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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

Posted on 05/29/2006 11:08:56 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque

Nathan Bales represents a troubling trend for cellular phone carriers.

The Kansas City-area countertop installer recently traded in a number of feature-laden phones for a stripped-down model. He said he didn't like using them to surf the Internet, rarely took pictures with them and couldn't stand scrolling through seemingly endless menus to get the functions to work.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: cellphones; difficult; exasperating
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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!

1 posted on 05/29/2006 11:08:57 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque
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To: sure_fine; beyond the sea

Complicated cell phone PING!


2 posted on 05/29/2006 11:09:38 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

You're welcome.

3 posted on 05/29/2006 11:10:32 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

Those were the days.

4 posted on 05/29/2006 11:13:07 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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


5 posted on 05/29/2006 11:13:33 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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


6 posted on 05/29/2006 11:14:16 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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)


7 posted on 05/29/2006 11:15:26 AM PDT by djf (Bedtime story: Once upon a time, they snuck on the boat and threw the tea over. In a land far away..)
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To: martin_fierro

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!


8 posted on 05/29/2006 11:16:36 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque
The clock on my VCR still blinks 12:00
9 posted on 05/29/2006 11:17:04 AM PDT by Drango (No electrons were harmed in this posting. Several however, were inconvenienced.)
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To: martin_fierro
I use a Motorola v60i cell phone. Good phone without the bells and whistles.


10 posted on 05/29/2006 11:17:36 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Conservatism is moderate, it is the center, it is the middle of the road)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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.


11 posted on 05/29/2006 11:19:13 AM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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.


12 posted on 05/29/2006 11:19:21 AM PDT by clintonh8r
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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?


13 posted on 05/29/2006 11:21:38 AM PDT by McLynnan
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To: djf

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.


14 posted on 05/29/2006 11:22:24 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque; martin_fierro; sure_fine; djf; Drango; Extremely Extreme Extremist; ...

Now THIS is a simple, uncomplicated cell phone:

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


15 posted on 05/29/2006 11:23:36 AM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Drango

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


16 posted on 05/29/2006 11:24:07 AM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: clintonh8r

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.


17 posted on 05/29/2006 11:25:15 AM PDT by frankjr
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To: frankjr

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


18 posted on 05/29/2006 11:28:04 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

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


19 posted on 05/29/2006 11:28:08 AM PDT by djf (Bedtime story: Once upon a time, they snuck on the boat and threw the tea over. In a land far away..)
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To: sure_fine

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


20 posted on 05/29/2006 11:28:38 AM PDT by Tarheel (Good fences make good neighbors--R. Frost)
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