I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
working by Oct.24. Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
but now I need to do it soon.

My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
problems.

My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.

Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.

My thoughts are to pick a decent phone to start with.
Maybe a phone bundle that includes 1500 minutes to start with, then
maybe switch to a monthly plan after that.

This is way overload here (so damn many choices) but I need to decide
pretty quickly.

Old cartoon: "HELP, Mr.Wizard!"

On 25/09/2022 13:10, Gary wrote:
> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
> working by Oct.24.  Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
> but now I need to do it soon.
>
> My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
> 1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
> 2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
> problems.
>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>
> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>
> My thoughts are to pick a decent phone to start with.
> Maybe a phone bundle that includes 1500 minutes to start with, then
> maybe switch to a monthly plan after that.
>
> This is way overload here (so damn many choices) but I need to decide
> pretty quickly.
>
> Old cartoon:  "HELP, Mr.Wizard!"
>
>
I've been using inexpensive Nokias, bought _unlocked_ from Amazon, so I
have a choice of carrier.
My current one is dual-sim (US and UK), and does what I need it to do.
Should it be lost or damaged, it's not a big deal to replace it.

On 2022-09-25, Gary <g.majors@att.net> wrote:
> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
> working by Oct.24. Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
> but now I need to do it soon.

Why?

> My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
> 1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
> 2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
> problems.
>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.

Get a used one.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=used+apple+phones+unlocked+cheap+price

I have an iPhone SE, which I've had for several years. The SE was
released in 2016, but I don't think I've had mine quite that long.
I never buy the latest thing.

--
Cindy Hamilton

On Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 7:10:50 AM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
> working by Oct.24. Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
> but now I need to do it soon.
>
> My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
> 1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
> 2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
> problems.
>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>
They are outrageously priced.
>
> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>
> My thoughts are to pick a decent phone to start with.
> Maybe a phone bundle that includes 1500 minutes to start with, then
> maybe switch to a monthly plan after that.
>
> This is way overload here (so damn many choices) but I need to decide
> pretty quickly.
>
> Old cartoon: "HELP, Mr.Wizard!"
>
We have T-Mobile, but we get the senior plan that is 2 lines
for $55.
https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/unlimited-55-senior-discount-plans
We are happy with our Moto G7 Play phones. You can get
one used for under $100, and a new one well under $200.
They charge very quickly, and the batteries have a good
capacity.
I'd never heard of this company, but they seem to be well
reviewed. You can't beat the price if you only need 1GB
of data.
https://tello.com/

A couple of other things. Do it quickly if you want to
keep your old landline phone number. Also, buy at
least one extra charger, and make sure it's 3.1 amp,
so it will charge quickly.

--Bryan

On 9/25/2022 8:10 AM, Gary wrote:
> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
> working by Oct.24.  Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
> but now I need to do it soon.
>
They're eliminating landlines? Are there other telco companies in the
area which might continue to provide landline service?

This is the kind of thing that ticks me off. Companies should not
*assume* everyone has a cell phone nor should they require anyone to
have one.

I've stated many times before cell phones don't work well in my area.
It's ridiculous to insist everyone have a cell phone.

> My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
> 1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
> 2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
> problems.
>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>
Apple Iphones are EXPENSIVE. I've never understood why anyone needs a
$900 phone. You're not a millenial. ;)

> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>
That could be the way to go.

> My thoughts are to pick a decent phone to start with.
> Maybe a phone bundle that includes 1500 minutes to start with, then
> maybe switch to a monthly plan after that.
>
> This is way overload here (so damn many choices) but I need to decide
> pretty quickly.
>
> Old cartoon:  "HELP, Mr.Wizard!"
>
>
Good luck!

Jill

On 9/25/2022 8:10 AM, Gary wrote:

>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>
> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>

IMO, everything Apple is way over priced. Good, but over priced.

No idea how good TracFone coverage is.

As for phones, I've had a few but Samsung has been my favorite.
Reliable and plenty of features.

On 2022-09-25, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
> Apple Iphones are EXPENSIVE. I've never understood why anyone needs a
> $900 phone. You're not a millenial. ;)

My iPhone didn't cost anywhere near $900.

--
Cindy Hamilton

On 9/25/2022 10:28 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On 2022-09-25, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>
>> Apple Iphones are EXPENSIVE. I've never understood why anyone needs a
>> $900 phone. You're not a millenial. ;)
>
> My iPhone didn't cost anywhere near $900.
>
I'm only going based on ads I see and what people who have them tell me.

