for us retired people do you have flip phone or internet smart phone (supplement, community)
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Never had a flip phone. Went straight from the old Nokia heavy mobile phone to the iPhone. Now we both have the iPhone 6 plus. We have a micro cell for our at+t reception at our mountain home. Works great. My 91 yr old mom has an iphone 4s. Very easy to use. We enjoy having the internet in our pocket.
I had a flip phone and never planned to go smart phone.
My contract was up and I was month to month.
Verizon had an offer..free iPhone 5c (the colors one) with a 2 year contract.
The plan they had at the time (unlimited text/talk & 250MB data) was cheaper than what I was paying for just phone/text.
So I signed up.
They no longer offer that plan but as long as I pay my bill I can keep that plan for as long as I want.
How many of us older retired people still use old flip phone or have come into the 21 centry with a Iphone or smart phone, Do you think it is silly for us retired people to get this expensive smart phone service. That what some of my friends are telling me
I am retireing in in the next 2 years at age 64 or 66 will receive social security, but my wife is still working and we have that old type flip phone with no internet except our computers. Our cost with service will go up a 100 dollars a month with iphone
Neither my husband or I, who are both retired, have Smart or Android phones, but that has been a preference for us. We will never have an Apple product, as we don't like Apple's business practices, but we may break down and get Samsung Galaxy phones or something similar one of these years when it is time for new phones.
Many of the other retired people we know around here do have Smart or Android type phones.
Neither my husband or I, who are both retired, have Smart or Android phones, but that has been a preference for us. We will never have an Apple product, as we don't like Apple's business practices, but we may break down and get Samsung Galaxy phones or something similar one of these years when it is time for new phones.
Many of the other retired people we know around here do have Smart or Android type phones.
Samsung is no better than Apple with regards to foreign labor..just not as publicized because Samsung is not a US company.
Unfortunately, we can't use a landline, as we are off-grid and have no telephone service nearby.
I have been using a TracFone flip phone for many years now. It takes minute cards that I buy at Wallyworld. It ends up costing me about $7 a month. Recently I went on eBay and bought 2 new flip phones of the same type, plus cases for them and 4 extra batteries. The 2 new ones are not activated yet. I now have 3 identical phones (at about $19 per) and 6 OEM batteries for them, plus 3 chargers.
That's the way to do it. You'll always be able to use those phones, but you may not always be able to buy them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah
My wife has a higher-end flip phone that she used to use for her work, and it's on a plan. She now thinks the plan costs too much, compared to what I spend, so I will give her one of my spares when her plan expires. Neither one of us has much interest in phones: we grew up using them to call people, and still use them for that. My grandkids like to text me, and I enjoy texting them back.
I'm glad that your wife is on the program. Now you need to teach your grandchildren. Many people in your situation simply call in a normal fashion to respond to a text message. It always seems to work and your grandchildren will enjoy doing what we all did in times past. Using text messagess is quite reasonable and even superior for some purposes, e.g., shopping lists or part numbers. Hiwever, it's not suitable for conversation.
How do you receive your internet? I have a landline in an area with DSL although I'm at the end of the line.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah
We live in a remote area of northern Maine. We both have chores to do around the place, with gardening, canning, raising poultry (turkeys and geese, as well as chickens), cutting firewood, and sundry building projects. We love the scenery up here, and don't spend a lot of time with our noses in a screen. We already have 3 digital cameras, 2 car GPS units plus a hand-held, and a ton of wind-up manual alarm clocks (the kind that work if the power goes out, which ours never does). I cannot imagine what we'd need a smartphone for, and have no plans to buy one.
I do have a digital camera that I find useful, but I use fim for anything important. (see below) The only digtal clocks I have are on my computers and Kindle Paperwhite. I use a digital IR thermometer for measuring surface temperatures when cooking. I don't understand the need for GPS. I have a compass in my pre-GPS truck bought new in 2002 that works fine; I do carry road maps and other suitable maps. For backcountry use I have several compasses and know how to use them with topographic maps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annie53
I finally got a cell phone last December, just because I wanted a phone in the car in case of a breakdown or emergency. At 61 years driving a 2003 car, I figured it was time.
Got a Tracfone flip phone and I have used it exactly one time......when I made the initial test call.
It aggravates me that I am spending money for something I never use, yet, at the same time, I love the feeling of security it gives me.
I also put it in my pocket when I went out to clear snow off of the driveway this winter and will have it in my pocket when I clean the gutters, etc...........just in case I fall down, go boom and can't get up.
I have a cell phone for the same reason you do. It's never turned on unless I make a call; I do make several calls, probably less than tem, in the course of a year.
I also have smoke and CO alarms, fire extinguishers, and first aid supplies that I know how to use, I have insurance and carry AAA membership. I place them all in the same category. One of the nice things about going out is being away from the phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeonGecko
Keep in mind, when trying to use a camera in a data phone outdoors in sunlight, you will not be able to see on the screen what you are trying to take a picture of. The phone feature on cell phones is pretty nearly useless. I use it - but only because I can't afford a REAL camera yet, and nearly always indoors for quick snaps.
