Making cell phones simple is hard (Gimme a simple phone, please!)

CNN Technology ^ | Monday, May 29, 2006; Posted: 8:38 a.m. EDT (12:38 GMT) | AP

[butternut_squash_bisque]

I don't need a Jack Bauer phone. Just a simple cell phone to receive and make calls, retrieve messages and store names and numbers.

I don't need web surfing, text messages, wallpaper, chimes, movies, still shots, missile tracking, links to NSA INTELSATs, ICBM launch capability or any of that stuff.

Please, Dear TelCos: gimme something simple to use!

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Complicated cell phone PING!

[martin_fierro]

You're welcome.

[martin_fierro]

Those were the days.

[sure_fine]

the market seems geared at teens, not any common sense phones to be had anymore

[sure_fine]

also, I would like to be the one to end my own phone conversation

[djf]

HA!!

I got ya beat! Bought a DVD player about 5 months ago.

There are FORTY SIX buttons on the remote. So far, I've been able to watch 2 dvds!

(But I agree about cell phones. I don't need it to make my toast. Just lemmee make a freakin call. NO CELL PHONE I have ever tried is as good as even a poor land line)

[butternut_squash_bisque]

LOL!

I had one of those Morotola clunkers, back in the mid-80s, when I worked for Hertz in NYC. It had a charging stand, and the batteries lasted 30 mins. Reception was awful, but it fricking worked for what I needed!

Can I get it back? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

[Drango]

The clock on my VCR still blinks 12:00

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I use a Motorola v60i cell phone. Good phone without the bells and whistles.

[Incorrigible]

I've searched and searched for a simple cell phone with large buttons (meaning, large size phone) that my parents can use.

I have to imagine there's a market for this type of phone.

[clintonh8r]

I still have my StarTac. It receives and makes calls, and gets voice mail. It has decent battery life and is easy to carry. That's all I need. You can still find 'em on Ebay.

[McLynnan]

We are soul mates. I got a new cell phone 3 months ago and have no clue how to use half the menu items, or what damage it would do to my checkbook if I activated them. All I want to do is make and receive calls -- is that SO hard for them to understand?

[butternut_squash_bisque]

A ten year old child could figure out my Nokia cell phone, but I've read the 1" thick manual that came with it - three fricking times! - and all I can do is be there when it rings, or that call is lost forever.

I have over 800 voice messages and I can't even figure out how to retrieve them. I've called Verizon to set-up a voice-mail account, and keep getting sent back to the spanish menu. Where's "press 1 for English"?

Okay, I'm a dolt.

[FreedomCalls]

Now THIS is a simple, uncomplicated cell phone:

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/06/portable_rotary.html

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Both my VCRs - Sony Super-Beta and Sony VHS - are blinking 12, too. Haven't used either of them in 16 years.

[frankjr]

StarTac was the best phone I ever had...compact and only necessary features...none of the fancy menu crap.

I wish Motorola would re-release.

[Spktyr]

Try the Motorola RAZR. Very easy to use, and while it's got a lot of features, they don't get in the way.

[djf]

After the space shuttle takes off prematurely, they'll be poundin on your door screamin "You weren't supposed to push the #999 keys!!!"

[Tarheel]

Not much common sense to be found in many things today!