Jill

On 2022-09-25 9:52 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
> On 9/25/2022 8:10 AM, Gary wrote:
>> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
>> working by Oct.24.  Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for
>> years but now I need to do it soon.
>>
> They're eliminating landlines?  Are there other telco companies in the
> area which might continue to provide landline service?
>
> This is the kind of thing that ticks me off.  Companies should not
> *assume* everyone has a cell phone nor should they require anyone to
> have one.
>
> I've stated many times before cell phones don't work well in my area.
> It's ridiculous to insist everyone have a cell phone.

You may be in a situation like my son, too close to the water and in a
fringe zone with inferior service. He used to be right next to Lake
Ontario, now about three blocks to it Given the number of people without
phones and that his provider is competing with several other providers
in the area, it simply isn't worth the cost to them to provide a better
signal for small number of people.

If he calls me from his house it sometimes like talking through tin cans
on a tight string. He usually calls me when he goes out in his car. As
soon as he gets away from the lake the signal improves.

On 2022-09-25 10:04 a.m., Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 9/25/2022 8:10 AM, Gary wrote:
>
>>
>> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
>> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>>
>> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
>> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>>
>
> IMO, everything Apple is way over priced.  Good, but over priced.

Make it expensive and proprietary so that they are the only one you can
the over priced accessories and peripherals from. That was part of my
reasoning when I went with a PC instead of an Apple computer.
Apparently Apples were much better for graphics and video applications.
I am not into that so there was no point in spending the extra money on
one.

>
> No idea how good TracFone coverage is.
>
> As for phones, I've had a few but Samsung has been my favorite. Reliable
> and plenty of features.

My last three cell phones have been Samsung. The first two served the
purpose but had some strange quirks. The first one used to randomly
move my icons around. The second on has a bug where an alarm would sound
when I plugged it in to recharge and warned me that there was moisture
in the port.

>

On 9/25/2022 10:44 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2022-09-25 9:52 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
>> On 9/25/2022 8:10 AM, Gary wrote:
>>> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
>>> working by Oct.24.  Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for
>>> years but now I need to do it soon.
>>>
>> They're eliminating landlines?  Are there other telco companies in the
>> area which might continue to provide landline service?
>>
>> This is the kind of thing that ticks me off.  Companies should not
>> *assume* everyone has a cell phone nor should they require anyone to
>> have one.
>>
>> I've stated many times before cell phones don't work well in my area.
>> It's ridiculous to insist everyone have a cell phone.
>
>
> You may be in a situation like my son, too close to the water and in a
> fringe zone with inferior service. He used to be right next to Lake
> Ontario, now about three blocks to it Given the number of people without
> phones and that his provider is competing with several other providers
> in the area, it simply isn't worth the cost to them to provide a better
> signal for small number of people.
>
> If he calls me from his house it sometimes like talking through tin cans
> on a tight string. He usually calls me when he goes out in his car. As
> soon as he gets away from the lake the signal improves.
>
>
Fringe area, yeah. There simply aren't that many cell towers out here
on this string of islands and they don't support every possible cell
phone carrier. If they don't have a transponder (sorry, don't know the
actual term) on a nearby tower you may not get a signal. Might be able
to tap into one if you walk around outside or drive around, but it's not
guaranteed.

What if you need to call 911? Gee, my house is on fire but I can't get
a signal. I guess I could walk around outside and hope to be able to
get through to the fire department or hope one of the neighbors are able
to. Oh wait, I could just dial 911 on my landline.

Landlines also don't generally go out during power outages. Cell phones
may stay active but how do you keep the phone charged unless you have a
generator?

I'm simply not a fan of cell phones and don't understand why some
companies insist every person must have one. Cutting off their noses to
spite their face.

Jill

On 9/25/2022 11:02 AM, jmcquown wrote:

>
> What if you need to call 911?  Gee, my house is on fire but I can't get
> a signal.  I guess I could walk around outside and hope to be able to
> get through to the fire department or hope one of the neighbors are able
> to.  Oh wait, I could just dial 911 on my landline.
>
> Landlines also don't generally go out during power outages.  Cell phones
> may stay active but how do you keep the phone charged unless you have a
> generator?
>
> I'm simply not a fan of cell phones and don't understand why some
> companies insist every person must have one.  Cutting off their noses to
> spite their face.
>
> Jill
>

Signal is a potential problem but usually good coverage these day.
Depends on where you live, of course.

