone 6s Plus. I've come a long way in five years and Apple products make it easy to understand.
v


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## Manatee (Jun 6, 2017)

I hate slogging through the learning process that comes with each new electronic marvel.  Our former 4-year-olds are now in their 20s and about 1200 miles away.  We only see them when Florida calls to them.  They are "good kids".


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## Ruth n Jersey (Jun 6, 2017)

We still have a landline and a TracFone for when we travel,an old desktop computer and a Kindle for reading. I hate when people call me from their cell phones. I find it difficult to hear them.If they happen to be in a car the sound can be muffled, a lot of static or it cuts out completely.


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## Camper6 (Jun 6, 2017)

Pappy said:


> I'm four years younger than you, Lon and about five years ago my daughter bought me a iPod. This was the start of my apple addiction. I now have my iPad Air and a iPhone 6s Plus. I've come a long way in five years and Apple products make it easy to understand.
> v



I agree. My son sent me an I Pad.  What a difference from my Android.  Apple seems to make such quality stuff.  For instance the batteries last a long time.  I was constantly charging my Android.


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## Kadee (Jun 6, 2017)

I've had a iPad for about 4 years ( had the iPad Air 1)but  I ran out of room ,it had 32g ..( gave it t GD) so I bought the iPad Air 2 .64 g 
I have just bought outright a I phone 7 which was an upgrade from an very old flip phone ..I've only had my phone two weeks so far it's proved it's worth looking up important email ,while away from home,  maps while down in the city ..I have put all my loyalty cards on it as well so now I don't have a purse full of rarely used cards ..


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## Mondays child (Jun 6, 2017)

My family gave me a gift of an Amazon Fire 7" tablet the Christmas before last. I use it all the time for email, watching TV, internet and the calendar that helps me organise my life etc. They asked me how I was getting on with it and I told them the only thing that was wrong with it was it couldn't make phone calls. This last Christmas my son gave me his old smartphone when he upgraded his. Its just as good as my tablet  but can also make calls and has apps one of which is like an instant message service where we can even chat in a family group together. Brilliant.


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## kaufen (Jun 7, 2017)

Technology – certainly has played a great role in human development from the last decade.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jun 7, 2017)

Now we can't spell, add, subtract, multiply or divide.  We can't carry on a interesting conversation without constantly checking our messages.  Leaves nothing to the imagination, have you ever walked up town got you a card board box carried it home & made a fort out of it?  Taken a drive with your grandchildren & have them question you about the history of scenes you are passing?  Boring them with information you had to study to pass a History exam? See the look on their faces when you tell them something you found interesting & have them shrug their shoulders, then look back to their phones?  Ya technology is great!


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jun 9, 2017)

Here's another example

https://consumerist.com/2017/06/09/...king-trips-over-door-falls-into-utility-room/


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## JustBonee (Jun 9, 2017)

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Here's another example
> 
> https://consumerist.com/2017/06/09/...king-trips-over-door-falls-into-utility-room/




I'm getting an iPhone soon ...  (to be on my daughter's family plan).   I think I'll be sitting home while I use it!...


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## Camper6 (Jun 9, 2017)

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Now we can't spell, add, subtract, multiply or divide.  We can't carry on a interesting conversation without constantly checking our messages.  Leaves nothing to the imagination, have you ever walked up town got you a card board box carried it home & made a fort out of it?  Taken a drive with your grandchildren & have them question you about the history of scenes you are passing?  Boring them with information you had to study to pass a History exam? See the look on their faces when you tell them something you found interesting & have them shrug their shoulders, then look back to their phones?  Ya technology is great!



Logarithms by hand and tables instead of Calculator? That will be the day. I was just thinking about my upbringing as a child compared to my son and grandson. No comparison. A different world.


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## Camper6 (Jun 10, 2017)

Ken N Tx said:


> Can't afford one, don't need one..



I'm wondering about affordability when it comes to a choice between a land line and a cell phone.

They both do the same thing.  I have a cell phone.  It's the same price as my land line was.  Don't want one is a different story however.


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## JaniceM (Jun 20, 2017)

Lon said:


> If you have been fighting it and think you don't need one and that it's a waste of money, think again. Get with it and make your life better or at least easier.
> 
> I will be 83 in July and my computer usage goes back to 1975, not as a techie, just a user. I have had desk tops, lap tops, I Pads and now I Phone. I continue to be amazed at the many things I can do with my I Phone that make my life so easy and pleasurable and new use full functions  are continually becoming available. Getting old Ain't For Sissies and Smart Phones will ease the passage.



