Monday, March 18, 2013

Not So Smartphone

My cell phone was ancient.  So old I'd replaced the battery in it four times.  And the really great thing was that it was so old that a new battery only cost $4.95....including shipping.  So old, in fact, that the entire Verizon store came over to laugh at my cell phone and poke at it:  "I've never seen one like this before!" when I went to trade it in.  Anyhow, I was sort of okay not having the newest and greatest (particularly since our budget just didn't allow it), however, the day finally came when we needed to consider upgrading.  We have always gotten our internet through a MIFI card which we paid for seperately from our cell phones.  If we cancelled the MIFI card and tethered through our new smartphones for internet, it ended up only costing $10 more a month overall, so we decided to make the change.

What I've discovered is that maybe I'm too old for change.  Just figuring out how to answer my new phone took me several tries.  I kept poking at the green flashing light, expecting it to pick up, and not realizing I had to swipe it.  Somewhere on the phone are pictures from my previous cell phones, but I can't seem to find them anywhere.  And while I've downloaded the Blogger app, it doesn't want to give me the option to sign in.

By far, though, the biggest issue is that the new smartphones don't receive a satellite signal as well as our old MIFI card did.  Which means a lot of time, at home, I can't get online at all.  I have to resort to dragging my laptop into town to check my email (because I'm not crazy about the email app I downloaded - it seems so much easier to do email through my laptop).  A lot of adjustments at once, but I'm sure eventually I'll grow to love it. 

On a positive note, there is one application I've figured out how to use.  I keep returning daily for a beat-down by my sister-in-law in Words with Friends. She's seriously good!  Words with Friends is like Scrabble, for the smartphone.  Would I like to invest hours every day losing to online Scrabble?  Oh, yes, please!  Does anyone have a spare E?


39 comments:

andy said...

Good luck on your new phone ! You'll get the hang of it !

EG CameraGirl said...

Ha! Learning how to use a new gadget is always stressful. Soon you'll be comfortable with it.

Clint Baker said...

I just got an Iphone and it didn't make me any smarter, lol!

Heather said...

I used to have an iphone, but realized that we didn't need them when I was home all day with the kids :-) Granted, I still use it at night in bed when I can't sleep! I hope the internet fixes itself for you! That would be frustrating!

Eat To Live said...

Very cool how your face is reflected in your Smartphone..

My Hubs, Daughter and Grandkids all have smart phones. I want to stick with the one I have.

Unknown said...

As the owner of an ancient phone, It would take me awhile to learn to use a new one.

Nancy said...

Go into town to get your email? Yikes! The gas alone would kill me.

Hope it's not so much of an effort for you Lisa -- we would miss you if you went MIA.

Enjoy your new phone -- looks pretty cool!

Anonymous said...

We still use the old phone with a land line. Out of date but it works.

Sally said...

It's funny that today you're posting about phones; so did our friend Karen (this hold house too). :)

I'm sticking with my oldie; tmi for this old head.

xoxo

Gone Country said...

I've decided that I'm not smart enough for a smartphone!

Good luck with yours... you'll get it eventually!

Gail Dixon said...

I'm confident you'll figure it out! A smart girl needs a smart phone. Have a great day!

Liz Mays said...

When I first went to the smartphone, I hated it too. It was just so overwhelming, but eventually you won't know how you did without it!

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

I have a hard time getting used to a new phone, too. Larry and I had ancient phones, and the guys at Verizon were amazed that, according to our phone records, we just mostly talked to each other!

We got smartphones two years ago, and then Larry gave me an iPhone for Christmas. I love it, but I don't think I've figured out half of it.

Mere said...

haha, you did beat me in our last game! AND I'm pretty sure you will win our current game because I'm plagued by vowels!! I can seem to get rid of them!

Mere said...

I can't help you out with that E though, of all the vowels I have, and E is not one of them!

TexWisGirl said...

have never played games on my smart phone, but love it for the email capabilities thru gmail. reading blogs on it is a pain, though, so i avoid it like the plague and would rather go to mcdonald's w/ my laptop if our internet is out.

as for cell service to actually make a call? yeah. iffy. i bet in your hilly country it is terrible!

Sunnybrook Farm said...

I had one of those for a day and didn't like it as it kept locking so I went back to an old style "dumb" phone. Sadly I am at the library using the internet as we can't afford any service at home right now.