Charging is easy. You can charge off your car. Depending on use, I can
get 48+ hours out of a charge. With restraint and turning it off at
times that could be over four or five days.

I get so many junk calls over my landline I sometimes unplug it. I've
had up to 24 calls in a day. Sometimes I answer just to agitate the
scammer calling. Yes, I've been cursed out often.

On 2022-09-25 11:31 a.m., Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> Charging is easy.  You can charge off your car.  Depending on use, I can
> get 48+ hours out of a charge.  With restraint and turning it off at
> times that could be over four or five days.

I got a USB port that plugs into the battery tender cable on my
motorcycle but never actually used it until just a few weeks ago. I had
forgotten to plug it in over night and it was down to 40%. I plugged it
in and stuck the phone in my storage bag on the back of the bike,
reminding myself not to leave it there when I arrived. I went to a mall
in the city, about 22 minutes driving time. It was up to 90% by the time
I got there.

> I get so many junk calls over my landline I sometimes unplug it.  I've
> had up to 24 calls in a day.  Sometimes I answer just to agitate the
> scammer calling.  Yes, I've been cursed out often.

Have you ever pissed on off so much that they called you back and
recommended you see a psychiatrist? I did that once. It was ADT trying
to sell me a security system. He started off telling me I had one a free
monitor and installation. I kept asking what was the catch. He assured
me there was no catch. It turned out there was a catch. They wanted
$29.95 a month to monitor it. I pointed out that he said it was free and
there was no catch so I wanted it but I wanted the monitoring at no
charge. He couldn't do that. I reminded him that he had said it was
free and there was no catch. He kept trying to explain about the cost
of monitoring, and every time he tried to do that I repeated "You said
it was free. I want it for free". I was able to keep that up for a
surprisingly long time before he finally got frustrated and hung up on
me. A couple minutes later he called back and told me I was crazy and
that I should see a psychiatrist. That may or may not be true, but I
stopped him from annoying and possible scamming a few more people by
wasting his time.

On 9/25/2022 11:31 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 9/25/2022 11:02 AM, jmcquown wrote:
>
>>
>> What if you need to call 911?  Gee, my house is on fire but I can't
>> get a signal.  I guess I could walk around outside and hope to be able
>> to get through to the fire department or hope one of the neighbors are
>> able to.  Oh wait, I could just dial 911 on my landline.
>>
>> Landlines also don't generally go out during power outages.  Cell
>> phones may stay active but how do you keep the phone charged unless
>> you have a generator?
>>
>> I'm simply not a fan of cell phones and don't understand why some
>> companies insist every person must have one.  Cutting off their noses
>> to spite their face.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> Signal is a potential problem but usually good coverage these day.
> Depends on where you live, of course.
>
> Charging is easy.  You can charge off your car.

How would I charge a cell phone off my 2002 car? Why would I want to?

> I get so many junk calls over my landline I sometimes unplug it.  I've
> had up to 24 calls in a day.  Sometimes I answer just to agitate the
> scammer calling.  Yes, I've been cursed out often.

I don't answer the phone unless I recognize who is calling. I've said
before, my landline is set to announce out loud who is calling. I am
well trained to ignore it. I don't even have to answer a phone at the
office.

Jill

On 2022-09-25 1:15 p.m., jmcquown wrote:
> On 9/25/2022 11:31 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On 9/25/2022 11:02 AM, jmcquown wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> What if you need to call 911?  Gee, my house is on fire but I can't
>>> get a signal.  I guess I could walk around outside and hope to be
>>> able to get through to the fire department or hope one of the
>>> neighbors are able to.  Oh wait, I could just dial 911 on my landline.
>>>
>>> Landlines also don't generally go out during power outages.  Cell
>>> phones may stay active but how do you keep the phone charged unless
>>> you have a generator?
>>>
>>> I'm simply not a fan of cell phones and don't understand why some
>>> companies insist every person must have one.  Cutting off their noses
>>> to spite their face.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>>
>> Signal is a potential problem but usually good coverage these day.
>> Depends on where you live, of course.
>>
>> Charging is easy.  You can charge off your car.
>
> How would I charge a cell phone off my 2002 car?  Why would I want to?

It's easy enough to find a plug to fit into the cigarette
lighter/accessory plug.

