Thread: How can anyone justify Smartphones?

I've yet to own a cell phone, smart or otherwise. Thinking about it but the trusty old landline, at home, is hard to give up.

I pre-ordered the first iPhone and have used one ever since. The biggest thing I have noticed: I use my home computer maybe about once every 2 months! Sure, you can buy a netbook for 2-400 bucks, but you basically have a computer that runs on a cell phone chip. With a smartphone, you have a computer that runs on a cellphone chip, that fits in your pocket. You can even use a bluetooth keyboard for most of them if that makes you happy!

Here are the daily or near daily things I use my iphone for:
-RunKeeper: Tracks the stats of all my runs ($100 bucks to buy a Garmin)
-Google Maps: Lifesaver. I don't know how you drive in a large city without (Another couple hundred bucks to get a sort of comparable gps unit)
-iPod, Napster, Pandora: Powerful music and internet radio capabilities. Hooks into the aux jack in my car ($200 bucks for iPod, I'll compare this to Sat Radio, so another 15 bucks a month
-Golf GPS:I don't play golf every day, but when I do, this keeps my score and gives me my approach distance ($200+ for a comparable golf toy)
-Mobile Office apps: view PDFs from an internet account like Dropbox, edit word docs, excel sheets, powerpoint presentations.
-Kindle ebook reader
-Ebay, Amazon both have amazing mobile apps. I can take pics on my phone and make a listing, or browse, bid, and pay for things.
-"Gas Cubby": tracks my fuel consumption and car service dates
-Camera: The iPhone takes 5mp pictures and 720p video. I don't own a point and shoot, just the iPhone and a DSLR ($200 for another camera)
-Find iPhone: Also not an everyday thing, but if it is ever lost, i can get on my wife's iphone and track it down, send it messages, or wipe the data.
-Word Lens: not everyday usage, but it uses the camera to translate spanish text to english in real time! It is amazing.
-Epicurious: Cookbook app. Amazing!
-The Internet: Weather(including satellite views), buying movie tickets, everything, just everything. (Priceless)


I can even VNC to my office computer and control it remotely! It easily replaces over a thousand dollars in equipment. After 4 years, I couldn't live without this thing.

It's all a matter of what you need your phone to do. For those that just need a means to make phone calls, a simple cell phone meets their needs. For others, there's a need for the functions of a smartphone. I stay pretty busy with my son's baseball league and am also in the US Coast Guard Reserve. Because of this, the e-mail and scheduling functions of my BlackBerry are paramount. We just did a refinance on the house and having quick access to email was very helpful when our mortgage broker needed something.

I also use BB's internet connection for work (and also for going on SRP and following my White Sox). There will be times I'll be in the field, tracking down a hard to locate witness on one of my cases and I can access certain databases right there, rather than having to wait til I get back to the office.

It all comes down to whether or not you need the extra lights and sirens on your phone. If you truly don't need the extra functions, then I think it would be hard to justify.

I had to upgrade my dying old flip Phone. The guys at Verizon were on me like jackels to upgrade me to a smart phone. I didn't bite. I really don't like to see people more engrossed in a device than learning and trying to communicate with real live people. Besides, I leave my cell in the truck, or behind at home as much as possible. But don't take my word for it Dylan, I won't wear a wristwatch, and avoid looking at clocks as much as I can in this life.

I started thinking about the evolution of phones and thought that there are a lot of similarities to the razor.

A straight razor is a basic simple tool that does its purpose well and nothing more. Early phones made phone calls, they didn't give you directions to your freinds house. You probably knew the directions already but if you didn't you gave him a call and he told you.

Early phones had party lines, everyone heard and knew what was going on in the neighborhood. Men used to go to the barber shop to get a shave catch up on the gossip and know what is going on in the neighborhood.

You had to learn how to take care of your razor and it took a little effort but it would take care of you the rest of your life. Your phone took a little more work also. You had to remember the number and dial it yourself. The phone couldn't do it for you. Your phone would last you 30 years. If you moved, died, or lightning struck it would be the only reasons you had to change.


The razor and phone manufactureres didn't like this as things are lasting to long so they said, "Lets make a cheap handles for the blades/phones and make them buy the disposable blades/programs and we will make lots more money.

These things did no better of a job than the origionals and maybe even worse. So the manufacturers got their marketing people involved. Lets put 2 edges on a razor, They can only use one at a time but they are to dumb to realize that. Or lets add text messaging, its slower and easier to miscommunicate but we will convince them its cool.

This has evolved into razors with 5 blades that don't do a better job than with one and cell phones that can tell you how much tea is in China when you don't drink tea anyway. These modern versions don't last more than a year and are obsolete when you buy them. Don't worry though, just toss them in the trash and spend a lot of money on a new one.

I can think of many more examples but I am off to hone my new straight.


Tim

I got one for business about six months ago and I've found it to be indispensable. All the functions I've needed for work for a long time now in one handheld device: GPS, Digital Camera, Email, Phone, Tape Recorder, Calculator. Internet is nice too.

For personal use, to me it's like all other similar related technology: Once you get it and use it regularly, you think you can't live without it. But, of course you can. The internal fight is whether or not you want to live without being plugged in constantly.

My one fight I'm still winning is that I have yet to start a Facebook account for myself. M'eh.

Chris L