O.k., I've been wondering this for awhile, so will ask:  as I read not long ago that the internet has only been around for approximately 25 years, what were computers used for before then?  What did they do?  

In case I sound like a total idiot, to explain:  I was a latecomer to computers-  the first time I ever used one or even saw one was near the end of 1998.  
So I was surprised to hear the internet hadn't been around very long and computers had been around for decades-  even a reference to computers on an old episode of Dragnet.


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## JaniceM (Jun 20, 2017)

Camper6 said:


> I'm wondering about affordability when it comes to a choice between a land line and a cell phone.
> 
> They both do the same thing.  I have a cell phone.  It's the same price as my land line was.  Don't want one is a different story however.



I suppose it depends on the companies, but when I got a cell phone it was much cheaper than the landline I'd previously had.  
It's also handy if you want to make calls when you're not at home, and for making long-distance calls.


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## HiDesertHal (Jul 1, 2017)

Hey tnthomas..

No Camera?

HDH


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## Manatee (Jul 4, 2017)

My job title is "Luddite".


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## HiDesertHal (Jul 4, 2017)

Smart Phones?.....Pffft.

HDH


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## Camper6 (Jul 4, 2017)

HiDesertHal said:


> Smart Phones?.....Pffft.
> 
> HDH



There is an app for that.


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## terry123 (Jul 7, 2017)

Don't have a smart phone.  Probably can't afford it.  Did replace my land line with a consumer cell phone that runs around $25.00 a month. Every little bit saved helps.


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## Jackie22 (Jul 7, 2017)

Times are changing.......


[h=1]AT&T Looks to Discontinue Copper Landline Phone Service State By State[/h]
The Illinois General Assembly approved an AT&T-backed telecom modernization bill allowing the carrier to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers in that state, the Chicago Tribune reported. The assembly overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of the legislation. 

Discontinuing copper landline phone service requires both state and federal approvals. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a plan aimed at simplifying the copper, legacy service retirement process. 

The FCC’s plan focuses on easing the transition to IP networks, streamlining network notification rules, eliminating rules that require service providers to dedicate capital to maintain TDM equipment and speeding up the legacy service discontinuance process. 



http://www.channelpartnersonline.co...copper-landline-phone-service-state-by-state/


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## tnthomas (Jul 7, 2017)

That's bad news for those of us in rural areas, with no alternatives to the old copper network.      Last year Verizon sold off the copper network in our area to Frontier Communications.  So far, so good, nothing's changed.   Frontier does have horrible customer service, but then so did Verizon.    :shrug:


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## SifuPhil (Jul 10, 2017)

I hate phones. Always have.

But I REALLY hate cell phones. Doesn't matter if it's a dollar store flip phone or an EgoPhone 14, they're all a pain in the patootie.

When I go downtown on the bus, 3 out of 4 people (yes, I've counted!) have cell phones glued to their ears, or they're going through emails, or watching YouTube videos, or ...

Nice hobby if you can afford the $100 a month or so.

But what REALLY ticks me off is that they're all so unaware of their surroundings. Life is passing them by as they watch cats playing keyboards.






I'll join Manatee in the Luddite community, thank you.


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## Don M. (Jul 10, 2017)

tnthomas said:


> That's bad news for those of us in rural areas, with no alternatives to the old copper network.      Last year Verizon sold off the copper network in our area to Frontier Communications.  So far, so good, nothing's changed.   Frontier does have horrible customer service, but then so did Verizon.    :shrug:



The old copper land lines were installed decades ago, in most places, and many areas are experiencing decreased phone service due to the age of the infrastructure, and lack of maintenance, etc.  That, coupled with the popularity of cell phones almost insures that the days of traditional land lines are numbered.  We, too, live in a very rural area, and our local electrical co-op came through the area a year ago, and installed fiber optics service.  We now get phone, TV, and Internet which is far superior to what we had previously, and at a nicely reduced cost.  We also subscribe to basic cell phone service via Tracfone, but only use that when we are away from the house, in case something happens, or the kids need to get in touch.  Pay phones have all but disappeared, so a person needs to have some means of staying in contact.


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