My cell phone was ancient. So old I'd replaced the battery in it four times. And the really great thing was that it was so old that a new battery only cost $4.95....
including shipping. So old, in fact, that the entire Verizon store came over to laugh at my cell phone and poke at it: "
I've never seen one like this before!" when I went to trade it in. Anyhow, I was sort of okay not having the newest and greatest (particularly since our budget just didn't allow it), however, the day finally came when we needed to consider upgrading. We have always gotten our internet through a MIFI card which we paid for seperately from our cell phones. If we cancelled the MIFI card and tethered through our new smartphones for internet, it ended up only costing $10 more a month overall, so we decided to make the change.
What I've discovered is that maybe I'm too old for change. Just figuring out how to answer my new phone took me several tries. I kept poking at the green flashing light, expecting it to pick up, and not realizing I had to swipe it. Somewhere on the phone are pictures from my previous cell phones, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. And while I've downloaded the Blogger app, it doesn't want to give me the option to sign in.
By far, though, the biggest issue is that the new smartphones don't receive a satellite signal as well as our old MIFI card did. Which means a lot of time, at home, I can't get online at all. I have to resort to dragging my laptop into town to check my email (because I'm not crazy about the email app I downloaded - it seems so much easier to do email through my laptop). A lot of adjustments at once, but I'm sure eventually I'll grow to love it.
On a positive note, there is one application I've figured out how to use. I keep returning daily for a beat-down by my sister-in-law in Words with Friends. She's seriously good! Words with Friends is like Scrabble, for the smartphone. Would I like to invest hours every day losing to online Scrabble? Oh, yes, please! Does anyone have a spare E?
Good luck on your new phone ! You'll get the hang of it !
ReplyDeleteHa! Learning how to use a new gadget is always stressful. Soon you'll be comfortable with it.
ReplyDeleteI just got an Iphone and it didn't make me any smarter, lol!
ReplyDeleteI used to have an iphone, but realized that we didn't need them when I was home all day with the kids :-) Granted, I still use it at night in bed when I can't sleep! I hope the internet fixes itself for you! That would be frustrating!
ReplyDeleteVery cool how your face is reflected in your Smartphone..
ReplyDeleteMy Hubs, Daughter and Grandkids all have smart phones. I want to stick with the one I have.
As the owner of an ancient phone, It would take me awhile to learn to use a new one.
ReplyDeleteGo into town to get your email? Yikes! The gas alone would kill me.
ReplyDeleteHope it's not so much of an effort for you Lisa -- we would miss you if you went MIA.
Enjoy your new phone -- looks pretty cool!
We still use the old phone with a land line. Out of date but it works.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that today you're posting about phones; so did our friend Karen (this hold house too). :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking with my oldie; tmi for this old head.
xoxo
I've decided that I'm not smart enough for a smartphone!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with yours... you'll get it eventually!
I'm confident you'll figure it out! A smart girl needs a smart phone. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first went to the smartphone, I hated it too. It was just so overwhelming, but eventually you won't know how you did without it!
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time getting used to a new phone, too. Larry and I had ancient phones, and the guys at Verizon were amazed that, according to our phone records, we just mostly talked to each other!
ReplyDeleteWe got smartphones two years ago, and then Larry gave me an iPhone for Christmas. I love it, but I don't think I've figured out half of it.
haha, you did beat me in our last game! AND I'm pretty sure you will win our current game because I'm plagued by vowels!! I can seem to get rid of them!
ReplyDeleteI can't help you out with that E though, of all the vowels I have, and E is not one of them!
ReplyDeletehave never played games on my smart phone, but love it for the email capabilities thru gmail. reading blogs on it is a pain, though, so i avoid it like the plague and would rather go to mcdonald's w/ my laptop if our internet is out.
ReplyDeleteas for cell service to actually make a call? yeah. iffy. i bet in your hilly country it is terrible!
I had one of those for a day and didn't like it as it kept locking so I went back to an old style "dumb" phone. Sadly I am at the library using the internet as we can't afford any service at home right now.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about my smartphone is FaceTime. You can talk face to face with anyone else that has an iPhone/iPod/iPad. I had a nice chat from TX with my nieces in TN this morning :)
ReplyDeleteI have a vintage one I hardly use,just for work mostly.
