# Growing Old With Hi Technology



## Lon (Dec 6, 2016)

I am no computer Geek by a long shot but have had access and used some form of computer systems since 1974 and then purchasing my first desk top [n 1980 and then a Toshiba laptop in 1990.
More recently a HP Pavillion laptop, a I Pad and I Phone. MY POINT? Now that I am almost 83 years old and single I have found that I have made my life very comfortable and maintained my independence because of high tech. I feel sorry for many of my Peer Group that don't have a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. Many have never heard of Netflix or Amazon, and don't know a Google from a Boogle, and  they have lost their independence to a large degree.
Of all the different devices that I have used over the years I find the SMART PHONE, In my case a I Phone ( which is my only phone) to be the most beneficial in too many ways to enumerate.

MY ADVICE to those of you in your 50's & 60'. Get with it. To what extent you can afford it, get a smart phone, upgrade your computer, take some classes at your community college or Senior facilities. Don't reach 80 years old and be completely in the dark as I see many of my neighbors.


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## Kitties (Dec 6, 2016)

We lived just fine and dandy without the internet. That said, I like shopping online and have spent way too much on Etsy. I've even thought if I'm fully retired getting rid of internet for a time. Will depend on what I can afford. I don't need a fancy phone. Mine is for emergencies only. I don't need to be connected to the internet 24/7. I'm sick of seeing people even at work staring at some small screen when they should not be. Everyone is different in what their needs are.


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## kburra (Dec 7, 2016)

Good luck to you,personally I think smart phones are the biggest abomination of the 20th century,must be the worse invention ever...reasons,too many to mention.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 7, 2016)

I agree Lon, I think that technology can be a huge benefit to keeping seniors mentally active, connected, independent and safe.  

I think that in another 10 years this will be considered the dark ages, the best is yet to be imagined.


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## Pappy (Dec 7, 2016)

My daughter tells her friends how proud she is of her mom and dad for being so techy. I agree, Lon. Enjoy what's available out there. I will admit though, it's hard to keep up with all the advances.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 7, 2016)

Being a closet Luddite, at times I can look at all the tech and feel the urge to kick it into oblivion.

At other times I thank the inventors for the chance to reach out to the world and discover new and exciting things.

Could I survive without it? Sure. Would I want to? Not really.


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## Lon (Dec 7, 2016)

To each his own--BTW I love Melbourne


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## fureverywhere (Dec 7, 2016)

Yow Lon, good to find some common ground with you for a change I have to totally agree, I'm only 54 and realize I have to pull my anti-tech head out of the sand...to an extent, I'm not giving up my actual pens and actual notebooks just yet. But I plan on taking several of those adult school electronics courses. My grand boy is just a toddler and already knows a few keys on his Mom's phone. At the moment that's more than I know.


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## Lon (Dec 7, 2016)

I had Uber take me to the movies and then back home yesterday.  Cost?? $5.00 going and $5.00  back home plus $5.00 Senior Rate for the movie I waited 5 minutes for my ride going and coming. I live in a town of 500,000 and there are a huge number of people that have signed up to drive for Uber. I sold my paid for car last week and now no longer pay for auto insurance, gas, oil, parking, etc. 
I will be using Uber for all my driving needs. I used my I Phone to order up Uber with just a touch. GPS lets Uber know my location and I get to see on my phone screen the location of the vehicle picking me up and the wait time, picture of the driver and his name, picture of the vehicle and license number.


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## Marie5656 (Dec 7, 2016)

*I am with you, Lon.  I got my first computer in the early 90's and have not looked back,  I really enjoy poking around the internet, finding things to learn, as well as things to challenge my brain.  For those of us in our 60's or so, I am seeing more and more senior living communities being connected to some sort of technology, and many residents moving in already knowing how to use it.  My phone is not smart, I rarely use it, and much prefer my land line.'''I am 62, and have an acquaintance who is just a year or so older, pretty smart, but insisting she is too old to learn anything new, and not even wanting to try.  She has a cell phone, but tells people not to leave her a voice mail because she does not know how to retrieve it.  She does not use her TV remote, as she claims she is unable to learn to use it, or program her tv to it.  She has said she just does not want to be bothered learning new things.  Where I, and many of us here, I am sure are always willing to jump at learning something new.
Though one thing I have not embrace is reading an ebook.  I have tried, but much prefer the books we grew up with.  I love technology, but also still want to unplug now and then.*


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## fureverywhere (Dec 7, 2016)

I agree Marie...for all the free ebooks and everything else people like about electronic readers, I'd rather have a real live actual paper book in my paws.


