Cell phones!

[Ignatius]

Jonathan Richman expressed affection for Albany when he came through here, because the payphones he saw were just dangling cords with bare wires poking out, no receiver.

[Robert]

Aren't payphones still really common in the US?

I think there's still just one payphone in Athens, whereas there were over 20 in the downtown area alone a few years ago. I never used them, but I was sad to see them go. Because I am an old man, get off my lawn, change is bad, etc.

Also, I am thinking about getting one of them phones that is more than a phone, like maybe a Blackberry thing?  But how much does something like that cost?  I can't get a straight answer from any carrier's website and I'd like to hear from some people with real-world experience.

I also heard that "android phone" thing is something I may look into, but I don't know.  I am only used to having a phone that is just a phone, so I don't know what I want.  Something with email and limited internet stuff, I guess.  Any advice is appreciated, though I know my question is quite vague.

[elpollodiablo]

Dropped my Palm on the subway platform last night, totally spiderwebbed the touch screen. It's utterly fucked, can't check email, can't txt message.

So this morning I ordered a G1. Oops.

[diesel_powered]

Any advice is appreciated, though I know my question is quite vague.

I've got a Curve from Sprint and I pay around $75 a month. That includes unlimited data and unlimited calling after 6. The phone itself was $200, but they gave me a $100 rebate on it. I got it mostly because I have 47 jobs and need to have email on my hip because of it. Ironically, it's drastically cut my email reading time because if it's an emergency, I can deal with it right there, and if it's not, it's not worth reading.

And essentially, it does everything the iPhone does, it's just less pretty and expensive.

[elpollodiablo]

Got my g1 today and I'm really digging it thus far. My only beef is that some of the apps I was really looking forward to, like Fbook and Twidroid, just don't show up in the market for me. None of the folks on the t mobile forums seemed to have a clue what was happening either.

[cold before sunrise]

hey miss thread starter, i've always been semi-sweet on you and think even more highly of your nature thanks to another clue that you might be something like me. when a roommate lost my blackberry curve not too long ago it was kind of a relief to be rid of constant internet access and i find touch phones annoying and... touchy, so i got telus (canadian company, in the states i'd go for cingular) to dig out a model from the back room that they don't advertise anymore and score me one of their last lg chocolate flips. they come with a memory card to transfer music from your computer, plus headphones, and have real buttons. $100 with no contract, for 100% yes-ness.

[sassymcassface]

Is there any reason to get a Blackberry, really? Verizon has the Pearl for free right now, and I find myself in a position where I can get a new phone. But is it really worth the extra $20/month? Boymcassface is saying yes, because he has a BB and is in love with BBmessenger, but I don't really see the point. I'm undecided, because I love shiny and they do come in pink, but I need actual advice beyond pink!shiny.

[FreddyKnuckles]

If you can afford the extra/month its worth it.  Instant access to email anywhere, anytime, looking at porn on the go, etc.

[dumbfish]

Surprised you like mobile 'net, FK. One of my problems with such things is the keys aren't made for gentlemen who are large of hand.

[davy]

I've been thinking about the fact that Verizon is advertising a network of 80 million people.

That's over a quarter of the NATIONAL POPULATION. Crazy.

[Andrew_TSKS]

They're probably including Canada in it, since Canada shares our country code.

[diesel_powered]

... Until we pry it from their maple-syrup soaked hands!

[YojimboMonkey]

OK who out there is using a G1 or has used one?  Is it a serious enough phone for me or should I hold out for the Touch Pro 2?  Any opinions?

[elpollodiablo]

Don't buy the G1. There are many better Android phones out there at this point, like the Hero. The G1 is a good phone for what it is, but it's aged really poorly and has a lot of hardware problems. Also it's underpowered for the OS, and will be even more so when the latest update comes out--assuming it'll even be able to run it.

[Greg Nog]

I like my G1 a great deal, but honestly, the fact that I get internet on the go is just a fantastic little miracle to me, so I'm probably not the most discerning consumer.  I know pollo ditched his in favor of an iPhone, and maybe I'd like aspects of that one better, but I fucking hate touchscreen keyboards.

xpost with pollo!

[YojimboMonkey]

Don't buy the G1. There are many better Android phones out there at this point, like the Hero. The G1 is a good phone for what it is, but it's aged really poorly and has a lot of hardware problems. Also it's underpowered for the OS, and will be even more so when the latest update comes out--assuming it'll even be able to run it.

Actually here's the thing, my company is buying me a new phone, the one I've been using for 6 or 8 months since my "real" phone died is shit, I've been wanting the Touch Pro 2 but it's super expensive and they've been reluctant to get it, were waiting for the price to go down but it hasn't, now they're saying they'll buy me the Touch Pro 2 if that's what I need but that I should take a look at the G1 'cause one of my bosses is using it and likes it pretty well.  Basically this phone will be my mobile base of operations, as a dude who is on call 24/7 and basically is holding up the internet on his shoulders like a wired-in Atlas.

[elpollodiablo]

If it's all about work, why not just get a Blackberry? The G1 would be a serviceable enterprise device, but that's not really its intended market. I dunno about the TP2, but if I were being supplied with a work phone, I might want the physical keyboard.

[YojimboMonkey]

If it's all about work, why not just get a Blackberry?

No native Exchange support, shitty remote desktop client, it's a T-Mobile account and the options are limited and shitty when it comes to Blackberries.

Here is the Touch Pro 2 in all its sliding keyboard, 800x480 resolution, high-powered glory:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchpro2/overview.html

As you can tell I'm really pretty set on this phone, but I do need to seriously consider whether the G1 will work for me and justify the additional expense if I think it won't

[YojimboMonkey]

No native Exchange support on the G1 either for that matter but my boss is using a third-party program and likes it

[YojimboMonkey]

Also the G1 supposedly has shitty battery life, has that been your experience?


Also I heard it rapes kittens, what is your take on that?

[elpollodiablo]

G1 Pros:
Great Google Accounts integration
Great notification system
Lots of free applications
Good keyboard
Android OS

Cons:
Shitty, shitty battery life. Like, terrible battery life. It's really tough to make it through the day without a charge.
Lots of shitty applications.
Pretty poor web browser.
No standard headphone jack (this was the ultimate deal breaker for me; the media player also pretty much sucks)
Bad camera.
Underpowered--it will freeze up, glitch out, and generally act strange. At least in my experience.

[YojimboMonkey]

Groovy, thanks man

[Good Intentions]

I've got a Hero I'm very happy with. In particular, it doesn't suffer any of the faults pollo mentioned. And the on-screen keyboard is actually very easy to use - easy enough that I switch the predictive text app it has off.

[mountmccabe]

The Hero looks nice but I want a physical keyboard.


I am glad I checked here; I was looking at the G1 but feeling a little wary.  Now it's off the list.


On the list are the Samsung Moment through Sprint (current provider) and the Motorolla Droid through Verizon.  Prices are basically the same for me but the Android looks like a much better phone.

The Sprint plan is cheaper, though - $70/mo for 450 minutes 6 am to 7 pm and unlimited everything else versus $90/mo for 450 minutes 6 am to 9 pm and unlimited everything else - so maybe the real question is is going from a Moment to an Android worth $20/mo and less talk free talk time.

[ellaguru]

I'm considering getting a Samsung Intensity U450. I've limited options, because I'm on a Telus prepaid thing, as I never use my phone. But I was thinking if I actually had some sort of keyboard on my phone, I might actually use it. And while my four year old phone isn't dead, it has seen better days.