ReplyDeleteI'm still learning how to swipe on mine--drives me up a WALL!
ReplyDeleteI play WWF on the ipad--need a bigger screen;)
Aren't YOU the brave one? I still have (and on rare occasion use) a "Go Phone." It's some earlier brand of Nokia. I only use it for a phone call, when i need to - Because there are no longer phone booths everywhere America. (darn it)
ReplyDeleteMy phone is not set up for anything other than calls . . and even then, i get confounded . . .
Knowing you need to do so very much in order to share with us . . has made you very precious in my mind . . BECAUSE you mean so much to so many of us . .
Yep - very precious indeed.
love & love
(thank you)
-g-
Congrats on the new phone! I don't have a smartphone so I understand how hard it must be to learn how to use it. I like the simplicity of my phone. I only use it for calling and texting and I'm happy with that!
ReplyDeleteFunny! I feel the same way about my phone and it's not even smart ;)
ReplyDeletetoo funny lisa...i LOVE my iphone BUT i'm not one of those crazy iphone peeps who can't put it down. the hubs and i leave our phones in the car while we are out to dinner. we "talk" to pass the time.
ReplyDeletei don't play any games, i simply don't have the time!!
Just HOW are you having a smartphone for $10.00 a month??? The cheapest we have found is two for a hundred bucks a month, so needless to say my phone is a piece of junk, as I didn't choose well. I have the touch screen too and my problem is if I don't constantly touch it, it goes dark. Then when they tell me on the other end to push a button, I cannot get the screen back! Scrabble, Words With Friends!!! I LOVE them and am playing them on Facebook!!! Play them with me. Are you my friend? Send me a friend request and we can play.
ReplyDeleteI finally updated over a year ago. Believe me your not too old. I have the Droid2. Sorry your having issues with your signal.
ReplyDeleteI knew it was in the cards but I also remember the intermittent service living in the "hollow" and how it drove me nuts! Perhaps someday if you move you'll be "cruisin"...:)JP
ReplyDeleteIt will take a bit, but you will come to like it!
ReplyDeleteI am a Words with Friends Addict...on my Nook and Facebook! Let's play on FB sometime!
ReplyDeleteI think the smartphones are too smart! I don't have one and don't care if I ever do. I have my pay as you go phone that is pretty old that I use for emergencies. This phone is so old that it doesn't have a camera and you can't text with it! lol I'm not interested in texting while I'm out either. Only 3 people even have my phone number! lol
ReplyDeleteI have a Galaxy and my daughter has an IPhone. I've played on her's a bit and just can't figure it out. Thinking I better keep the one I got. I don't like the idea of having a phone smarter than me. Good luck figuring it all out. They say practice makes perfect!
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I will have to upgrade to a smartphone... I'm afraid it will a lot smarter than I am, and it will take me weeks to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, these new phones are loaded with stuff and when i got mine, i was overwhelmed and frustrated. Fast forward ... I don't how i lived without it! I am hooked and good to go although i still probably don't know use half of the features it offers. I bet you'll come to love it too.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be so frustrating! My husband changed land-line carriers to save money and now it's connected to our internet (via Comcast). So ... the internet has slowed down and pages are hanging and have to be reloaded. I've complained and they replaced the modem but it didn't help. Grumble grumble...
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new phone!
ReplyDeleteWe downgraded last March and got rid of our iPhones, but I use it as an iPod daily. Words With Friends is awesome! So is Instagram, go check it out! :)
I was the same way. My phone was ancient, and finally died. I've only had my smart phone a year and now I can't imagine my life without it. Hopefully you'll get the hang of it.
ReplyDeleteI got a HTC for Christmas and now I'm still getting used to all this android and apps sort of thing..
ReplyDeleteI love words with friends! It's a way I keep in touch with a cousin who lives hours away :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best of luck with your new phone. My first smart phone took a while to get use to. I just up graded my phone. It looks like by your picture of your phone we have the same phone. Lol, I love mine.
ReplyDelete