Cost of Data?

[Mike Jackson]

Hi all,
We are all obviously connected to the Internet with various combinations of broadband, DSL, dish, or even high-speed dial-up. Some are connected with wireless variants of the same list and we all pay accordingly.

The newer versions of cell phones are now capable of using the Internet and for the most part require a fairly hefty fee of roughly $30 monthly data access fees on top of the normal calling plans. That's an additional $360 per year per (Internet) phone to be connected on the tiny LCD screen.

Corey is wanting a Droid phone. Apparently, if you buy one of these new phones, the monthly phone contract is automatically increased by either $9.95 per month or $29.95 per month and you don't have the option to not pay for the Internet features or opt out of the features if you don't use them.

For some businessmen on the road, I can see the value. I am not sure how bad a high schooler needs it. Danny Baronian told me how he can control his router system through his cell phone. Staying on top of your emails and web work while on the road makes sense. Getting directions while in a strange city makes sense, although we already have a GPS system in the van and car.

I am curious how many people here are using the new phones with Internet connectivity? Worth it? Are you finding additional uses for them that aren't initially apparent?

Darla bought an iTouch a while back which is much like an iPhone but lacks the phone. She can access the Internet here at home using our wireless network and she can check messages and surf the web when we are on the road by stopping in an Internet cafe, hotel, or even McDonalds. She paid $200 for the iTouch but there are no other monthly fees. It would be nice to see a phone with the wireless features of an iTouch. It'd be much more limiting, but much cheaper monthly.

Mike Jackson

[Danny Baronian]

In need of a new phone, the iPhone looked appealing, but was put off by the $30 a month service, typical on all smart phones - iPhone, Droids, etc.

When a friend suggested software that allowed me to remotly access my work computer on the iPhone, the monthly fee made more sense. Add maps, navigation and directions when on the road, it became another great tool. Locally and out of town two weeks ago, maps and directions were invaluable.

As for running the router, I used to use Gerber ArtPath for the router. ArtPath allowed you to run a file one time or as many repeats of the same file as required. The software I now use sends only one instance of that file at a time. With the iPhone, I can log onto my computer and send files as needed without the trip back to the office to send the file each time. This could also be done on a lap top, but it's easier and cleaner to use the phone.

A few weeks ago on the iPhone in So Cal, I logged into my shop computer. Had the router been set, it could have been started 400 miles away. Now there's a scenario for something to go terribly wrong...

Interesting about the iTouch, no fees for the services which are much the same as the iPhone, the one thing lacking is the phone. So $30 a month for the phone added to your regular service.

Danny

[Mark Summers]

Internet connectivity I think is the way of the future. The land
line people I think know this too. The ones I have heard about
at this time is Skype, Majic Jack and Ooma Telo.
Never used Skype but its free, just download the software.
Majic Jack will require you to have your computer running 24/7
and change your telephone number. The one I'm looking at is
Ooma Telo http://www.ooma.com . You would need a broadband
connection. No need to leave your computer running and you
can transport your current phone number to Ooma. You would also have to spend about $300. on their equipment but after that very
cheap.
I pity you people with kids. The cost of keeping up has to be
killing you.
One other thought. Two weeks ago I purchased a wi-fi card
for my home computer and got a signal. Even at the low
reception on my computer it runs the internet tons faster than
the dial-up I had for the home situation. Free google virus
protection and I'm good to go. $25. well spent.

Mark

Mark

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Mark,
Here at home, we have broadband piped into our operation through the tv cable carrier. It connects to a wireless router that also services all the ethernet connections all over the place. I use the hard wired connections most of the time, but Corey logs in all over the house with his wireless connection and I can do the same with my laptop. Our wireless router was set up as a secure location with unique passwords and codes. Darla can also access the wireless here at home on her iTouch. When on the road, she can access other wi-fi hot spots at hotels and Internet cafes. We have a fairly fast connection through the broadband.

The question that pops up here is how much a 17 year old kid needs a Smart Phone and the $360 per year additional fees? He already has a laptop to access the Internet and a regular cell phone he carries around with him all the time. Besides the fact he doesn't have a job nine months out of the year to pay for the additional fees, I have to wonder how bad he needs to be surfing the web at school or on top of a mountain. This post isn't necessarily directed only at him. Yesterday was my first introduction to the fees associated with the new phones. I've heard other people complaining about the costs, but never knew they were mandatory fees on many of the new phones.

Still, the cell phone companies are heading towards stuffing the additional $10 to $30 per month for data access onto every phone whether you use it or not.

We are on a family plan, so his basic phone only adds roughly $10 per month, plus a portion of the plan costs, phone insurance, and some taxes. Adding a Droid would add $30 more per month after the cost of the phone itself.

There are probably several people here who've purchased the Smart Phones (iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, etc) and use them daily to help make a living...as Danny mentioned earlier. I'd be curious to here other examples of how these new phones help make their business operation better.

Mike Jackson

[erik winkler]

Hello Mike,

A lot of my friends have internet on their mobiles: Nokia and iPhone.
They have their gps on all the time so they can see where they are walking all the time etc.
Instant emails (no text message costs), internet surfing and datagrabbing.
But I do not have it (yet), because I look at them and think they are addicted.
When I was with my friends in Argentina, one of them constantly was searching if he had wireless connections in bars, cafes and discotheques.
It was so stupid, can you imagine dancing with all these nice Argentinian girls and my friend standing there like a statue doing his facebook updates to tell everybody he was on the dancefloor in Buenos Aires......

Internet should be very good to keep in contact, but in my opninion it isolates people even more.


Erik

[Robare M. Novou]

Mark,

Went looking at the Ooma site, as per your recommendation.

Cost of the broadband Ooma telo hub is $250.00, transferring your existing phone number is $40.00...but, there's a yearly fee of $10.00.

They pick up the first year...but after that you pay the $10.00 yearly fee. Small price to pay for free phone service.

I am hooked up to Roadrunner Broadband Cable Internet Service for $30 a month. And I pay $50 a month for my broadband Roadrunner phone service. Its service and clarity is very good, so hooking up the Ooma telo hub should not be a problem.

Going from $80 a month in Broadband bills to $30 a month would be well worth the switch. So after 6 months, the Ooma system would be paid off, and I would be getting free domestic calls and no longer receiving a $50 a month phone service charge on my cable bill.

So as not to keep this to far off topic...I do need to know if I should use a #8 quill Handle or a #12 quill handle to press the numbers on the Ooma phone key pad.

I have been using a 1/2" flat handle on my computer keyboard.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

RMN

[Mark Summers]

Here is something interesting. As you might know some of the best
download speeds available today are somewhere between 20-50 mbs.
Google is searching out an area to try out their, get this, 1 gig/s
download speed via fiber optic. Technology just keeps marching
up.
Robare, start out with a #12. After enough experience you should
be able to graduate to a #8 quill, but be patient.

Mark