I never really thought how much I took owning a cell phone for granted. Until my smartphone just died. It started showing worse and worse battery life, and now it only shows "battery dead/battery error" message, and hangs there (battery is ok, I checked voltage and it is charged). But, that is not the topic of the post.

After not having mobile phone for 3 days (I tried to reanimate the current one, without much success), I understand, that I lack:

1. communications and ability easily update others on changes of plans. (And I got rid of landline some time ago, thinking, "I have perfectly working cell phone, why do I need it?").

2. I am left without ability to access bank account detailed information (it is tied to my phone number and one time passwords are going to the phone as SMS).

3. I haven't realized, how often I used the phone to quickly look up something like traffic situation or weather.

4. No quick access to the to-do list/calendar/mail, etc. Not so much of a problem, but an inconvenience.

And the first feeling of not being able to call others...let's just say it was 'interesting'. Ok, it was really frustrating at first.

Now... Now I have problem choosing either to buy a new phone or try to repair current one, and another problem - do I really need a smartphone, or was buying it a mistake.

Do without.

Let us know how it goes.

Maybe you could snail mail your reports in for someone to transcribe.

I admire your courage.

About mid July my phone took a s__t it was mid Aug before I got a new phone, it was wonderful, a whole month without a phone.

Phone: a device that you buy, pay a monthly fee for, so someone you don't know can interrupt your dinner.

River

I have a cheap $15 AT&T flip phone. I have never had a smart phone, and won't pay $60+/month to have one either.

I agree with River!

If I want to talk to someone, we'll set up a call time. It's a phone. You call people you like with it.

As for technology, well, let's just say I'm of the opinion that the Carrington Event/killshot can't happen fast enough.

I hope the sun barfs up a goodie and fries it all. I did without it all for nearly 30 years, I can do another 30.

I have only a cell phone, which I seldom answer, usually letting calls go to voice mail. I happened to answer it today, and let them talk me into working for the Obama campaign.

I learned how to say NO on the phone.

For over a year I worked in a group that was doing stuff for the front office and I used to get phone calls on my office phone asking me to search the floor for certain people and even look in the bathrooms. (tough when they might be in the ladies room). I refused the bosses when they asked that. I also learned how to tell a boss that a project wasn't possible unless we had more money or manpower or equipment. They eventually gave those people phones and called them anytime, anywhere, etc...

However, we worked on he phones, held phone meetings instead of flying, did conference calls by phone. All that burned me out for phones. But after Flight 427, 9/11, and the anthrax scares, we worked by phone a lot.

Now, if I talk for more than 3 minutes, the caller is lucky.

Paolo wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2012 5:03 pm I have a cheap $15 AT&T flip phone. I have never had a smart phone, and won't pay $60+/month to have one either.

I agree with River!

If I want to talk to someone, we'll set up a call time. It's a phone. You call people you like with it.

As for technology, well, let's just say I'm of the opinion that the Carrington Event/killshot can't happen fast enough.

I hope the sun barfs up a goodie and fries it all. I did without it all for nearly 30 years, I can do another 30.

$60+/month for a smartphone? For what? Or is it contract?

In Russia, we usually use pay as you go plans, so I have no monthly fees (ok, I pay 100 roubles/month (3.5$ or so) for internet access, it is 30mb/day + anything more would be free, but at 64kbit/s). Current call rate is 1-3 roubles per minute (to mobile phones).

I looked up my records, and since mid 2008, when I started properly tracking my expenses, my average monthly bill for the cell phone was around 15$.

@Dave, I too recognise a cell phone more as a tool. I worked as a part time system administrator, and the phone + PDA pair was an essential tool, cause no one wants to spend their time near the server, and remote administration saves time and the need to fend off frustrated users + there was a need of quick reaction to the problems. And yes, it is easier to say NO over phone.

PS. Carrington Event would not probably cause really big disturbance. Most of the long data transmission lines are fiber optic now. It is the end users and last mile providers, that would be severely affected.

Ok. End result... I bought a relatively dumb phone.

Got small heap of SMSs afterwards and a few calls along the lines "where were you? I was going to write you an email"

PS. The phone manual claims up to 50 days of standby... well, if it will hold charge for two weeks - that would be good. Technology, ain't it wonderful?

back when I was married I would take 4 or 5 days off and go to the mountains by my self, remote camp site, nearest water 5 miles away. No phone, NO TV, No radio, No computer, No internet, NO NO NO. Just me and my fishing poll and the trout. After 2 or 3 days its time to clean up a bit, you take the bio-soap a pot and towel and head to the lake, the water is only 50 deg. Yes, its called grounding and its wonderful, puts life in perspective. If your lucky you will see nobody all week, if not you might have one of two others to deal with who are there doing the same thing. I always planed these trips between when school started and hunting season, a small window but well worth it.

River

Back about five years ago I was working in western Nevada. It was one of those perfect days with the temperature of 72.1 deg. F, wind at 3 gusting to 4, flowers in bloom and birds singing and flitting about. I had climbed a good way up a mountain and was surprised to see I had cell phone signal. So I called wifey and asked her if she could hear this: and held the cell phone out facing nature. She said that she didn't hear anything. I said: "Exactly. No wife. No kids. Ain't it great."

Fortunately or unfortunately, she could see the humor and we are still married.