Is Switching To Mobile Only Really That Difficult?

from the exagerrating-the-wrong-problems dept

We've all heard the stories about how more people are ditching their landlines for only mobile phones. Especially among younger users, the need for a landline is being questioned widely. While there are still some reasons why mobile-only isn't right for everyone, you won't necessarily find them in this article that claims to detail the problems of going mobile only -- however, the problems it lists don't seem like the real problems most people face. Instead of focusing on things like coverage and reliability that are commonly mentioned (though, they are buried at the end), the article claims that lack of multiple phones and no dialtone for dialup are the problems people face. It also notes that "switching to a mobile phone or Wi-Fi connection causes users to change their usual calling habits--a change that isn't typically met with open arms." However, it fails to say exactly what those changes are -- or why they're not "met with open arms." The article then goes on to recommend a "fixed cellular" solution that basically mimics a landline setup going over a cellular connection -- which certainly does fix some of these non-problems, but seems to do so in a fairly expensive manner (requiring a monthly subscription fee). It's only at the very end of the article that you discover the writer is actually the VP of marketing for (you guessed it) a company that is pushing a fixed cellular product. No wonder the problems it solves are highlighted, while the real issues most people face (which aren't solved by a fixed cellular connection) are brushed aside.
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  • identicon
    dorpus, 2 May 2005 @ 2:40pm

    The Nuclear Weapon of Anti-Cell Phone Technology

    There is a technology legal in the USA that can destroy the cell phones of anyone of whom you stand within a few feet. It will also make their keychains, buttons, and hair pieces fly toward you at high speed.

    "Beware - you must think ahead when moving this magnet. If carrying it into another room, carefully plan the route you will be taking. Computers & monitors will be affected in an entire room. Loose metallic objects and other magnets may become airborne and fly considerable distances - and at great speed - to attach themselves to this magnet. If you get caught in between the two, you can get injured. We can only ship this magnet by ground UPS - it cannot be shipped via air as it will interfere with the navigational equipment on the aircraft."

    Scroll to the bottom of
    http://www.unitednuclear.com/magnets.htm


    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Permanent4, 3 May 2005 @ 8:13am

    I wish I could go all-mobile...

    ...but I can't, because for whatever reason, my neighborhood is a dead spot for just about every mobile phone network in the area. I own an LG VX4400 that works on Verizon's network, and I only get one or two bars in my house semi-reliably. A friend of mine with a Nokia phone on Cingular's network struggles to get any signal at all inside my house.

    Granted, the extra $17 I spend on Vonage every month helps, but it really shouldn't be necessary...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    thecaptain, 3 May 2005 @ 9:07am

    wasn't that hard.

    We did a price comparison and turns out by switching our service to another company and going cellular only with our two phones saves us 40$ a month.

    Things you have to get used to:

    - bad reception at home, sometimes disconnects
    - keep the phone charged
    - no more modem backup to dial in to work when the network goes down

    But there are ups too:

    - got a phone everywhere I go
    - cuts down on useless phone conversations I never enjoyed in the first place since a lot of people don't like talking on cellphones much. Keeps everything short and to the point.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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