Computers? Love them. Use them. And I’ve become a rather prolific author of text messages, taking the opportunity to perfect my grammar and spelling by fighting the urge to abbreviate.
My home and work computers are separated by about 20 to 25 minutes of driving time, so I’m never that far away from getting information from one. And I have a laptop I often take around in case I can’t wait and need to duck into a coffee shop or fast-food outlet to tap into their Wi-Fi.
So, I’m no anti-techie, thank you very much, which is an important preface to saying that I don’t have a smartphone. I don’t want one, don’t need one and have had a simply lovely time chuckling over how the latest craze in them — iPhone 5 — had the complaints start erupting almost as soon as the last guy at the end of that last all-night line got one. Something about maps. More on that in a minute.
Do I doubt smartphones’ ability to provide all kinds of information at your fingertips? Of course not. They are fabulous inventions, and I know that any day now they’re going to come out with one that you can also shave with, if they haven’t already.
My reason for smartphone aversion is simple: I just like saving about $500 a year in mobile Internet access charges by waiting until I get to work, or home, to find out something I really don’t need right this very minute. After all, I’m not a stock broker or an astronaut.
The allure of these wonderful devices, however, is that they make you feel like one of these cool kinds of people. And look like one. Which makes smartphones the 21st century version of the full-size, chrome-covered, four-door, eight-miles-to-the-gallon American sedan of the 1960s: They seated six people, heck — maybe eight thin ones — but usually that Plymouth Fury or Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight only carried Dad back and forth to work.
Of course, back then, gas was about 25 cents a gallon. Today, smartphones have all kinds of fees, plenty of extra costs for various accessories and many of the most desirable apps cost money to download.
I’m not here to speak for anyone but myself; you want a smartphone, you have my blessing, although at this point you may consider me someone who lives without the information these marvelous devices provide. Not so.
For example, as Christmas approaches each year I buy a $7.95 U.S. road atlas for the upcoming year and through my auto-club membership I get maps of the Valley and Arizona for about half that cost each.
They’re kept in the glove box (the atlas is in the back seat). I need to know where something is, I pull over, take one of them out, spend about the time smartphone owners take to look up locations using their GPS systems, find where I’m going and then head back on the road.
Also in the car is the (free) smaller-size phone book, dropped on my doorstep once a year, listing only businesses. I pull over, let my fingers do the walking, find the business, its address and phone number, then check my map if I don’t know where it is. Elapsed time: Two minutes. Value of the experience: Priceless. Literally.
Movie times? Restaurants to choose from? A play or concert coming up? If I’m neither at home nor at work, in boxes on sidewalks and outside businesses all over town are free publications that list this stuff.
Another example that isn’t in print: My favorite movie-theater chain has every one of its films and show times available on recordings accessible by (I hope you’re sitting down) using a phone to actually call a phone number. Low-tech, yes, but hearing the words, “For show times, press 1!” is also free.
Again, I’m no Luddite. Smartphones are cool to use and to have. And judging from all the paeans that filled my Facebook page when Steve Jobs died (I’ve seen less passionate eulogies for people’s relatives), I’m not going to convince too many people of my point of view.
Frankly, though, I just am not inconvenienced in the least by turning to other, quite easily available means to get information while saving the extra bucks it costs just to have and maintain a smartphone.
Naturally, I have friends with smartphones who correctly predict that the day is coming when I will walk into a phone store and find that they no longer sell garden-variety cell phones. Then, one told me, I’ll have to get a smartphone, and “you’ll be amazed by the convenience.”
Oh, I’m sure I will. And I’ll also be amazed by what it costs to be amazed.
Read Tribune contributing columnist Mark J. Scarp’s opinions here on Sundays. Reach him at mscarp1@cox.net.
Arizona Willie posted at 8:54 am on Sun, Sep 30, 2012.
Mark, like you, I am no Luddite. I build my own computers and use them all day long. I have a desktop, a laptop, and a tablet.
So I fear not the ubiquitous machines.
And, like you, I have only a regular cellphone. Mine doesn't even take pictures. < gasp >
As much as I love computers, and I do, I see little to no use for one in my life.
I am almost always in reach of a wireless network and my tablet ( which I take everywhere ) can fetch any info I need.
The data fees for smartphones are outrageous!
My simple little cell does the job quite nicely. I don't need to see the person I am talking to ... and they most certainly appreciate not seeing my mug, especially before noon.
rdavis922 posted at 12:49 pm on Sun, Sep 30, 2012.
There is one good reason that I have a smartphone. I use Boost Mobile. I only pay $45 a month for unlimited everything, and the price would not be any different with a regular cell phone. I bought the cheapest Android that they had, while it was on sale. I only paid $100 for the phone.
If not for the fact that there are no longer that many pay phones, I would not even have a cell phone. I rarely use it, but as I drive for a living I need a way to contact people in an emergency.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:37 am on Mon, Oct 1, 2012.
rdavis922 ... I got my cell for $20 at Fry's and get free minutes for buying some of our groceries there.
I pay $5.47 a month for some fee but that's it.
For $5 a month I have a cell phone that gets and makes phone calls which is all that is required.
I can get along without playing games on the phone -- that's what my tablet is for :)
As long as I'm in range of a wi-fi hotspot ( free ) I can access the net with the tablet ... don't need to do the same thing on the phone too.
And, if I'm not in range of free wi-fi at the moment -- it'll wait.
rdavis922 posted at 1:46 pm on Tue, Oct 2, 2012.
Like you said, you get free minutes when you shop at Frys, but you didn't say how many minutes. I don't shop at Frys enough to get more than 20 minutes a month. My phone is unlimited in the amount of minutes, data and text that I send and receive. I could easily have gotten a cheap phone and paid for minutes, but I don't like being limited on how long I can talk when I need to. Especially considering that I'm driving for a living, I can't rely on a telephone that, if I need it, will tell me that I'm out of minutes.
If it was a cheap phone with unlimited minutes, I couldn't find a service that is cheaper and also has as wide a coverage area.
Plus, even cheap tablets cost more than I paid for my phone.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:23 am on Wed, Oct 3, 2012.
Yes, it just depends on a persons needs.
I don't make a lot of calls and I'm usually at home 95% of the time anyway. So my need of a cell phone is much less than many people.
I have it just in case of an accident while out or if I need to call home for some reason or if Da Boss wants to call me.
Some months probably go by that I don't make a single call.
Which is why a $5 / month deal is ideal for me and why I don't need a $50 / month smartphone.
If, like you, I was driving all the time I would probably want something better. Not necessarily a smart phone but with unlimited minutes.
Just whatever a person feels they need.