>
>> I get so many junk calls over my landline I sometimes unplug it.  I've
>> had up to 24 calls in a day.  Sometimes I answer just to agitate the
>> scammer calling.  Yes, I've been cursed out often.
>
> I don't answer the phone unless I recognize who is calling.  I've said
> before, my landline is set to announce out loud who is calling.  I am
> well trained to ignore it.  I don't even have to answer a phone at the
> office.

If I don't get an answer when I call a business I am more likely to call
another business than to leave a message and wait for a call back.

On 9/25/2022 1:24 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2022-09-25 1:15 p.m., jmcquown wrote:
>> On 9/25/2022 11:31 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>> On 9/25/2022 11:02 AM, jmcquown wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> What if you need to call 911?  Gee, my house is on fire but I can't
>>>> get a signal.  I guess I could walk around outside and hope to be
>>>> able to get through to the fire department or hope one of the
>>>> neighbors are able to.  Oh wait, I could just dial 911 on my landline.
>>>>
>>>> Landlines also don't generally go out during power outages.  Cell
>>>> phones may stay active but how do you keep the phone charged unless
>>>> you have a generator?
>>>>
>>>> I'm simply not a fan of cell phones and don't understand why some
>>>> companies insist every person must have one.  Cutting off their
>>>> noses to spite their face.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>>
>>>
>>> Signal is a potential problem but usually good coverage these day.
>>> Depends on where you live, of course.
>>>
>>> Charging is easy.  You can charge off your car.
>>
>> How would I charge a cell phone off my 2002 car?  Why would I want to?
>
>
> It's easy enough to find a plug to fit into the cigarette
> lighter/accessory plug.
>
The cigarette lighter thing in my car hasn't worked in years. Doesn't
matter, I have no need to charge a cell phone in my car.

Jill

On Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 2:10:50 AM UTC-10, Gary wrote:
> I need to buy one like this next week. My land line is going to stop
> working by Oct.24. Damn Verizon! I've been thinking about it for years
> but now I need to do it soon.
>
> My daughter is helping but she insists that I buy an Apple phone because:
> 1) that's what she has so she can help me with questions
> 2) she claims that Apple is reliable where the other phones have many
> problems.
>
> My gut feeling (which I always trust) tells me NOT to buy an Apple.
> They are good but way overpriced. I don't need anything fancy.
>
> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.
>
> My thoughts are to pick a decent phone to start with.
> Maybe a phone bundle that includes 1500 minutes to start with, then
> maybe switch to a monthly plan after that.
>
> This is way overload here (so damn many choices) but I need to decide
> pretty quickly.
>
> Old cartoon: "HELP, Mr.Wizard!"

Sorry to hear of your land-line loss. I don't envy your position - it's a freaking jungle out there.

On 9/25/2022 1:15 PM, jmcquown wrote:

>> Charging is easy.  You can charge off your car.
>
> How would I charge a cell phone off my 2002 car?  Why would I want to?

Every car has a power port like the old cigarette lighters. Starting at
$10, Amazon has many charging cords you can buy. Of course you buy ahead
of the storm.

Why? You personally may not have the need but if you travel a lot or
anticipate power failures, that is why.
>
>> I get so many junk calls over my landline I sometimes unplug it.  I've
>> had up to 24 calls in a day.  Sometimes I answer just to agitate the
>> scammer calling.  Yes, I've been cursed out often.
>
> I don't answer the phone unless I recognize who is calling.  I've said
> before, my landline is set to announce out loud who is calling.  I am
> well trained to ignore it.  I don't even have to answer a phone at the
> office.
>
> Jill
>

I just don't need/want my phone ringing 20 times even if I ignore it.
Once in a while I do answer but it is just to antagonize the caller. If
I am wasting their time some gullible old person is not getting scammed.

Gary wrote:

> Well, first I need to choose a phone and then a plan.
> We both agree that TracFone seems to offer the best deal.

First of all, you don't need to do anything. Not really. But you're
right, there is a lot to choose from, isn't there? So much to choose
from it's like not having a choice at all. Marketing is a symptom
that the game is winding down as desperation mode sets in. Constant
changes and upgrades, new and improved bullshit. The etiquette, or
lack of it is astounding yet predictable. Reminds me of the gun issue
where people say guns don't kill people, people kill people. Same with
the cellphone. It doesn't create bad manners but it helps to bring
them out. First they ditch the home phone for portability. Next thing
you know they're using the speakerphone which sounds bad, real
bad - but they don't care, not when they're not on the receiving end.
Before long they don't answer the phone at all, even with so-called
important information, responding to complaints about the lack of
communication with, "What, you mean you didn't get my text?"