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## Warrigal (Dec 7, 2016)

I'm with Lon on this one.
The new technologies have a lot to offer all of us, especially as we begin to lose the ability to move around as freely as before.
It is the nature of this technology to be constantly changing, and so we lest we be left stranded like a pod of whales on a beach.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Dec 7, 2016)

70 and still working... for a few more weeks... have kept up with technology.  "Forced" to use a company provided laptop and "forced" to purchase my own Smartphone.  It's all been good!  Upon retirement, I will retain a laptop and/or tablet.  The Smartphone will probably be tossed as far as my arm will throw the thing!!!  Yes, I'll end up going back to a "flip phone" to have around in case of emergency.  Just don't want to be one of those who can't use the toilet without first checking for texts, etc.

My wife, the most beautiful lady in the world, is BLONDE!!!  She has always had difficulty putting Tab "A" into Slot "B".  Today, she has her own laptop, tablet, and Smartphone... and uses them all.  Laptop does most of our on-line banking, etc.  Her tablet is her e-reader, Words With Friends gadget, e-mail provider, etc.  It's really been used lots!  Her Smartphone seems to be always beeping with a text from someone.  She, too, is still working full time.  HATES the computers at work.  Fights them.  Comes home and masters anything put in front of her.

Technology is one of the huge changes we've seen in our lifetimes.  It took weeks for letters from my Dad to reach home from Europe in WWII.  Our son has been able to converse via Skype, e-mail, etc. when deployed in today's Army.  Growing up, we couldn't make long-distance calls after 10 p.m.  And, long distance calls cost a small fortune.  Today, we talk across the globe 24/7 with this little think in our pocket.  Encyclopedia Britannica was outdated before it was printed.  Today, Google has information up to the minute.


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## kburra (Dec 7, 2016)

Lon said:


> To each his own--BTW I love Melbourne



Well that`s nice,thanks Lon,BTW agree with most of your sentiments,just Cell/Mobile phones,would have to be the most antisocial and dangerous item ever invented..(Or at least many of the users are)..keep smiling!!


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## SifuPhil (Dec 7, 2016)

Two teen girls were just killed on a local highway while they were posting a live video to Facebook. A tractor trailer went right through them because they had slowed down.

Yes, tech is great, but it also comes at a price.


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## Warrigal (Dec 7, 2016)

Hi level technology can save lives. Bush fires are a hazard in Australia in every Spring/Summer.
This new app being developed for high end tablets aims to track/predict the most likely path of the fire front.

http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/new-t...0161208-gt6vun.html?google_editors_picks=true

Then residents can be advised via mobile phones equipped with GPS using text messages. 
The people most likely not to receive the messages are the elderly who refuse to adapt to modern technology.


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## kburra (Dec 7, 2016)

Never ever rely on that sort of communication for safety,far too many  black spots in the country especially!!....friends who often ring me on  there so called SMART phones drop out all the time or break up and that  is in the metro area,telling people to rely on that technology  in a  life or death situation totally irresponsible....listen to radio (ABC)  for info far more reliable!!


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## Shalimar (Dec 8, 2016)

Warrigal said:


> Hi level technology can save lives. Bush fires are a hazard in Australia in every Spring/Summer.
> This new app being developed for high end tablets aims to track/predict the most likely path of the fire front.
> 
> http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/new-t...0161208-gt6vun.html?google_editors_picks=true
> ...




Sadly, not all seniors, or others for that matter, can afford costly modern technology.


