Cell Phones (general)

A couple of things with one more important than the other:


Did you see this:The use of company-issued mobile phones could trigger new federal income taxes on millions of Americans as a "fringe benefit," spurring efforts by the wireless industry and others to kill the idea.

The Internal Revenue Service proposed that employers assign 25% of an employee's annual phone expenses as a taxable benefit. Under that scenario, a worker in the 28% tax bracket, whose wireless device costs the company $1,500 a year, could see $105 in additional federal income tax.

The IRS, in a notice issued Monday, said employees could avoid tax liability if they showed proof they used personal cell phones .

From the comments section first comment and I think it says it all. .....If it is taxed then companies will find that covering the tax is the only way to get people to carry their work phone when they are not officially working. Under the current system at least I feel that I am getting something in return for my free time spent taking work calls.


2nd I'm currently with out a cell phone contract which is fine with me, but I hate my current cell phone, and have been thinking about buying a new Samsung Omnia but to tell the truth my all time favorite cell phone was my old brick phone. Now there was a phone that you could throw in a mud puddle and leave it for a couple of hours and finally rescue it, dry it off and it worked fine. LMAO it really was a brick.

Anyway here is my question, what do you folks recomend phone wise, I don't want texting, (if you want to talk call me) I don't want email I have a computer in my trailer, so what should I buy?

Jack

The simpler the better - us old fogies can hardly see the numbers and letters when the light goes off.

I'm afraid I can't add much to this one Jack.  I still miss my bag phone...LOL.  It worked great, and could also function as a weapon if need be.  I turned off text messaging on my phone because the last time I got one, I ran off the road and into a ditch trying to read the damn thing.  I only have email on the computer, and will only read it if it's from someone I know.

Sorry I can't help you Jack.  I'm still the guy that writes letters and puts a stamp on them and puts 'em in the mailbox.  If cellphones had rotary dials, I'd probably have one.  I just miss the old days.

I suggest going with US Cellular.  I have been very happy with them.  They have 4 different phones (2 Samsung, 2 LG) for 1 cent with a 2-year contract plus on their national plan,  you can get 450 minutes for $40 a month, 650 minutes for $50 a month or 900 minutes for $60 a month, all with no roaming charges anywhere and all incoming calls free.  If you think you don't need a national plan but want more minutes for the price, you can get 700 minutes for $40 or 1000 minutes for $50 on the wide area plan which covers north to Green Bay (WI), north-east to Ft. Wayne (IN), north-west to North Platte (NE), south-west to Witchita Falls (TX) and south-east to Effingham (IL).
 
By the way, I have the cheapest national plan and almost never use all my regular minutes in a given month.  A couple of years ago they gave me 500 bonus minutes "for being a good customer", and I still have over 400 of those minutes left.

I still miss my bag phone...LOL.  It worked great, and could also function as a weapon if need be.

That's excellent!I'm still chuckling.
TY
Jack

For what it's worth, Jack, I don't have a
cellular plan either right now.

What I do have is an Alltel Prepaid that I
bought at Walmart for $20 and I pay by the
month...74.89 including tax for 700 anytime
minutes, free mobile to mobile (to any other
Alltel or Verizon phone) plus the texting which
I don't do either.

As long as you replenish the minutes every
month before it expires, any unused minutes
roll over, plus you get bonus minutes for
replenishing online. They have some fairly
attractive plans too, though if that's what
you prefer.

I just like not being tied to a contract, but still
have the functionality of a plan for the most part.

Verizon bought out Alltel a couple of months
ago, so your free mobile to mobile network
more than tripled from what it originally was.

You get nationwide long distance with no
roaming charges as long as you're calling
from your service area.

As to performance, this is the only cellphone
I've ever had that will work from my house. I
live on a fringe area and Cellular south nor
ATT&T will get service here.

Hell, I live so far out, I get Monday Night Football
on Wednesday!

Michael

Edit: they have excellent customer service too.

Try this

http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones/

I am an old school Ham Radio OP all my texting is done in Morse code

Crazy Daves


Try this

http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones/

I am an old school Ham Radio OP all my texting is done in Morse code

- .. -- . / - --- / --. . - / .. -. - --- / - .... . / - .-- . -. - -.-- / ..-. .. .-. ... - / -.-. . -. - ..- .-. -.--

Crazy Daves


Try this

http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones/

I am an old school Ham Radio OP all my texting is done in Morse code

Jitterbug lol is good if you dont want to call 911, they had a huge recall on alot of there phones a error in the programming they forgot to let you call 911.

