Posted by Michelle/AL on 1/11/09 12:37pm
Msg #274152

PDAs and Cellphones: Get Over It! Right?

My phone is > 2 years old. I've dropped it numerous times but it just keeps on working. My only problem now is the battery needs to be replaced and Verizon no longer sells any accessories for my phone. Their suggestion....buy a new phone. I know I'm whining so I'll keep it brief. Why is it that a 2 year old phone is considered an old phone? Having the latest and greatest technology has never been important to me. I just need something that is efficient, reliable and accurate. I don't use half the gadgets on my current PDA. My guess is that the next new phone I buy will have even more features that will lie dormant and never be used by me. If I could convince my three key customers to contact me via CB radio and if I didn't need to check email on the road, I'd toss my PDA in a heartbeat. OK my whine is over.

Seriously though, does anyone have suggestions on where I should look to purchase older model cell phone and PDA batteries? Ebay?

Reply by rengel/CA on 1/11/09 12:48pm
Msg #274154

I resisted buying a crackberry or smartphone for quite a while. Then I broke down and bought a crackberry. I love it! It's a telephone and PDA in one! One less device to carry and charge, and worry about.

My .02

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 1/11/09 1:14pm
Msg #274157

I had a similar experience last May when my Palm Treo died on me. Only, that last drop was the drop of death. It shattered completely. I had insurance on it and wanted another Treo Smartphone, but the sales person at Sprint convinced to try the Blackberry. Priror to the Blackberry I used few features of the Treo at all. But now with the Blackberry, well.... they don't call it "Crackberry" for nothing. I love it. I was totally worth the change. I can't even imagine going back to a Palm device now.

I know it doesn't really answer your question, though.

For batteries, try these guys: http://www.batteries4less.com/

or here: http://www.batteries.com/cell-phone/

Reply by Michelle/AL on 1/11/09 1:17pm
Msg #274159

Thanks, Marian. I can read between the lines

...I need to go ahead and get hooked on crack, right? : ) There is a Batteries 4 Less near the Verizon store. I'll stop in there first and see if they've got one for my Samsung device.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 1/11/09 1:23pm
Msg #274160

Wow! Batteries.com has it! n/m

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/11/09 3:16pm
Msg #274164

I sure hear ya. Planned obsolelence. My old phone was

perfectly dandy. Ring, answer, talk, hangup. Dial, ring, talk, hangup. I was such a happy cavegirl.

Old phone wouldn't hold a charge, no matter how new the battery (expensive!) No cure, evidently, but to replace with a *new* model.

I did, but still didn't go with the 'does everything.' If I did all that on the road, I'd be parked longer than I'd be driving.

Am I pathetic? I still "dial" numbers. Ok. Pretty pathetic.

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/11/09 3:46pm
Msg #274166

Am I pathetic? Maybe, but so am I.

I have learned to text on a ten-key pad rather nicely. I usually pick the phone which is the near cheapest on the list of T-Mobile when I "upgrade".

(I upgrade whenever I want a second phone.)

I don't have a hard wired phone and only use my cell so I tend to wear them out and ALWAYS keep a spare on hand.

I've also bought phones off of ebay and came out just fine.

I've never busted, screwed up (beyond working order) or lost a cell phone, but just let me get one of those new computer doo dads (Like an IPhone or a Blackberry) and I'll be sunk by constantly doing all of the above.

I loaned one of the college kids at my office my one-before-last spare cell phone when I saw what he was using one day.

Picture this: He's a power lifter. Massive shoulders, shaggy blond hair...can give a surly lineman look at the drop of a hat. One day I hear "Stand By Your Man" playing in his pocket (phone ringer) and he pulls out a lavender sparkly-with-pink Nokia that was huge...one of the oldies. His momma didn't raise no fool. He had lost his and she was generous enough to provide him her spare...you lose one, son, and you get to hear Tammy singing. LOL. It was hilarious watching him use it. Now, there's a fella though who is comfortable in his own skin.

I took pity on him and brought him my black flip phone spare to get him by til his contract ran out. Totally good kid. He gave me a $40 Starbucks card for Christmas.

However, there's something to be said for those old Nokia's sizes. My mom still uses hers. I've tried to get her to "upgrade" but it's pointless. Hers is aging and won't last much longer. She hates the much smaller interface. I've looked into JitterBugs but they want an arm and a leg for their service. One day a crash of function will force her to upgrade it.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/11/09 4:43pm
Msg #274169

I got Dad the Jitterbug - mainly so he can be "on tap"

when he leaves the house. He doesn't really use a cell much (won't quit the landline) and so for the time he requires, it's pretty cheap because it comes with real live operators for emergencies. Huge buttons, big display, yadda yadda.

Oooh, sparklies? Now, that's progress. Love that story...you deserve every sip of that present.

I love the bigger phones. Those teensy buttons...grrr.

I know, I know, pathetic...

Reply by BrendaTx on 1/11/09 5:11pm
Msg #274171

Re: I got Dad the Jitterbug - mainly so he can be "on tap"

Those teensy buttons...

