Stepping out of the Stone Age

This last weekend I was fortunate enough to visit family and friends in the Lone Star State, Texas that is... understanding this state's ripe history in ranching, cowboy boots, and lets not forget their kindred spirt for southeran hospitality. I was anticipating a taste of all of these unique traditions, and a week of RR (rest and relaxation ) But before I go any further, my focus has led me in a different direction...

This thread focuses on the advancement of technology in cell phones, and how this platform has changed our lives. I consider myself a simple man, and the life I keep very traditional. Recently, I have established a business with my brother... we are advancing slowly, and embracing the network of social media. Before my involvement on this venture, I found my engagement with cell phones very minimal and careless. Calling and texting seemed to be appropriate. But as time and technology are rapidly evolving, I am slowly leaving this Stone Age state of mind, and moving towards the wave of the future (smart phones.. ie. IPhone/Blackberry etc.)

Bringing this all together, I was ambitious to complete my laundry before the trip... in my spirit of procrastination, I just so happened to wash my "peasant phone" as my friends have affectionately called it in the rinse cycle.... you can imagine my frustration. There was no time to pick up a new one, nor hope for my recently cleaned phone. Realizing my dilemma, and the state it's left me in, I felt helpless.

I accepted my loss, and enjoyed the time away from my recently departed friend. Concluding that we are all in different stages of technology, I welcome your thoughts on this... I recently upgraded to a smart phone, and have joined the ranks of others. I'm not used to the features readily available at my finger tips, and access to the internet still has me baffled.

all the best rogues,

Jem

 

sorry to hear that mark,understand your issues regarding phone features,me too! I just want it to work,more features than I'll ever get to use or work,same with laptop,keep it simple and let me understand the damn things,ray..

 

ray,

Thanks for responding. I guess I'm wondering how much technology we really need?? And how it will effect our lives... I have a friend who can't live without it! It's glued to her hip. At what point do we say no, and let it go... hopefully I'm explaining this correctly.

Jem

 

My place, im very technologically open, i have a PC, plan to buy a laptop for when i go back to school, have a dvdr, multiple game systems, digital audio players.

But i have 2 rules personally which is pretty much i guess stone age thought of mind.

1. I don't accept cell phones for what most people use them for, to me i carry one in case of emergencies when i go out to lets say the city and i miss the train or something, but I dont give it out because i don't like the idea that someone could lets say get a hold of me to talk when im out doing things, the reason i go out is not to talk on the phone, and texting is just the lazy way of not picking up the phone to say hello.

2. Minus a Record Player I do not have any form of technological entertainment in my bedroom. I do this for 3 reasons. A. Makes me go out of my room and makes sure I spend the time with the family, I don't need TV's in every room if i want to see a movie ill put it on and watch it with my mom, or when she goes into her room ill put it on in the living room. B. My attention can shift quickly, and I do not like to be distracted by the thoughts of watching TV, movie or go on the pc or play a game distract me from reading or studying. Unfortunately I don't have a study so my room basically is a study with a bed in it. C. It's just a way to keep part of me disconnected from being so wrapped up in everything.


That being said my brother in law has a blackberry with the gps and all the other features on it, and with his business (hardwood flooring) things like gps really come in handy and i can see where some professions or jobs the various phone technologies out there really do assist in the ease of use.

 

I've got a smartphone and use every feature. Makes my life a whole lot easier. I will say that I do depend alot on my phone and before the advent of the smartphone, the PDA, that when I either forget it or lose it, I am at a loss. But those have been very few and far between instances.

 

Ike,

I'm learning the same, I seem to be better tuned to e-mail messages and busniess connections that are vital to stay in the loop. So far so good, no complaints

fgrun,

Appreciate your response... I understand your position in your stone age frame of mind I guess what I'm gathering from this thread, is that it all boils down to preferences and what's needed. And to balance those priorities accordingly...

all the best,

Jem

 

I used to have a nice little Nokia 5185i cell, back when analog was still an option. It was part of the CallWave internet anwering machine system as a free phone in their Mobile Rewards, and for part of the deal I got 45 minutes of outgoing or incoming call time each month at no charge, and the unused would roll over up to 90 minutes total allowed before charge.

When the entire system went digital, my nice little phones were "stone age", and I couldn't afford to "upgrade". I get my phone service through my cable digital, hgih speed internet, and phone package. Thus my phone is unlimited time with local and long distance as part of the package. When I travel I simply purchase a "temporary" at the local convenience store for emergency use on the road, I've used both the Go-phone and the Trac-phones, don't have a preference. Whatever is least expensive at the moment. Don't have any need for more communication ability than that.

I am a bit of a troglodyte I am afraid, and to top it off I am cheap as hell.

 

I had the same phone for a good five years, before finally getting a now one. All my friends kept ragging me to get txting.

 

Due to the fact I hardly used the last phone I payed a contract for...I went with pre-paid this time. I got a smart phone, that I only pay for when I use it....which it was rung exactly 1 time since I've had it. I do enjoy the texting though...since I figured out how to use it.

 

^^ Hope you have a safe and smooth move