Do i or dont i ?

[Sir Roofy]

Hi guys
can you give me a valid reason why i should have a mobile
there expensive the plans are way over the top and who
wants to call any way
when ask if i have one and say no
i get this strange look from young people wanting to know
why how do you not have one how do you get emails and data
then i completey stump the kid and say what the hell is data on the phone

can you enlighten me

[TPC]

I think you should get one, otherwise how can the government track your every move. :devilred:

[LaughingBeagles]

Mate, my bro in law still does not have one either. That said, having a mobile is a great life line if ever you need haul yourself out of the poop on the roadside. With smart phone technology, they are certainly more than just a phone nowadays too - hard to imagine that the sum of all knowledge is accessible through such a small thing! I guess it really depends on where you're at. If life is good without one, then don't bother. I have one and it's is glued to my hip - I like to be accessible to my staff 24/7 so it's a thing I do. Was great recently when on a cruise I was out of range of four days. Bliss for awhile.

[mudski]

You can buy a phone outright, one thats not locked to a carrier like Telstra etc etc and buy a pre paid sim. If you don't use it much, we have a $5 sim from Amaysim for our daughter, half the time they just send us an email saying, you have even use a 1/4 or your usage, we will just ad it onto the next bill. Lol. They're too lazy to send us a bill.

[mudski]

Was great recently when on a cruise I was out of range of four days. Bliss for awhile.
How many times did you look at your phone in those four days just quieting wishing for atleast one service bar to pop up?

[lucus30]

You can have one of my old phones if you want

[Winnie]

If life is good without one, then don't bother.

Yeah I agree, if you've never had one before Roofy and don't want one... why are you thinking about it?

[Cuppa]

Mate I felt the same as you for a long time, & was familiar with those strange looks from young people. We now only have a mobiles & no landline. Wife’s phone was around $100 new off ebay & has been totally reliable for over a year now - she needs it for work. Mine cost a bit more, bought it from Telstra (has a blue tick signifying better rural reception, & can also plug in an external antenna - worth having when travelling) & has also been good. Monthly costs are: for wifes phone - $44.90 per month for unlimited calls, texts etc (but overseas calls are expensive) this is on the Optus network through Amaysim (http://www.amaysim.com.au/mobile-plans/unlimited-5gb). It’s a prepaid service, so no being locked into a contract. It’s worked well. Mine is on the Telstra network, also pre-paid, using an Aldi (https://www.aldimobile.com.au/plans/payg) sim card. This works very well for me as I’m not a big phone user. I pay $30 for phone credit which will remain useable for up to 12 months (most others you pay $x which you lose if you don’t use it within a month!) You can also get $15 credit which also lasts for up to a year. The $30 lasts me around two months+. Forf phoning overseas - amazingly it costs less on Aldi to phone the UK (10c per minute) than it does to call any phone in Australia (12c per minute) & works just the same as calling on a landline.

Over time I have come to find the smartphone quite useful. I don’t tend to use it for online stuff (data), apart from the odd occasion I’ve found myself ‘geographically challenged’, when google maps has been very helpful. However little things like a calculator & camera & torch functions have been useful, mainly because they are always available in my pocket. Taking a photo & going into town to a supplier & showing them the pic , saying “I want something to fix this” has been very helpful. Certainly this can be achieved in other ways, but the convenience factor is high.

For a while I did have an ancient non-smart phone & hated using texts, it was so clumsy & difficult having to press a each key varying multiple times for each letter. Composing a brief text could take me 20 minutes! Totally different with a smartphone with a touchscreen as you have a full ‘keyboard’ - so very easy. I now use texts far more - this also helps to keep costs down as each text costs me 12c & is often sufficient.

I’m sure you will get a lot more info from younger ‘mobile generation’ folk, but I came at it from being informed by the grey nomad mob who needed to stay in touch whilst travelling & on a pension.

Hope this helps.