What I was trying to say up above was, if you (like I) aren't interested in texting and the other currently popular "bells and whistles",  picking a particular model of phone is less important than getting a good plan that meets your needs and wants at a good price.  After that, then you can pick a phone from what they have to offer very cheap or for free, since even the cheapest phones any more have more features available than you or I are ever going to use.  I have texting blocked on my phone (at no charge), so I don't ever have to deal with that.  The only exception to this rule is, if you want to be able to talk "hands free", you have to have "Blackberry capability" (which, of course, includes most of the "bells and whistles" with it) and which the LG phones I mentioned available for 1 cent above both have.

The Samsung Rugby from ATT is nice.  I use it because of the Push to Talk feature and it is very rugged.   My other phone for playtime is the HTC Fuze.  I use that to stream XMradio off the net into Bluetooth speakers for the hot dog patrons.    I normally play neutral music like the Beatles, Elvis and Soundtracks like Firefly...  God I miss that show.

I thought it was pretty funny that you ran off the road trying to read a text..I am sorry but that is hilarious! ( I am glad you made it out of that safely) For that reason texting is against the law in Arizona. Every day I see at least 30-40 people doing it while their driving..swerving all over the road.

Crazy Daves


Try this

http://www.jitterbug.com/Phones/

I am an old school Ham Radio OP all my texting is done in Morse code

.... ..

FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A TRAC PHONE.

DON'T BUY ONE. THEY SUCK.

IF THERE IS ANY ISSUE OF CORPORATE MALFEASANCE HERE OR A CASE FOR SLANDER, I CAN ONLY SAY TRACPHONE SUCKS DONKEY DIPPERS.

THE ONLY WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE SEEN IS SPRINT. BOTH OF THESE SERVICES RUN IN COMPETITION FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST.

The iPhone ...
simply does EVERYTHING I need
Calendar automatically syncs across 3 macs and my iPhone, contacts are the same way
Email and internet in the middle of nowhere
Movies and music
and even a "level" app that I use to level my trailer
It's truly a computer in your hand thats connected to the world ...

Jack, my take is that the phone model is less important than the servicing company. I use a Nokia and Net 10. The initial cost is low and every minute costs $.10. The pluses are that you can constantly read minutes remaining and for business use it is easy to document costs. A +/- is that in a case of losing your phone, no one can hose you by spending time chatting with loved ones in Ethiopia, but losing your phone means changing phone numbers which can be expensive if you use it on menus or business cards. That said I have used mine for over two years. I guess if you lost one you could contact Net 10 and maybe get your number back but it has not come up yet.
 
It was set up that minimum phone time was a $30 card for 300 minutes good for two months that lasted 60 gays with minutes rolling over if the card was renewed before time expired. Just recently, and I haven't checked yet-they seem to offer  a way to pay online for $15 dollars a month which would eliminate the need to run to a walmart or somesuch and then reactivate a cash card. Anyhow my partner and I both used them as primary business phones for the past two seasons and they work for us...
                                                                     Best, Cat

catnhatnh


It was set up that minimum phone time was a $30 card for 300 minutes good for two months that lasted 60 gays with minutes rolling over if the card was renewed before time expired. Just recently, and I haven't checked yet-they seem to offer  a way to pay online for $15 dollars a month which would eliminate the need to run to a walmart or somesuch and then reactivate a cash card. Anyhow my partner and I both used them as primary business phones for the past two seasons and they work for us...
                                                                    Best, Cat

How long did it last you?  LOL

I have Sprint and only have them because they gave me a great deal.  They are the only wireless service that will cut you a better deal.  They aren't the greatest company, but my plan is pretty insane.....I have 1500 minutes and unlimited everything else for $100 a month for 3 lines.

there are so many plans and service areas, you really have to ask where you will be using it.  I pay about $75 a month to altell for two phones.  My wife and I can talk unlimited and weekends and evenings are unlimited including long distance.

I dropped the phone in my business, but still have dsl.  You can do that.  It's called a dry loop.   Am thinking of getting skype for business calls on my computer.

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