I Am Woody said...

My favorite thing about my smartphone is FaceTime. You can talk face to face with anyone else that has an iPhone/iPod/iPad. I had a nice chat from TX with my nieces in TN this morning :)

Out on the prairie said...

I have a vintage one I hardly use,just for work mostly.

Anonymous said...

I'm still learning how to swipe on mine--drives me up a WALL!
I play WWF on the ipad--need a bigger screen;)

Maggid said...

Aren't YOU the brave one? I still have (and on rare occasion use) a "Go Phone." It's some earlier brand of Nokia. I only use it for a phone call, when i need to - Because there are no longer phone booths everywhere America. (darn it)

My phone is not set up for anything other than calls . . and even then, i get confounded . . .

Knowing you need to do so very much in order to share with us . . has made you very precious in my mind . . BECAUSE you mean so much to so many of us . .

Yep - very precious indeed.
love & love
(thank you)
-g-

Our Neck of the Woods said...

Congrats on the new phone! I don't have a smartphone so I understand how hard it must be to learn how to use it. I like the simplicity of my phone. I only use it for calling and texting and I'm happy with that!

Anne Payne said...

Funny! I feel the same way about my phone and it's not even smart ;)

Debbie said...

too funny lisa...i LOVE my iphone BUT i'm not one of those crazy iphone peeps who can't put it down. the hubs and i leave our phones in the car while we are out to dinner. we "talk" to pass the time.

i don't play any games, i simply don't have the time!!

Ginny Hartzler said...

Just HOW are you having a smartphone for $10.00 a month??? The cheapest we have found is two for a hundred bucks a month, so needless to say my phone is a piece of junk, as I didn't choose well. I have the touch screen too and my problem is if I don't constantly touch it, it goes dark. Then when they tell me on the other end to push a button, I cannot get the screen back! Scrabble, Words With Friends!!! I LOVE them and am playing them on Facebook!!! Play them with me. Are you my friend? Send me a friend request and we can play.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I finally updated over a year ago. Believe me your not too old. I have the Droid2. Sorry your having issues with your signal.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

I knew it was in the cards but I also remember the intermittent service living in the "hollow" and how it drove me nuts! Perhaps someday if you move you'll be "cruisin"...:)JP

Michelle said...

It will take a bit, but you will come to like it!

Jill said...

I am a Words with Friends Addict...on my Nook and Facebook! Let's play on FB sometime!

Angela said...

I think the smartphones are too smart! I don't have one and don't care if I ever do. I have my pay as you go phone that is pretty old that I use for emergencies. This phone is so old that it doesn't have a camera and you can't text with it! lol I'm not interested in texting while I'm out either. Only 3 people even have my phone number! lol

Angie said...

I have a Galaxy and my daughter has an IPhone. I've played on her's a bit and just can't figure it out. Thinking I better keep the one I got. I don't like the idea of having a phone smarter than me. Good luck figuring it all out. They say practice makes perfect!

GardenOfDaisies said...

One of these days I will have to upgrade to a smartphone... I'm afraid it will a lot smarter than I am, and it will take me weeks to figure it out.

Unknown said...

Oh yeah, these new phones are loaded with stuff and when i got mine, i was overwhelmed and frustrated. Fast forward ... I don't how i lived without it! I am hooked and good to go although i still probably don't know use half of the features it offers. I bet you'll come to love it too.

Linda said...

Technology can be so frustrating! My husband changed land-line carriers to save money and now it's connected to our internet (via Comcast). So ... the internet has slowed down and pages are hanging and have to be reloaded. I've complained and they replaced the modem but it didn't help. Grumble grumble...

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your new phone!

We downgraded last March and got rid of our iPhones, but I use it as an iPod daily. Words With Friends is awesome! So is Instagram, go check it out! :)

Barbara said...

I was the same way. My phone was ancient, and finally died. I've only had my smart phone a year and now I can't imagine my life without it. Hopefully you'll get the hang of it.

Vision By Mila said...

I got a HTC for Christmas and now I'm still getting used to all this android and apps sort of thing..

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

I love words with friends! It's a way I keep in touch with a cousin who lives hours away :-)

Grandma Bonnie said...

I wish you the best of luck with your new phone. My first smart phone took a while to get use to. I just up graded my phone. It looks like by your picture of your phone we have the same phone. Lol, I love mine.