new cell phone
Mon Jul 28 10:56:07 EDT 2003
I got my first cell phone (from my parents) when I graduated from
high school. It was big. I had it for about a year (which they paid
the base rate for).
At the end of 1998, I got my first Nextel, from work. For about the
next 3 years, I had a Nextel, from work. Then I didn't have a phone
provided by work anymore. pinkee had a Nextel. I decided to get
myself yet another Nextel (i1000) (with the walky-talkyness).
The reception at home always
sucked. It dropped (important)
calls on me so often. But I just didn't get around to dealing with it.
Last week, I plugged my Nextel into its charger like I'd done hundreds
of times before, but this time, instead of appropriately lighting up,
it turned off. I unplugged it, and plugged it in again, and it came
back on (again, instead of just lighting up). After that, the power
button hasn't worked, it's randomly turned itself on and off, rings for
incoming calls, but hasn't let me answer them or make calls.
I haven't had a landline at home for years. I like it that way.
I've been needing to switch to a plan in this (Boston) area with a
phone and service I didn't hate anyway, so I finally had sufficient
motivation. I'd heard the best things about T-Mobile and Verizon.
Everyone seems to agree that Verizon has the best signal. Verizon's
cheapest plan was $35/mo for 300 minutes plus unlimited nights and
weekends. T-Mobile's cheapest was $20/mo for 60 minutes, and the
next plan up is $30/mo for 300 minutes. I use phones very rarely.
And T-Mobile had a phone I liked more - cuter, smaller, had the speech
recognition dialing and headset jack I wanted, plus came with the headset
- the Motorola V.66. So I went with T-Mobile, and got the V.66. If my
bill is over $20 this month, I'll get the 300 minute plan. My biggest
concern is I don't know if I'm getting good enough signal at home.
If not, I've got 14 or 30 days to return the phone, and I'll switch
to Verizon. At least that's the plan. I really like this phone.
The most annoying thing so far (besides signal quality concern) is that
the external voice and smart buttons don't work with the thing closed.
I can push one and say a name to dial, or push another to answer, both
using my headset. But I have to take it out of my pocket and open it
for these buttons to work.
I currently have my phone in my front left pocket, with the ear bud
plugged in, run up my back, over my shoulder, clipped to my collar,
and hanging down in front of my left shoulder. The phone is set to
auto-answer after two rings with a headset plugged in. So if it rings,
all I have to do is stick the ear bud in my ear.
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