EDIT. I lied - Wife’s phone cost $199 a Huawei Ascend

[jay see]

As mudski said. There's a lot of cheap options. They do come in handy
I brought a Motorola that runs the latest android operating system for under $250 matched with is http://www.vaya.net.au/index.cfm?option=Mobile&4Gsimonly I'm on the V18 as is my wife and son. We brought my mum a similar phone for mothers day this year. She doesn't have data on here plan and she's happy just to use it as a phone. She's 73.

I get that same look and a pause when I say "No I don't have Facebook"

[Bob]

Roofy old mate you dont need a Mobile Phone with Internet access as it is not your scene.
Being a Senior you can get a Phone Plan only for about $16 per month for when people need to contact you

I have had Mobile Phones dating back to when they were the size of a small briefcase (Last Century LOL)
They were a great tool for my business but they have become anti social and are as addictive as any Drug
I have seen half a dozen guys sitting in a Pub having a Beer but all continually checking their phones with very little conversation amongst themselves.

Now that I am retired I now have a plan without Internet access and is used for Phone calls only.

[mudnut]

I was given my eldest daughter's
old phone, but to get reception,
at my place, I had to sit on
the veranda roof. It is only
in recent years that we've
had decent reception, but I
still don't have a mobile.
The one time I needed one,
we were in the middle of
the Lower Glenelg Nat. Park
and there would have been
no signal anyway. Having to
remember to charge the
flaming things or remembering
to pocket it is a real pain.
If I do
decide to get a mobile I am
seriously considering getting
a Sat phone that reverts
to a normal mobile when
signal is available. I was very
impressed with Cuppa's
mobile at Bearii. Good luck
with your decision, roofy.

[Rossco]

I think it's nice that you don't have a mobile Roofy. Phones are useful and is pretty amazing what smart phones can do, but they can be a distraction. When i go away i turn off the phone and love it, no constant hassles and you can just enjoy the good things in life. If you don't need one and are happy without one don't get one i reckon. The other option is get a sat phone for just for emergencies, at least you can rely on them to work anywhere (almost). . .

[threedogs]

Buy a cheap phone and a $20 card put it in the glove box and
if you need it its there other wise youre the same as before.
Being able to send pics is a great feature for me, as well as email
Im not too fussed about all the other features, only want phone,camera and email
NO FACE ACHE <TWITTER< TWERTTER what ever
Optus and Vodapone have hopeless reception
Telstra is the go for country areas

[Stropp]

roofy as the others have said, you can get just a cheap phone unlocked and get a telstra sim mate, best reception out there, you dont need a big plan, 40 bucks a month calls only dont need anything fancy if you do get one mate.

[dave97]

I asked the question do i or don't i have a home phone? Answer no i don't because the mobile is cheaper and works everywhere.

[Bush Ranger]

I had a mobile once for about two months. I reluctantly bought a prepaid job. People telling me I needed one just in case they needed to contact me whilst driving around for work. I told two people not to give out my number, as I wanted only a few to know and I knew what was going to happen. Well my number was given out to certain few people who I didn`t want to have it. Only took one person to stuff it up by leaving useless crude messages which he thought was funny and it took most of my prepaid credit. I`m not good on remembering phone numbers either, which didn`t help me in saving the credit by deleting messages before reading them. In the end, I tossed it and never bought another since and that was back in 2004. I have had a few people telling me I need a mobile, I tell them that I have a land line and to plan ahead like I do by ringing them up before I leave if I want to catch up. Worked before in the past. If I need one, it`ll be for work only and they can pay for it.

[Bloodyaussie]

Carnntss are Faarrkkeed........

I had a brick phone back in my roadie days and use to belt people over the head with the thing or drop it out the back of the truck at a gig and it kept working.... now they are so very smart but so very weak..... what do you want it for Roofy... I am sure there are plenty on here that would donate one to you its just a plan that suits??


PS I have a tradie phone that has very good reception if you want it mate.

[growler2058]

Don't do it ol Cock:devilred:

[AB]

At least you have a choice Roofy...lol

Unfortunately some peoples jobs you are required to be contactable 24/7.

I used to be an Operations Manager with both day and night shift crews, roughly 20 teams and my phone would ring 24/7!

