despite the terrible advertising for it
What do you mean, Gris? It is a robot, and all other phones suck. It does everything you could possibly want it to do. What's not to like?
It's a real burden being right so often.
Mal ,'Bushwhacked'
Buffistechnology 3: "Press Some Buttons, See What Happens."
Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!
Polter-Cow - Dec 11, 2009 8:50:01 am PST #11925 of 25501
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
Liese S. - Dec 11, 2009 8:52:43 am PST #11926 of 25501
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."
The coverage difference between AT&T and Verizon was the deciding point for me. Those map commercials are true, it's just that the Verizon commercial is specifically addressing 3G coverage (the fancy data stuff) and the AT&T ad refuting it is primarily talking about voice coverage. It affects me a lot, but I'm in rural areas almost all the time.
I don't have any specific refurbished iPhone info, but in general terms I have had a lot of success buying refurb electronics.
I believe your actual contract terms and your "new every two" are separate beasts. However, you need to check to make sure that you have not been renewing your two year contract every two years, and that in fact, you are clear of it now. If so, you should be fine. (Incidentally, the "new every two" thing doesn't mean you can't buy a new phone sooner than that, it just means you don't get the spiffy promotional pricing for it. You have to pay full price, which is often ridiculous. But you *can* change, if you're willing to pay.)
Gris - Dec 11, 2009 8:59:37 am PST #11927 of 25501
Hey. New board.
I have a hard time recalling any advertising campaign as uninteresting and downright confusing as that one.
The new commercial for the Palm Pixi is pretty great, though. i like the look of that phone more than the Pre. Non-slidy keyboards come back!
brenda m - Dec 11, 2009 9:05:30 am PST #11928 of 25501
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
I find T-Mobile's dropped calls so frustrating after Sprint, where that almost never happened, that the things like Gris said about AT&T are pretty much dealbreakers. I'll be dropping TMO the second my contract is up this summer and I think Verizon is in the lead as a replacement. Or hell, maybe Sprint will have something interesting out by then.
le nubian - Dec 11, 2009 9:07:42 am PST #11929 of 25501
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
Vonnie if you live or spend a lot of time in NYC or San Francisco, I don't think the Iphone is worth the hassle. Just about everywhere else, the coverage seems to be okay.
I hate fucking AT&T, but I've been with them for years, the rollover minutes work well for our household and because I buy unlocked phones, my cell phone plan is comparatively cheap.
§ ita § - Dec 11, 2009 9:08:19 am PST #11930 of 25501
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
T Mobile only sometimes doesn't connect my calls. Doesn't drop them here in LA. Coverage has been much better than Cingular/AT&T, and I don't ever need to talk to their customer service. So they might be as execrable as AT&T was to me, but I don't care if I don't know. I don't want AT&T to have my money, not even for the sexy iPhone. They burnt me badly.
I have an earphone question: my sister's iPhone earbuds just gave up the ghost (wire stripped near plug). I'm thinking of getting her a replacement pair as a bonus Christmas present. Is $30 a reasonable price range to be looking in for someone who didn't mind the shipped buds? Can I get her something better for that price? Or should I be looking higher?
tommyrot - Dec 11, 2009 9:09:39 am PST #11931 of 25501
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
Is $30 a reasonable price range to be looking in for someone who didn't mind the shipped buds?
Hmmm... maybe if she didn't mind the shipped ones. Is she much of an audiophile otherwise?
eta: Does she ride a noisy train? In which case, some in-the-ear earphones might be better.
Jessica - Dec 11, 2009 9:09:40 am PST #11932 of 25501
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
I have an iPhone in NYC and haven't experienced the coverage problems that others have, but then I don't talk on the phone that much. Data coverage is more or less the same as I had with Verizon.
Vonnie K - Dec 11, 2009 9:16:33 am PST #11933 of 25501
Kiss me, my girl, before I'm sick.
Yeah, the ad campaign was a big turn off. Plus I splurged for a Garmin GPS a few weeks ago (probably a mistake, but ah, well) so I don't need a Droid for navigating purposes.
I noodled around my Verizon Wireless page and unfortunately, it looks like I have been renewing my contracts every two years. The current contract doesn't end until 7/10/10. Blerg. (I don't know where I got the idea that it expired. Probably some fliers I got from Verizon about upgrading something or other a few weeks ago.)
I may go to Best Buy and see if they'll let me play with a droid for a bit. Hmmm.
§ ita § - Dec 11, 2009 9:18:53 am PST #11934 of 25501
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Is she much of an audiophile otherwise?
Not really. Hell, I just found out she's been listening to the same 300 songs on her iPod for 2 years. Apparently I broke her iTunes when I migrated to her new laptop. WhatEV. Gratitude.
Does she ride a noisy train?
Nope. Fairly frequent flier, though. I'm leery about buying in-the-ear phones for someone who hasn't worn them before just in case they chafe. What's the price range on reasonable ones?