Texting on cellphone, pdas (personal digital assist.)

[Crankin]

I never said anything about being rude... my husband was "showing" our friends some function on his I Phone and I could see my friend was bored, along with me, but her husband was mildly interested. I just said "stop" because this was after a week with both my husband and son during Thanksgiving comparing their "apps." It just got on my nerves.
Southern Belle, I used the same system for business, too.... well maybe because I was a teacher, it didn't matter if I had a line of sticky notes on my desk! I wrote meetings in my plan book, but usually there would be an email reminder from someone. I know in the business world, this wouldn't cut it, but it seems like more work to me to have to input the information into some digital device or a computer. Like an extra step. I don't type that well, though pretty fast for using just 3-4 fingers. My grocery list is always written on a pad of paper I keep by the phone in my kitchen, so if my husband thinks of something, he puts it there. I have always been super organized and I have a good memory; if I started using all of the electronic stuff I think I might get addicted for no reason at all. Like I said before, I don't find the need to text at all.
I guess this is the same reason why I resisted direct deposit for so long; I liked to hold my paycheck, not just get a copy of what was deposited. I did get over that one a long time ago.

[Tuckervill]

Boy, am I out of it...
If I think I can't remember, I write my appointments in a 3.99 date book I got at CVS.
Or I put a sticky note with a reminder in a prominent place.
But mostly, I can remember it in my head.

I abhor purses anything larger than, well, my Blackberry, so I wouldn't have a datebook with me. One of my least favorite things about working full time was having to wear skirts, which seldom have pockets. It's been a long time since I worked full time, and I will never wear skirts if I do go back. (Thinking about it--the renter in our rental just lost her job, and if she can't make her rent I'm going to have to get a job.)

Karen

[Red Rock]

I'm a BB person now. Santa gave me the Storm. I guess I have been slow to get here but I finally made it?! I have used a variety of cell phones but have been migrating to someting like this over time. As with others the calendar and Contacts seem to be the thing that is "it" for me. I have been to many places and either needed to know something or had to write it down and then move it to the phone so I could remember. The phone is always with me, everything else might not make it.

My husband and I text each other oftentimes. More when I was working because it is not cool to be on the phone with your honey at work. Employers do not like that. It has been our short method of communication.

I am still having problems with this unit to get it set up correctly. Its been driving me nuts. Are all BB like this?? Arrgghh.

Red Rock

[Becky]

I am still having problems with this unit to get it set up correctly. Its been driving me nuts. Are all BB like this?? Arrgghh.

Red Rock

My Curve was a cinch. What sort of issues are you having? Check out forums.crackberry.com- very active forums with helpful people.

[Red Rock]

Becky-I think I am beginning to get this. It has taken me a while though. Part of the problem is the user is not used to blackberry "think". The more I "play" with it, I am understanding it better. I now have all of my emails set up so that is good.

Thankyou for the link. I will have to check it out.

Red Rock

[Cataboo]

My little brother is deaf, so I end up texting him a lot. He just got a touch diamond and loves it. Has the gps, web surfing, unlimited data no voice plan.

I just have a basic cell phone. .. texting isn't bad, it can be tedious, but you get quicker at it.

I sometimes get jealous of the fancy phones everyone else has, but I'm on the computer or internet so much the last thing I need is it in my pocket... instant gratification.

I also tend to use my phone when I'm off biking, skiing, kayaking, hiking, camping... And the new phones use up their batteries too quickly with all the bells and whistles they have... I just want a phone that'll still have battery when I really need it. And I don't want a phone that I'm going to be upset if it gets dropped on a rock or I take a fall while on the bike.

I also get tri-band phones so that I've got the option of analog when I'm somewhere where I can't get a digital signal.

[Miranda]

I love text. I would rather text than talk.

I can type pretty fast on a regular keyboard and 10key fast too. I was the fastest cashier in the day when I worked retail back in the stone age before they had bar code scanners.

I don't have a keyboard type of cell phone. My cell is a simplier older LG at the moment. Water damaged two LG brand phones. Post 2yrs H2O damage, still working like a champ... keys included.

I use the number pad with the alpha keys. You just memorize how many times you need to touch the number to get the letter of the aphabet you want. Also, adding frequently used phrases in "quick text" you can hit one button to get in the message.

It's handy sometimes to have a written record of your text for future reference. Unlike talking, you don't have to answer "on demmand". This has advantages as well.

Sending pics is nice too. When DH used to travel biz a lot, the kids really loved getting pics of his travels. And he loved getting to see pics of what they were up to while he was gone.

EDIT: Also, in terms of riding... texting can be handy too. If DH wants to let me know that he & the kids are going somewhere while I'm out riding, he will just send me a fyi text. Thus, I don't have to worry about if I need to pull off to answer the phone. People like, the school RN, are on their own ring tone. That way I KNOW if it comes up on the phone will riding, better stop and check it out.

[OakLeaf]

I also get tri-band phones so that I've got the option of analog when I'm somewhere where I can't get a digital signal.

I'm glad I'm not the only one still living on the planet!