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## BlondieBoomer (Dec 8, 2016)

I'm in my late 60's and I bought my first computer in the early 90's. I can't imagine living without them. I took my first computer apart to install a sound card that didn't come with it and later upgraded graphics cards, memory and other devices. Everything was so expensive that I couldn't afford to take it to the store to have them install things. I remember getting a computer with 8 MB of RAM and a 320 MB hard drive and wondering if I would ever need all that memory and hard drive space!

I remember when I thought fax machines were the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Imagine being able to send written material across the country in minutes, make changes on it and send it back. Now with email it's so much faster. Or 
we can speak on a conference call and have documents on all of our desktops at the same time that we can all see and mark up in real time while talking. Who could have imagined that 15 years ago? 

Toward the end of the 90's, before Skype, I hooked up an old videocam and did video conferencing, without sound, using the keyboard for talking. The connection was slow and the video was choppy until I discovered Ricochet from Metricom which was wireless and a little better. I used that for internet until broadband cable came to our area.

My first cell phone was an installed car phone around 1985 in a company car. It was huge. They got smaller over the years and eventually detached from the car. I am totally amazed by technology today and that a little iPhone has so much more power and storage than my first desktop computer. Wifi and being unleashed from cords around the house, streaming music and video, Alexa who can control music, lights and sprinkler timer with the sound of our voices, shopping online. I'm in awe. And technology moves ahead so quickly. Imagine what will be possible even 2 years from now that isn't possible today. I love this stuff!


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## OneEyedDiva (Dec 8, 2016)

I have friends in my age group who don't use computers or as in the case of my older sister, only for business purposes. One friend has a smart phone but really does not know how to use it. He doesn't want to even be bothered with a computer. My best friend finally got an iPad a couple of years ago. I was so happy for us! Now it's easier to send her things and stay connected since she's on the road a lot (musician).  My husband bought a computer here around 1998. He thought I was going to help with doing forms for his store. Turns out I hit the information super highway with the pedal to the metal and haven't stopped since. During that time, he had a beautiful (tower model) computer made for me. Then when that went, I got a MAC. Am on my second MAC now. I had the iPhone 4 but when the battery lost most of it's life, I switched to Metro PCS which has a much cheaper plan for better and faster coverage than I was getting with Sprint. The hot spot coverage is great and I can wirelessly connect my tablet to Metro's wi fi without charge.  I think Sprint was charging $10 a month at the time. My phone and tablet are both Samsung and I like the Android system better.

I can't imagine living with my smart phone or tablet now. Besides checking my email, documents and playing Words With Friends, some of the other uses include scheduler, calculator, password keeper, internet browser, camera, video, voice recorder, GPS e-books, music player and library, document keeper, mini arcade, notepad and apps for watching YouTube and T.V. programs and even an app for finding medical care wherever you happen to be. I also can't live without Soundhound, an app that will listen to a song that's playing and tell you what it is. I wish I'd had it years ago. I do not and probably will not use the wallet feature. I still use my iPhone to play music since there's something wrong with my classic iPod. Have to keep charging that phone though.


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## Butterfly (Dec 8, 2016)

I can't imagine living without my computer.


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## Manatee (Dec 28, 2016)

Our kids introduced us to the internet/email in the late 90s with a WebTV unit.  It was a set top box that plugged into TV, a power outlet and a phone jack.  It displayed on the TV screen.  We could email the kids who were 3 time zones away and they could reply at their convenience.  Eventually we moved on to a desktop and have had several since.  At this time we have his and hers desktops.  I don't see any laptops in our future.

My biggest gripe is learning to use a new device when it comes along.  I won a Kindle Fire in a contest a couple of years ago, but it is rarely used.  It is just easier to use the familiar desktop.  I will be 83 on Feb 21, which puts me in Lon's league age wise.

I have no plans to give up my convertible, I enjoy it too much.  I doubt that there are any Uber convertibles.


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## Bullie76 (Dec 30, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> I can't imagine living without my computer.



Me either. I love all my tech gadgets. I don't stay on my smart phone like a lot of people, but it comes in handy when out of town. Hopefully as I age, I will be able to keep up with technology.