My grandmother and Mother's sisters could have been actresses for the Seinfeld episode where Jerry dates the woman with "man hands". Wonderful, strong, substantial hands, but not made for tiny little nothing-buttons. One fingertip of hers covers two of my little cell phone's buttons and that's so frustrating for her.

She's not big on the cell phone but her boyfriends's kids call them a lot on that phone...it's her fault though...I can laugh about this because I know...LOL...she's nosy and picks up the extension to "chat" and say "hi" when they are talking to their dad. If they call on her cell phone then she can't talk and listen in. I totally get it. ( Boyfriend obviously doesn't have a cell phone...I'm not even going there today...that's THEIR business...not mine. )

Reply by Doris_CO on 1/11/09 4:23pm
Msg #274167

Re: I sure hear ya. Planned obsolelence. My old phone was

I have an old Samsung and I'm with Verizon. The only extra thing I can do with the phone besides talking is sending text messages. My battery is slowly dying also. I've tried twice to upgrade my phone and the new phones just don't receive service like my old one. I would sit by the new cell phone and call from the house phone and the phone never rang, the call would go to voice mail. I've sent both back to Verizon. You'd think the newer phones would have more power but I think all the add on's take away from the service reception. That's just mho.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 1/11/09 4:41pm
Msg #274168

Re: I sure hear ya. Planned obsolelence. My old phone was

Ewwww! Scary thought! I have a 2-year old (I think) Samsung that works just fine - including the battery, with all the features I want, except for email. I do what Brenda does. When it's time to renew my T-Mobile contract, I check out what freebies they have on offer. (Last time, I think I may have pitched in all of $20 or so to get something a little bit better.) At my home, most of the time I just get 1-3 bars, so the thought of losing reception capability by upgrading is worrisome.

My contract is up again in the next month or two, and I've been considering upgrading to something like the Blackberry so I can receive & send emails easily on the fly (with a full QUERTY keyboard). I'm resisting, though, because I have such an inexpensive plan that isn't even available from my carrier anymore (I've been with T-Mobile since they moved into my area) and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to get anything close with someone else. So far, I very rarely have a problem going over the allowable minutes. For those of you with a Blackberry, have you found your usage costs to be much higher due to email, texting, etc.? Anyone willing to give up what their monthly costs add up to? Thanks.

Reply by Philip Johnson on 1/11/09 4:49pm
Msg #274170

Go to Craigs list and buy one from

some teenager who is selling their 3 month old phone to get the newest one. Let them take the loss and you get a phone that you just swap sim cards into.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 1/11/09 5:20pm
Msg #274173

Q: Are all sim cars created equal? Is it the sim card that

turns, say a T-Moibile into a Verison phone?

Reply by pat/WA on 1/11/09 5:31pm
Msg #274174

Batteries Plus

If you have a store called Batteries Plus, try them. They are fantastic!

Reply by Doris_CO on 1/11/09 5:54pm
Msg #274175

Re: Q: Are all sim cars created equal? Is it the sim card that

Verizon phones don't have Sim cards, unfortunately. As far as I know, there are only two companies that use Sim cards. T-Mobile is one, I don't remember who the other one is.

Reply by jba/fl on 1/11/09 6:05pm
Msg #274178

Re: Q: Are all sim cars created equal? Is it the sim card that

AT&T is the other with sim card.

I get most of my phones from freecycle.org - someone is always upgrading and has their old one lying about. Or, I go to WalMart (confession, I know) and get a go phone for $15 (they are $80 at ATT), run it over to ATT and they program the sim for my number. That leaves me with extra sim, in case of loss or damage. The $15 phone is very simple, large displays but great ring tones that one can hear over radios while driving, or if using for alarm clock loud enough to wake one.(or two) I don't use the bells and whistles so suits my needs fine. Also, solves the low battery problem. Batteries cost more than $15.

Reply by John_NorCal on 1/11/09 6:29pm
Msg #274191

Re: Q: Are all sim cars created equal? Is it the sim card that

In order to turn your phone from, say, T-Mobile to AT&T you would have to have an unlocked phone. That's one benefit of having an unlocked phone, the other is that if the phone is a quad band or a least a tri-band, then you can take it to Europe and buy a local sim card there to have service while traveling.

Reply by MW/VA on 1/11/09 6:08pm
Msg #274182

What burns me about all the companies is that they get you for a two-year extension of your contract every time you need to change phones. That's the hook, and why they keep marketing all the latest & greatest "must have it" gadget phones. I'm tired of the whole contract gimmick thing!

Reply by Philip Johnson on 1/11/09 6:44pm
Msg #274194

I'm a 4 year+ customer of tmobile

and have been on month to month for over 3 years. You don't have to take any contract at all, but that means you buy the phone or have a phone. The two years are to help pay for the phone.

Here is an example of what I was saying about Craigs list. This is my county's listing today.

http://portland.craigslist.org/search/sss/clk?query=tmobile

Reply by sueharke on 1/11/09 9:59pm
Msg #274204

I went to a local store "Batteries Plus" or something like that. They sell batteries for anything.