It's bad enough I have a cell phone

[Peegee]

...but do they really have to have all these gadgets in even the cheapest phones?

My cell phones have always only had:

- cell phone
- satellite-oriented local time display
- calculator
- tip calculator for people who can't add 10% of something + half of that value to the bill
- a phone book

I don't need anything else. Now let's compare one of the cheapest LG / Telus phones I can find:

- all of the above
- 1.3-2.0 gigapixel camera (wtf trash)
- mp3 player (trashy speakers, ~128/256 MB of memory)
- customizable ringtones
- customizable background image (admittedly a good thing)
- blah blah

The point is that *I* have no need for such things, but obviously the vast majority of you (often the cause of my ire) do, because all I can find are phones that cost more money for things that I have absolutely no need for.

Since I probably won't get many people on my side, I'll just rant and moan about how I have to hope that my phone has no hardware problems (the Kyocera I had 4 years ago has a hardware issue with its battery / power system), and doesn't break. Even so, eventually Telus will discontinue my service to my phone if enough years pass, and by then, I'm sure I'll have to buy a phone with a built in GPS, laser guided measuring tape, shark mounted laser guns, and an arsenal of pika-related banality.

Ugh.

Topic: Are you an old fashioned coot when it comes to technology? And even if you aren't, are there things you'd prefer nobody touch? If not, what the heck is wrong with you (or me)?

=(

[Zeldy]

My phone is pretty damn basic. For what I use it for it really isnt important to have all those fancy gadgets you mentioned. Im happy aslong as its somewhat fashionable, has a camera (even if it is ) and can text. My phone doesn't have blue tooth, it can't play music and its a complete brick. I have the Sagem Myv65.

[Jojee]

Yeah, I don't use any of those fancy gadgets either I do have a camera on my phone, but as is, I have no idea what to do with it because I don't know how to connect to the internets using my phone to put it online, so I don't use it.

It'd be nice if I had games (I have like... 1 really crappy one atm xD) on my phone, so I can use it to pass time. :3

[Bunny]

My phone's most advanced feature is the ability to recieve text messages. I have a digital camera, mp3 player, and I use my phone as a replacement for my watch, so the clock background image works for me. That's about all I need.

I need to upgrade it still though, because my phone is old and dying.

[Luara]

I like cell phones

[Mirage]

I don't mind cameras on my mobile phones. They enable me to take photos of stuff where I would never bring a regular digital camera. MP3 playback is nice to be able to use MP3 ringtones, but I don't care about how much additional space there is for music. Besides, you're supposed to use headphones for music on your phone. The proper music phones are actually pretty good at playing music, and 2 GB memory cards are really cheap, but I don't really like using all the battery life on that. Customizable ring tones are a good thing. I want to use nerdy tunes for ringtones. Wallpapers are also a good thing.

I also like to use my phone for internet when I'm on the bus, or stuff like that. Because of that, I like high speed packet data, and high resolution and responsive displays.

[Xaven]

Phones today are scams--especially with verizon. 2/3 of all buttons/keys take you to the internet or sign you up for something. To view what you already have on your phone, you have to scroll past a horde of "get new pix", "get new flix", "get new ringtonz", "get intrwbz" options. :P

I long for my old 2002 LG phone (with the black and green display) before they went crap. I guess that's sort of old-fashioned. :P

[Mirage]

You're buying the wrong phones then, or are using the wrong providers.

[Araciel]

i'm the same way with cellphones pg...but my current one is a newfangled LG with all the crap...oh how i long for the days when no one had cellphones and answering machines were new...

[Mirage]

I don't. Those days sucked.

[Peegee]

I don't. Those days sucked.

Back in my day I walked to school and I had to use a land phone to talk to friends. We had nothing like 'internet chat' and if a friend left the state or the country you communicated using snail mail.

You're all spoiled brats. I'm joining the Dr Unne crotchety old geezer club.

/shuffles away

[Araciel]

hear hear let's make an eoff geezer clique and not let anyone under 21 in.

[Mirage]

As I said, those days sucked.

[Ramza Beoulve]

Half of me no, half of me yes. I have a pretty old laptop, my cellphone is good I think (ROKR E2), a good clock, an 80's stereo, a flat TV, an 80's car, and the list goes on.

[Jessweeee♪]

I used to have this ugly grey phone that had a green and black screen, no colors ; ;

All it could do was play a couple of games and text message...and I think there was a calculator, not sure :P

...anyway, it was so old, they wouldn't provide service to it anymore, so I got a nicer phone, which did the same things except it looked prettier.