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## silla (Dec 30, 2016)

Lon said:


> I am no computer Geek by a long shot but have had access and used some form of computer systems since 1974 and then purchasing my first desk top [n 1980 and then a Toshiba laptop in 1990.
> More recently a HP Pavillion laptop, a I Pad and I Phone. MY POINT? Now that I am almost 83 years old and single I have found that I have made my life very comfortable and maintained my independence because of high tech. I feel sorry for many of my Peer Group that don't have a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. Many have never heard of Netflix or Amazon, and don't know a Google from a Boogle, and  they have lost their independence to a large degree.
> Of all the different devices that I have used over the years I find the SMART PHONE, In my case a I Phone ( which is my only phone) to be the most beneficial in too many ways to enumerate.
> 
> MY ADVICE to those of you in your 50's & 60'. Get with it. To what extent you can afford it, get a smart phone, upgrade your computer, take some classes at your community college or Senior facilities. Don't reach 80 years old and be completely in the dark as I see many of my neighbors.


 Imo, anyone over 50 who refuses to get tech-savvy is making a mistake. It's just a way of everyday life now, and it can be such a convenience. I've a smartphone, but also have a landline. I have mobile devices in addition to my pc, and consider myself very savvy, completely self-taught, but I don't spend an abundance of time on any of the devices, just a few minutes here and there. It's all about moderation. There is a lot of bad stuff lurking online, but an amazing treasure trove of education and information and beautiful images and wonderful music, etc. The problem is when people become so dependent and obsessed with technology - and especially social media - to the exclusion of 'real life' and real relationships and it's also quite sad that kids seem to know nothing else. I am so glad to have grown up as a child of the fifties when simple things meant a lot.


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## Capt Lightning (Dec 31, 2016)

So what am I,  Tech "savvy" or a Luddite?    I spent my working life in electronics and IT - in both engineering and software development. I can write programs in a number of different languages and have both laptop and desktop PCs at home..  I'm currently learning 'Python' to write applications on my Linux laptop.  Helps to keep the 'gray cells' active.

Do I have a smart phone - NO.  Do I use Facebook, Twitter etc...   Definitely NO.    You hit the nail on the head, Silla.  Too many people are like slaves to technology and I doubt if they could tie their own shoelaces without an "app" to show them how.  For most of my life, much of today's technology didn't exist, and we learned the skills to do without.  I don't need a smartphone or a thousand "virtual friends".  I have a basic mobile phone and some real friends.  

I don't want anyone telling me I should keep up to date with the latest technology.   I'll decide what I need.


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## Eric (Dec 31, 2016)

I'm lucky my wife pushed me into learning how to use computers before she passed on, now I know the basics and all I need to.  I'll never be one of those people glued to their phones there's too much good living and good people I'd miss out on.  The younger generation is anti-social from too much of social media.


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## Ken N Tx (Jan 1, 2017)

I once thought that my wife knew *everything*, now I have Alexa!!!!


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## Packerjohn (Jan 1, 2017)

We just bought a brand new Asus desktop computer with 16 RAM and 2T storage.  I have used computers for the last 25 years.  However, I don't allow computer and phones control my life.  I get sick and tired watching all those losers in the mall staring at their idiot phones.  No one needs to be a slave and there are a lot of slaves out there.  People need to get a life.  Try talking to people, learn to play an instrument, visit the library, go for a walk, etc.  We have a bad health problem with people in North America sitting around too much.


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## StillADreamer (Jan 4, 2017)

I adore the techy side of my brain and the ease it has brought to my life.  People I would never have met walking out my front door are now good friends because of the elimination of physical miles the Internet allows.  I have been on computers since a "message board" resembled a Western Union telegram and html was an evil necessity and now, with a tap on a keyboard, I can share my life when and if I want. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be without my connections to the Internet world: my family through my Smart phone, my creative outlets on Etsy, the instantaneous information of the world that affects me, a permanent soapbox on message boards to "let the opinions flow", shopping without parking in bad weather!, movies...movies...MOVIES... and silly games when a girl just wants to have by-herself fun.