Since film has become nearly impossible to find for my old Pentax SLR, its a sad white elephant. Many digital cameras also rely on the invisible-in-the-sun screens. I need a digital camera with through-the-lens viewer.
Does your Pentax use 120? Ilford makes great black and white films in
120.. They even make 620. There's a resurgence of film photography in both China and Croatia.
I wish that digital photography didn't exist. I miss Kodachrome and Technical Pan. Ansel Adams couldn't have done what he did were it not for film and large format. Except for those who use fim we'll never see 8 x 10 contact prints again. I'm hoping that the Polaroid Positive/Negative will appear again. I have a Graphic view camera with Graflok back and all of the goodies.
I still have a number of 4 x 5 Ektachrome transparencies. I've seen a few of the 8 x 10. Digital photography doesn't even have the theoretical capability to produce those.
Eastman Kodak bankrupt and Polaroid liquidated! Who would have believed it twenty years ago?
That's the way to do it. You'll always be able to use those phones, but you may not always be able to buy them.
I'm glad that your wife is on the program. Now you need to teach your grandchildren. Many people in your situation simply call in a normal fashion to respond to a text message. It always seems to work and your grandchildren will enjoy doing what we all did in times past. Using text messagess is quite reasonable and even superior for some purposes, e.g., shopping lists or part numbers. Hiwever, it's not suitable for conversation.
How do you receive your internet? I have a landline in an area with DSL although I'm at the end of the line.
I do have a digital camera that I find useful, but I use fim for anything important. (see below) The only digtal clocks I have are on my computers and Kindle Paperwhite. I use a digital IR thermometer for measuring surface temperatures when cooking. I don't understand the need for GPS. I have a compass in my pre-GPS truck bought new in 2002 that works fine; I do carry road maps and other suitable maps. For backcountry use I have several compasses and know how to use them with topographic maps.
I have a cell phone for the same reason you do. It's never turned on unless I make a call; I do make several calls, probably less than tem, in the course of a year.
I also have smoke and CO alarms, fire extinguishers, and first aid supplies that I know how to use, I have insurance and carry AAA membership. I place them all in the same category. One of the nice things about going out is being away from the phone.
Does your Pentax use 120? Ilford makes great black and white films in
120.. They even make 620. There's a resurgence of film photography in both China and Croatia.
I wish that digital photography didn't exist. I miss Kodachrome and Technical Pan. Ansel Adams couldn't have done what he did were it not for film and large format. Except for those who use fim we'll never see 8 x 10 contact prints again. I'm hoping that the Polaroid Positive/Negative will appear again. I have a Graphic view camera with Graflok back and all of the goodies.
I still have a number of 4 x 5 Ektachrome transparencies. I've seen a few of the 8 x 10. Digital photography doesn't even have the theoretical capability to produce those.
Eastman Kodak bankrupt and Polaroid liquidated! Who would have believed it twenty years ago?
Digital cameras are far superior to film for small format (35mm). Current sensors use a 4 micron pixel, which is a fraction of the size of film grain. You can do a nice 20x30 from a DSLR file with no pixellation. That used to be medium format territory at minimum. Instead of a darkroom, you can just load computer software that will let you correct the image before printing it.
Yes, Tech Pan was a wonderful film. I did some nice work with it back in the day, but it required wringing the absolute best out of pre-computer designed lenses stopped down to their best performance, mounting a large camera on a tripod for the slow shutter speed, and hours in the darkroom to produce a really good print. I still have one of my old Tech Pan/platinum emulsion prints hanging on the wall of my office. It's the closest I ever got to the craftsmanship of the great large format photographers. It has been years since I used film, and doubt that I ever will again, though I still own my old enlarger.
It's no accident that Ansel Adams named his camera club F64.
As for smart phone cameras, 5mp is good enough for a snapshot. I have videoed events and posted the video online. It's very nice to have a video camera in your pocket, even though the quality is pretty limited.
Went to Hawaii last April to visit the grandkids. We have iPhones (5&5s). What I did not bring: camera, reading material (including my Bible) maps, GPS, laptop or a flashlight. What I did bring was my iPhone.
I was able to watch a movie of my choice on my phone during the plane flight. Checked and sent emails. Surfed the internet. Posted on C-D. Read the news on the internet. YouTubes and Netflix shows. Listened to music. Posted pictures to friends a coworkers.
Had to find a hardware store and a pizza place-my phone told me how to get to both places. Got a ton of high quality pictures. Found my way around in the dark and on Sunday I had my Bible. I even placed a few telephone calls!
All this for $90 a month. Two phones, 3gigs with ATT. I love having a computer in my pocket. Flip phone? Not since 2011. Will never go back to a "feature phone".
We have a flip phone with a Trac Phone pay per minute contract. Almost all of our calls are on our land line phone, the cell phone is only for emergency or when we are on the road.
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You'll always be able to use those phones, but you may not always be able to buy them.
