Cell phones!

[FreddyKnuckles]

Google "droid x gizmodo" and read the full review. A large  portion can probably be chalked up to nerd angst but it was enough to make me not switch. More to come on what I like about my phone but basically it is super intuitive to use and fast

[peacocks]

My friend bought a 1st generation iphone from this lady and gave it to me because it won't work with her plan.  To activate it do I just put in my sim card and plug it into itunes?  Any itunes?  or does it have to be mine on my computer (which is currently without charger and with a virus)?  I already have an account with the smart phone unlimited everything plan, will I have to pay more because it's an iphone? 

[peacocks]

So this cheapo iphone plan is going to be $10 less than my plan with the broken nokia.  Score!

[jm]

Do the major phone companies buy out your contracts if you switch to them, these days?  I was going to get a Nexus One when I was eligible for an upgrade (mid-September), but that phone is no longer around, and there isn't really a non-shitty phone available through T-Mobile anymore.  And I'm desperate to get rid of this goddamn Blackberry.

[Thermofusion]

Is there an Athens Wireless?

[jm]

I actually don't understand that, either.  I mean, I'd assume that they mean that calls to other Verizon customers are exempt from the limited-minutes, but I really have no idea.  And, given people's horror stories about Verizon (especially in re billing), I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a purposely deceptive ploy.

[milesofsparks]

I don't have Verizon, but I'd assume there are several different categories of minutes:  calling other people on Verizon, calling non-Verizon people on nights & weekends, calling them on weekdays, etc.  some will probably count toward the minute total while others won't.  and you may or may not have roll-over minutes.

maybe this site will help:
http://www.myrateplan.com/

[davy]

And when they give you a set number of text messages, that number includes messages both sent AND received, right?

[davy]

I don't have Verizon, but I'd assume there are several different categories of minutes:  calling other people on Verizon, calling non-Verizon people on nights & weekends, calling them on weekdays, etc.  some will probably count toward the minute total while others won't.  and you may or may not have roll-over minutes.

maybe this site will help:
http://www.myrateplan.com/

That site says I can get a Droid for free with a new plan. I am skeptical.

[milesofsparks]

I believe so, yes.

dunno about the Droid...

[davy]

It also breaks down the 450 min. plan like this:

39.99 per month
Unlimited Night and Weekend Minutes
450 Anytime Minutes
Unlimited IN Calling Minutes Mobile to Mobile Minutes

Which is a lot more straightforward than Verizon's website. Almost every one I talk to is on Verizon, so 450 anytime/anybody minutes would seem more than enough. But still, it begs various questions. Unlimited night and weekend minutes to anyone in the country, or only Verizon users? 450 anytime minutes to anybody, or just Verizon users?

And I can't really make heads or tails out of that last line.

I give up. I will revisit this issue in November, when I have to.

[milesofsparks]

this might help:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081229210428AAMnAgZ

[davy]

Haha, thanks, but again, I'm confused:

Calling Peak means you are calling or receiving calls from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. Your minutes will be deducted.

Off peak means you are calling or receiving calls from 9:01 pm to 5:59 am. This is free unlimited calling and doesn't deduct your minutes.

In Calling Peak-You are calling or receiving a call from a Verizon Customer between 6;00 am to 9:00 pm. Free calls between Verizon Customers.

In Calling Off Peak-You are calling or receiving a call from a Verizon Customer between 9:01 pm to 5:59 am. Free calls between Verizon Customers.

On the phone bill anything that says In Calling is free and anything that says Peak that means your minutes are deducted or used.

Is that not a contradiction?

[alex]

I am pretty sure that means that calls with other verizon customers (whether it's peak or off peak) as well as off-peak calls to or from non-verizon customers are unlimited and free; for peak-hour calls to or from non-verizon users you have to pay (except for the 450 free minutes that your plan would cover).

[alex]

Also, what the hell, you have to pay for RECEIVING text message and phone calls? Is that normal in the US? It sure as hell isn't here (except if you travel abroad - but even then, at least within the EU, receiving text messages is free, you just have to pay for receiving calls).

[jm]

It's pretty normal in the US.  Which is why I urged people not to text me when I didn't have a text message plan, because my bill would shoot way the hell up because of it.

[Ignatius]

If you don't open the incoming texts, you don't pay for them.

[diesel_powered]

Haha, thanks, but again, I'm confused:

Calling Peak means you are calling or receiving calls from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. Your minutes will be deducted.

Off peak means you are calling or receiving calls from 9:01 pm to 5:59 am. This is free unlimited calling and doesn't deduct your minutes.

In Calling Peak-You are calling or receiving a call from a Verizon Customer between 6;00 am to 9:00 pm. Free calls between Verizon Customers.

In Calling Off Peak-You are calling or receiving a call from a Verizon Customer between 9:01 pm to 5:59 am. Free calls between Verizon Customers.

On the phone bill anything that says In Calling is free and anything that says Peak that means your minutes are deducted or used.

Is that not a contradiction?

Basically, all calls are free from 9pm to 6am. Calls from Verizon customers are always free. The only time you'd get minutes deducted is if you called someone that isn't a Verizon customer between the hours of 6am and 9pm.

At this point, it would just be easier to list who you'd actually use minutes on than all the ways you can call for free. With my plan, the only calls that use minutes are ones to land lines between the hours of 6am and 7pm, but it takes an intersection of like 5 different features to result in that. Sprint seems to be the company with the most unlimited "unlimited" plan, but it's probably more than you're interested in paying for.

[davy]

In that case, I'd never use up 450 minutes a month. The only people I ever talk to for longer than a few minutes at a time are my parents, and they're both on Verizon.

Here's another question: what if you call somebody on a different network at 8:30 pm and talk until 10:00 pm? Does that entire conversation count as peak since it was initiated during peak hours? Or do you only have to count those first 30 minutes against your total?

[DCDave]

In that case, I'd never use up 450 minutes a month. The only people I ever talk to for longer than a few minutes at a time are my parents, and they're both on Verizon.

Here's another question: what if you call somebody on a different network at 8:30 pm and talk until 10:00 pm? Does that entire conversation count as peak since it was initiated during peak hours? Or do you only have to count those first 30 minutes against your total?

Whole thing counts as peak IIRC.

[FreddyKnuckles]

Davy, I have used Verizon for as long as I've owned a cell.  I have the 450 minute plan.  I have never used it all.

DO NOT PICK THE 60 DOLLAR PLAN for your text messages unless you are a texting fiend, it is a ripoff.  Here is what you do:

1. Pick the 450 minute plan and do not select anything for messaging YET
2. Pick your phone
3. When you get to "select features" there are a whole bunch of text messaging plans ($5/month for 250 messages, $10/month for 500 messages AND unlimited texts to and from Verizon customers).

So 49.99/month you can have free calls on nights and weekends, free calls to verizon customers, free texts to verizon customers, and 500 additional texts. 

If you don't think you'll use that many texts, you can opt for the $5 text plan and save a few more bucks too.

[diesel_powered]

My plan comes with 450 minutes and I think I use less than 100 a month.

[davy]

Nice! Thanks, Knuckles.

What's unlimited mobile web? Like $10 extra?

[morgan]

I just ordered a Droid Incredible and set up a plan that will have 450 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data. SO EXCITED. This will be much better than my current setup, where I'm spending less but barely ever using my phone. If I'm going to be spending an astronomical amount on a phone every month, I might as well have one that's more useful than the one I have now.

[davy]

How much is that plan per month?