Welcome to the crowd

> > I don't answer the phone unless I recognize who is calling. I've said
> > before, my landline is set to announce out loud who is calling. I am
> > well trained to ignore it. I don't even have to answer a phone at the
> > office.

I have more than 30 phones and I don't have to answer any of them.
That's when I started buying them. At first I only owned one. One day
looking at the caller ID I said, "I don't even have to answer it." That made
me like it more. I love owning things I don't have to use. My goal is to
acquire more than a thousand phones or whatever the world's record is.
I wonder what it is.

On 9/25/2022 3:02 PM, Thomas Joseph wrote:
>
>>> I don't answer the phone unless I recognize who is calling. I've said
>>> before, my landline is set to announce out loud who is calling. I am
>>> well trained to ignore it. I don't even have to answer a phone at the
>>> office.
>
>
>
> I have more than 30 phones and I don't have to answer any of them.
> That's when I started buying them. At first I only owned one. One day
> looking at the caller ID I said, "I don't even have to answer it." That made
> me like it more. I love owning things I don't have to use. My goal is to
> acquire more than a thousand phones or whatever the world's record is.
> I wonder what it is.

Why do you own so many phones if nobody is calling you? By your own
admission, you're a loner who rarely ventures out. Perhaps if you posted
one of your many phone numbers (I'm assuming each phone has its' own
assigned number), some of the people from this group might call.
Wouldn't it be nice to say to one of these idiots "Go f**k yourself"?

On 2022-09-25, jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

> How would I charge a cell phone off my 2002 car? Why would I want to?

Does it have a cigarette lighter?

My car is only a couple years newer, but I think it has a 100-W AC
receptacle in it. (Probably under my box of Kleenex.)

My aftermarket stereo has a USB connector that enables me to play
audiobooks from my cell phone through the stereo speakers using a cable.
(My husband's slightly newer stereo can use Bluetooth, but I don't think
he's ever set that up.)

As a pleasant side effect, it charges the phone as it does so. I never
worry about whether my phone is charged; normal errand-running usually
takes care of it.

--
Cindy Hamilton

On 2022-09-25, Thomas Joseph <jazeev1234@gmail.com> wrote:

> My goal is to acquire more than a thousand phones
> or whatever the world's record is.

I bogged the ring circuit when I had a phone
in every room of the house. To be fair,
two were Trewly old with real solenoids.

On 2022-09-25, Judith Latham <judithlatham@gmx.com> wrote:

> Why do you own so many phones [...]
> (I'm assuming each phone has its' own
> assigned number),

I assumed they are all land line
phones (in parallel).

What Thomas J needs is a PBX.

Then he could have you record
the call tree:

"You have reached the telephone
call management system of
Thomas Joseph, esquire."

"Press 1 to wake him up."

"Press 2 to go to the bathroom."

....

judith...@gmx.com wrote:

> Why do you own so many phones if nobody is calling you? By your own
> admission, you're a loner who rarely ventures out. Perhaps if you posted
> one of your many phone numbers (I'm assuming each phone has its' own
> assigned number), some of the people from this group might call.
> Wouldn't it be nice to say to one of these idiots "Go f**k yourself"?

Forget 30, there will be a limitless number of phones in my compound. Each manned by that line's own private secretary. Notice of calls will brought by special delivery service. The lines will be busy. The complaint department is open 24/7. May not be anybody there, but the lines are open and who's knows, maybe if you scream loud enough you'll find you have a voice. We welcome your voice. We want to know how you feel as long as it can help us become a better company in every way.

If I want to tell any of these fucking idiots to go fuck themselves I would do it in the newsgroups. But then they'd abandon me. I am not good enough to attract them with negative behavior. Some people are good at that. I can't win them over. I will never turn them into Thomas Joseph converts. This saddens me and also makes me want to kill. Just be grateful I don't have as many guns as phones. Guns that take orders from me directly over the internet with robot secretaries relaying the message as the guns rise up as one with no human arms attached - drone pistols in the air, dancing here and there, firing away at anything and everything that moves. Pistol Pete the motha fuckas.