[katwoman]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
The man in the hat with a mobile phone ??
Thats just too funny for words...........ROFPML

I'm kidding.. dont do it. The only good thing is that you are reachable during an emergency.

[MudRunnerTD]

If your going to do it then a smart phone with Internet is the only way to go or it's pointless. A smart phone makes texting and email easy at the touch of your fngers. You can search online if you want too know something about a place your travelling to or are travelling through.

you don't have to get on face book although you are but you can post here from your phone, view maps, use it as a GPS, search for info,

Did I mention that they take photos!!! Really bloody good photos!!! I have over 5000 photos on my iPhone and only wish I had a smart phone earlier as I missed so many photo opportunities. Never again, I take heaps of pics.

My dad has a literacy problem and I got him an iPhone and his writing is so much better for it, his ability to communicate via text messages its so simple is a winner.

No brainer mate, if your going to do it you should get a smart phone with Internet and it should be an iPhone!!!!! Fark the haters! You know I'm right, an iPhone has an iOS platform that is sooo user friendly that it is perfect for an new user.

Or don't??? Your choice.

[katwoman]

58542

...........................................

[Clunk]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
The man in the hat with a mobile phone ??
Thats just too funny for words...........ROFPML

I'm kidding.. dont do it. The only good thing is that you are reachable during an emergency.
My 74 year old mother has one for such instances, trouble is, she's either got the damn thing turned off or she's let the battery run flat. .......... pointless. But she always manages to keep her friggin Ipad on and charged up, shes a Facebook freak, go figure

[Sir Roofy]

Well thanks for all your replys the kids the wife all reckon I need one
I personally don't want it or really need it most places we go theres know service any way
and some one else usually has one


so I think its a no go for me im not tech minded ill leave all that to jane
thanks once again

[Maxhead]

Well thanks for all your replys the kids the wife all reckon I need one
I personally don't want it or really need it most places we go theres know service any way
and some one else usually has one


so I think its a no go for me im not tech minded ill leave all that to jane
thanks once again


SOFT! Get out of stone age pops. You'll learn how to use it in no time mate :)

[Rossco]

Come to think of it my dad was thinking weather or not to get one ages ago. He ended up getting a phone (old school nokia brick) but never used it and it ended up sitting in the glove box with a dead battery anyway. Now mum & Dad just share one, works for them. . .

[Winnie]

Well thanks for all your replys the kids the wife all reckon I need one
I personally don't want it or really need it most places we go theres know service any way
and some one else usually has one


so I think its a no go for me im not tech minded ill leave all that to jane
thanks once again

Mate I don't think you need one... Jane has one and when you're out bush without her you're normally with some of us and we all have one anyway... like you said where we go they don't work! haha

[threedogs]

Agree with Winnie you travel with Jane so PPl "you" know will know how to contact you
if you're ever needed in a hurry, they can ring Jane no brainer for mine.

[Sharky1]

Bloody hell I feel old saying this yet even in my mid 30's I remember the days when I didn't have a mobile. Life was much cheaper & simplified. however I remember feeling like I was part of the "in crowd" when I finally got one at age 21. Now I run my business & as such I need a smart phone. But I often look back to when life was simple. Honestly if it weren't for my business I probably wouldn't have a mobile ph at all. They're a royal pain in the ass. Needless to say I dnt have facebook either. If I want to talk to someone I call them or visit them. If I'm not likely to call or visit them then I don't need to stay in contact. I don't care what old school mates are up to, how many kids they've had, what new car their wife drives or what they're having for dinner.

Roofy, it's good to see someone who can stand against the crowd without doing something just because everyone else does.

[mrflibbles]

I have a mobile its an old nokia and I rarely use it. I put $20 of credit on it every few months and that's it (I make maybe 1-2 calls a month on it, usually to my wife!).
My wife convinced me to get a smart phone, I used it for 2-3 weeks before I got really annoyed with carrying around such a big useless lump and went back to my old nokia. Don't get me wrong I don't hate Technology (well maybe a little!) but I just prefer the lack of care I need to show my old nokia.
When out and about my wife always has her phone with her, and there are always others with phones.