Do you find places where you can only get analog signal? I haven't seen that in a while out East, but for various reasons I haven't been getting out into the sticks as much as I used to, either. It seems from the maps that there are a lot more places out West where analog service would still be useful.

in terms of riding... texting can be handy too. If DH wants to let me know that he & the kids are going somewhere while I'm out riding, he will just send me a fyi text. Thus, I don't have to worry about if I need to pull off to answer the phone. People like, the school RN, are on their own ring tone. That way I KNOW if it comes up on the phone will riding, better stop and check it out.

Exactly right, me too.

[Cataboo]

I'm glad I'm not the only one still living on the planet!

Do you find places where you can only get analog signal? I haven't seen that in a while out East, but for various reasons I haven't been getting out into the sticks as much as I used to, either. It seems from the maps that there are a lot more places out West where analog service would still be useful.

West Virginia. Getting a signal period in parts of West VA are difficult. There's a blind spot in Burtonsville, MD that I don't get digital signal in.

If you drive up and down I-95 between Richmond and Washington DC, there's 2 parts of the highway that the signal cuts out in.

Assateague/Chincoteague has really poor cell phone coverage.

Some parts of the Shenandoah.


Doing an Alaska cruise the summer before last, there were quite a few places I could get analog, not digital. Up in Banff national park there were places.


It happens just often enough that I don't want to do without it.

[OakLeaf]

okay, for those who must use vegetable fiber-based information storage systems (scnr):

Distributed Squirrel Cage for Parallel Processing

[Tuckervill]

My Blackberry's battery lasts longer than any phone I've ever had. I can't say that I've ever been frustrated with the BB. My dh really hates his, though, because he has a first or second generation and the processor is so much slower than mine.

Karen

[shootingstar]

I'm almost as un-techno as Shootingstar. I have a cell phone, with a nice At&T contract because my husband got an I Phone in August. He drives me crazy with it... checking his email and just "having to" find something on the web when he doesn't need to. Last weekend I had to yell at him to put it away when we were at cycling friend's house for dinner. We don't usually exchange heated words, but I was mad!
My cell phone is never on, unless I have to make a call when I am out of the house, which is maybe once a month? I don't know how to use any of the functions on the phone. In fact, I had just figured out my last phone, when I had to give it up. Needless to say, I don't text. I really don't feel the need to talk to people that often! I will call or email if I need to.

I guess I run a personal life that doesn't want to be constantly on call/available to other people. There have been uh..less than 6 times per year where my partner and I thought it would have been nice for both to have cell phones for a meet-up situation, non-emergency.

And my friendship circles never demands constant contact...I probably end up destroying good long friendships if it changed to pestering one another about trivial details in real time.

No I'm not techno-retrograde. Just not interested in jumping in on the on-call mode of 21st century life in my personal life. But I am curious what motivates people to text when the technology doesn't strike me as liberating as sitting down in front of a laptop....I did ask another employee who works in our dept. She's around 25 yrs...and doesn't text but uses her cell frequently. She gets complaints from family who wonder why she doesn't answer her phone. And it's non-emergency stuff.

When we are on vacation, he does like taking laptop along and ensuring hotel has Internet access. And when I get around to it I check email, stay on forums, like here. Non urgent stuff.

[Crankin]

I used to keep my cell phone on all day on my desk, when my kids were at home; it's notoriously difficult to reach teachers and so I would get a lot of "can you pick me ?" calls if they wanted to stay after school. I would IM my husband if I needed to communicate quickly with him during the day, but I would have to do it sneakily, so the kids wouldn't see, or wait until lunch. Last spring, when i was subbing, my son called me from Iraq on my cell! My colleague next door was absent and there was no sub. I was trying to teach 2 classes and make sure chaos didn't break out and talk to him. I felt bad, but finally I said, 'gotta go."
Like Shootingstar, my non use of these things really has to do with the fact that I don't feel the need to be so connected to everyone I know every minute. One of my friends texts a lot; she is constantly texting her kids who are college aged. I have a good relationship with my sons and I am pretty sure they don't want me texting them. It's intrusive. I like to keep the different spheres of my life separate. I find that since I am not working now, I rarely turn my cell on, which has made a couple of people mad when they tried to reach me, but hey, they eventually called me at home. I know I could learn to use these things, but I don't want to. I told my husband that I could curl up in a little garret with my books and a computer for the Internet and I'd be fine. I wouldn't need any other electronic stuff.

[surgtech1956]

Looking at a new phone. Not really into texting, but I am addicted to any new electronic 'toy'. We're with Verizon, so the Iphone is not an option, I looked at the Blackberry Storm, can't really justify it - I don't want to pay anymore for a cell phone contract. None of my friends 'text' at least not yet. The phones I've been looking at the LG Dare, LG Voyager. I would probably benefit from something like the I-Touch, wireless connection, music and calender/pda.

[msincredible]

I have a Blackberry Pearl. I do texting and use emails and the web browser on it, but it's more for work purposes than otherwise. If work hadn't forced me to get it, I would just have a regular cell phone.