I would never want to limit the possibilities of keeping me informed, thinking, laughing and growing.  I simply avoid the ugly places and ignore the ugly souls. 

The keen thing is, I am also able to choose when to step away from the techy life.  And I take advantage of it.  Quiet downtime.  Breathing in breathing out perched in the rocking chair with my feet propped on the wood railing of my front porch watching whatever happens to go by.  A good book accompanied by the silent symphony of air drifting in an open window.  The company of my kitties who will forever love me unconditionally.  Chai latte tea with a few chosen gal pals from work in a local, laid back, hole-in-the-wall cafe.  A trip to the library where getting lost is a safe but never ending adventure.

Balance.:tranquillity:


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## dog lover (Jan 6, 2017)

I love my computer. I bank and shop, I have a game on facebook I enjoy a lot. It's a sort of 3D landscaping game and best played in front of a big monitor. It's fun creating things with it. I do have an Android phone, I only use it to call and text and I don't do very much of that. I have solitaire on there in case I sit in a waiting room someplace and get bored. Much of the time it just lives (and dies) in my purse. I have a tablet I never use, and a kindle I keep bunches of books on. I keep it charged so if the electricity goes down, I always have a bunch to read. I like spending time outdoors and fiddle with plants or play with dogs...in Winter I spend more time on the computer. I wouldn't call myself savvy - I can handle computers and upgrade every so often, I can use the phone for everything it can do but choose not to, and I do stay educated on the stuff. But, while I love browsing the web, the sun will always call me out and I forget all about the electronics.


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## Redlo Nosrep (Feb 13, 2017)

kburra said:


> Good luck to you,personally I think smart phones are the biggest abomination of the 20th century,must be the worse invention ever...reasons,too many to mention.



Unrepentant telephone Luddite here who doesn't and won't ever own a smart phone. I have a basic Trac phone that lives in a drawer, waiting for emergencies, but I don't do phone calls. My preference is email and Skype. I do have a land line with an answering machine, as I never pick up if it rings.

I feel sorry for all the people with eyes so firmly fixed on their tiny screens all day long, they miss what's going on all around them.

I'd have to say a bigger abomination to me is social media -- I don't tweet, Instagram, or Fakebook. TO BE FAIR, I totally understand the appeal of both smart phones and social media to all of you seniors who keep in touch with family and friends through those outlets. My situation is unusual because it's just the two of us, no kids and no family members to contact. 

I'm too busy with farm activities and my hobby pursuits to invest in any more time online than I'm going to spend here and other favorite sites.


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## Chucktin (Feb 15, 2017)

You said it for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk


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## SeaBreeze (Feb 15, 2017)

Redlo Nosrep said:


> Unrepentant telephone Luddite here who doesn't and won't ever own a smart phone. I have a basic Trac phone that lives in a drawer, waiting for emergencies, but I don't do phone calls. My preference is email and Skype. I do have a land line with an answering machine, as I never pick up if it rings.
> 
> I feel sorry for all the people with eyes so firmly fixed on their tiny screens all day long, they miss what's going on all around them.
> 
> I'd have to say a bigger abomination to me is social media -- I don't tweet, Instagram, or Fakebook. TO BE FAIR, I totally understand the appeal of both smart phones and social media to all of you seniors who keep in touch with family and friends through those outlets. My situation is unusual because it's just the two of us, no kids and no family members to contact.



I'm a lot like you Redlo, no kids or family members to contact every day, will send an email or make a long distance call from my landline a few times a year and that's about it.  We also have one Tracfone that we share, whoever is going out takes it, or one of us will just have it off in our pocket for emergencies.  No internet connection used with it, etc.  I don't see myself ever getting a smart phone, TV or anything like that.

I'm amazed at how many people of all ages walk around with their heads down, looking at their device.....even while driving.   I don't and never have belonged to facebook, twitter or instagram, but I understand also that people use those means to keep in contact with family.  I prefer sending a few pics in an intimate email instead of posting everything on the WWW.


