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Date:         Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:49:50 -0700
Reply-To:     Daryl Christensen <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Daryl Christensen <daryl@AATRANSAXLE.COM>
Subject:      Re: CB
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTim3YZAr9Sgg=nvSoFvuU6M+bUatCwgOansCCi21@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Those phones have too many bells and whistles for the likes of me.. I had a Droid and because of the calluses on my fingers, I couldn't get the little slide to open arrow to work most times..Gave it back and got a plain old flip phone again. Life is so much easier now...Don't have to text either...

Daryl of AA Transaxle 425-788-4070 "On the cutting edge of Old technology" 86 Syncro Westy with a Zetec in the trunk

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Old Volks Home Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 2:41 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: CB

I'm with AT&T Wireless (have been for 14 years - first as AT&T, then swallowed up by Cingular, then SBC and then re-branded AT&T again). I've been a bit of a minimalist when it comes to cell phones - just a phone and phone book for me - no texting, no twitter, no internet, etc., please. Then I got curious about the iPhone and its potential capabilities vis-a-vis internet, wi-fi and "apps" capabilities. Like Don, I was a bit skeptical that I might incur more charges than what I could possibly afford, given my meager salary these days. My brother has one and uses it extensively for internet & family texting to his wife and 5 kids. I mentioned I was thinking about it and he said if I was to get one, get it NOW because as of June 6th, AT&T was dropping the unlimited data plan to a tiered plan that in the long run was going to be more expensive. So I took the plunge and got the bottom-of the-line 3G8 iPhone and its been so much more versatile than my laptop, which can be cumbersome to use and try to find a wi-fi signal to access the internet. Since my current plan offered me jillions of minutes (regular + rollover minutes), especially after 7pm for pittance (I've had that plan for years), the additional $30 for unlimited data and $5 for 200 text messages per month was still pretty affordable for me. I don't text that often and usually just to my brother, his wife or one of his 5 kids which are scattered over half the USA these days. Many of the apps I've downloaded from iTunes are free and I've stuck my neck out for a few that only run 99 cents and all updates are free.

When I did this, the iPhone 4 was not yet available and considering the problems reported since then I'm glad I have what I got. I've also seen reports that AT&T coverage isn't as great as say Verizon, but in 14 years I've yet to be in a spot (even remote) when traveling coast to coast where the AT&T signal wasn't good and rarely would I have a drop-out. Now the company issued Sprint Nextel isn't worth spit on a gnat a** when out of a metro area like on I-40 past Barstow or I-10 past Palm Springs. Plenty of AT&T signal and no Sprint Nextel signal. -- Jim Thompson 84 GL 1.9 "Gloria" 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt" 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug" 75 914 1.8 "Nancy" Full Timing Since March 1999 oldvolkshome@gmail.com http://www.oldvolkshome.com *********************************** On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 9:53 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

> Just curious for you smart phone type device users... How much does all > the bandwidth work out to use these devices? Do they charge you like a > cell > phone for air time and minutes? How much does it cost to program or load > all the apps into them? Are they expensive to own and operate? Not dissin > anybody or any thing...just that it's a bit difficult to cost out what > people are paying to have these units in operation doing all the cool stuff > they do. Nobody I ask can actually give me a real answer...I guess it is > like driving a Hummer...if you have to ask how much fuel mileage it gets, > you can't afford one? > > I know my TV cable was about $40 a month at one time and now I pay over > $100 with 'substantial early termination fees' to have my dish network and > DVR working...and the shows (now hundereds of bad ones) still mostly are > repeats and mostly suck...and they still have commercials in addition to > my > 'subscription fee'...Is that like..."Buy this cool mobile device and get > all > this cool functionality...after you pay for the air time, too and the > programs(Apps?), one by one, and each song you hear, book you read, etc > etc? > > Have anything to do with Vanagons? Well I see people driving down the > road with mobile devices in use in vanagons and I see lots of messages here > on gerry@vanagon with the tagline..."Posted from my dingleberry device" or > somesuch..I would like to be able to access the internet without > Wi-Fi...like while driving in reception areas and camped within a 3G-4G > whatever serviced geographic location...but not if I can't afford the gas > to > get there because I spent my meager income on Apps and Airtime.. > Don Hanson > On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 8:39 PM, Robert Fisher <garciasghostvw@gmail.com > >wrote: > > > On something of a side note, this discussion prompted me to look for a > > scanner app for my Droid (had it about two weeks) and lo there was one > > (well > > reviewed, and free). Interesting given the wildfires around here now. > > As for the CB, someone is developing an app with that kind of > > functionality, > > although I don't really see them tying into actual CBs (but who knows). > > > > We talk a lot about these different devices in our vans, and I wonder > that > > these phones/devices won't eventually replace most or all of them. We had > > the phone hooked up to the stereo for the music, and it faded it down, > the > > GPS app gave some directions and then faded the music back up, all while > my > > wife was refilling her prescription online. Then she looked up the > > elevation > > of Mt. Fuji 'cause my daughter was curious about it since I climbed it > once > > (but had forgotten the number). > > > > I realize that the lack of coverage in the backcountry is an issue, > > particularly for a lot of this crowd (for whom "backcountry" has a > > different > > meaning), but that will presumably change as time goes on. These things > are > > game changers in many areas in the same way that Tivos/DVRs are game > > changers in the way one uses television. I've hardly used my computer > > lately; I have to remind myself to sync it up every day. > > > > I can see somebody developing a bluetooth ECU scanner so your phone can > > monitor your engine. Why not? > > > > Cya, > > Robert >


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