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## Timetrvlr (Feb 16, 2017)

Yesterday I arraigned an appointment with our plumber to replace the water mixing valve on our tub/shower unit. I had to select the unit I wanted from some style options and he asked if I wanted a "digital mixing valve". Digital really? For a tub faucet?


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 17, 2017)

I had a friend over yesterday and after a while he asked me what time was it. You should have seen is face when I asked Alexa!!!


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## Chucktin (Feb 17, 2017)

They're everwhere, they're everywhere! 
(But do we want them?)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk


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## Lon (Feb 17, 2017)

kburra said:


> Well that`s nice,thanks Lon,BTW agree with most of your sentiments,just Cell/Mobile phones,would have to be the most antisocial and dangerous item ever invented..(Or at least many of the users are)..keep smiling!!



It's not the devices that are anti social. It's the people that use them and HOW they use them,


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 19, 2017)

How wonderful that you have embraced technology and are obviously using it to your benefit Lon. I too marvel at all the things available to us and try to stay relatively current. I had an iPhone for maybe four years. Going from the Blackberry to the iPhone was like going from the 8th grade to college. When it started losing battery life too quickly, I got an cheap Android phone because I needed a phone fast, then upgraded to a Samsung Prime I got as a gift about 8 months later. I changed from Sprint to MetroPCS which I'm very happy with. I can get secure WiFi for my tablet using my phone when we're away and it costs nothing. I was told that it would cost about $10 a month with Sprint. BTW, I still have my iPhone. I used it for pictures sometimes and to listen to music since my classic iPod no longer works. I had gotten a Samsung tablet before I got the Samsung phone and I really do like the Android system.  It took me a long time to be interested in getting a tablet. Got a real cheap one for sitting through a timeshare upgrade presentation. After about 6 months I wanted a better one so I could take full advantage of all the apps available, some of which are actual money savers. 

Who would have thought when we were growing up that we'd be able to have phone conversations on the go (remember how futuristic it seemed on Star Trek?). Who would have thought we could watch T.V., load our entire music libraries and listen to music, order food and transportation, take pictures, receive mail, deposit checks, pay bills,  buy groceries and play games from a phone! I'm just turning 70 this week but I hope I live at least as long as you so I can see what technological advances they will have invented by that time. I have a friend who doesn't even own a computer and has smart phones (gotten as a gift) that he doesn't know how to take full advantage of.


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## Lon (Feb 19, 2017)

OneEyedDiva said:


> How wonderful that you have embraced technology and are obviously using it to your benefit Lon. I too marvel at all the things available to us and try to stay relatively current. I had an iPhone for maybe four years. Going from the Blackberry to the iPhone was like going from the 8th grade to college. When it started losing battery life too quickly, I got an cheap Android phone because I needed a phone fast, then upgraded to a Samsung Prime I got as a gift about 8 months later. I changed from Sprint to MetroPCS which I'm very happy with. I can get secure WiFi for my tablet using my phone when we're away and it costs nothing. I was told that it would cost about $10 a month with Sprint. BTW, I still have my iPhone. I used it for pictures sometimes and to listen to music since my classic iPod no longer works. I had gotten a Samsung tablet before I got the Samsung phone and I really do like the Android system.  It took me a long time to be interested in getting a tablet. Got a real cheap one for sitting through a timeshare upgrade presentation. After about 6 months I wanted a better one so I could take full advantage of all the apps available, some of which are actual money savers.
> 
> Who would have thought when we were growing up that we'd be able to have phone conversations on the go (remember how futuristic it seemed on Star Trek?). Who would have thought we could watch T.V., load our entire music libraries and listen to music, order food and transportation, take pictures, receive mail, deposit checks, pay bills,  buy groceries and play games from a phone! I'm just turning 70 this week but I hope I live at least as long as you so I can see what technological advances they will have invented by that time. I have a friend who doesn't even own a computer and has smart phones (gotten as a gift) that he doesn't know how to take full advantage of.



Get yourself one of the lip stick size storage chargers for your I Phone. They are cheap, portable and will recharge your I Phone quickly.


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