I am always several years behind in technology when it comes to my cell phone. I have enjoyed a bare bones, very basic mobile phone lifestyle for several years now. I typically acquire a cell phone when my daughter upgrades hers and I take the cast off. The one I had been using, up until yesterday, was one Sarah had when she was in college... so maybe 5 or 6 years ago?
It has served me well. As you can see, it still sports an antenna, which was starting to be a source of embarrassment, even to me.
It has no camera and although I do think it was capable of some sort of internet connection, I never had that service plan or desire to use such a feature.
It was sturdy. I dropped it many, many times.
It didn't seem to mind a little paint and cleaned up fairly well, when I did clean it, that is.
I probably would have endured the strange looks I received whenever I pulled out this dinosaur of a phone, a little bit longer, but the battery was no longer holding a charge for very long and the reception was very crackly. Also, it was a bit time consuming to try to text.
My fear of adjusting to a new cell phone, trying to understand what features I really need and will use, and my desire to keep the monthly cost close to what I currently pay, all had me quite stressed about phone shopping. I did a little research online. Then, armed with my cell phone technology savvy daughter, I headed off to The Mall.
We narrowed it down to a Droid phone with Verizon or an iPhone with AT&T. It was a tough choice, but in the end I went with the iPhone because I feel most comfortable with Apple products. I've always been a Mac girl. As a matter of fact, I was in the Apple Store on this very same visit because I spilled a little coffee on my laptop over the weekend and my track pad was no longer functioning. A few minutes at the Genius Bar and it was up and running like nothing had happened. (Luckily, it was a little spill, not my entire cup!) The Droid phones were so foreign to me. I felt it would take me months to be able to figure it all out, and quite frankly, I just don't have the desire to spend that kind of quality time with a cell phone. When I saw the same familiar icons on the iPhone that are on my laptop, I felt at home. There's never any hard sell at the Apple Store. They thoroughly explain everything and give you the honest pros and cons.
Here I am with my new iPhone. I did not get the latest iPhone 4. That would be too radical for me (and way over my cell phone budget)! I got the 3GS. I need to ease into this. The 3 GS has more than enough bells and whistles for me. Besides the obvious learning curve to learn how to use all the features, I am nervous about the fact the screen is glass. I may have to rethink taking it up on the ladder/scaffolding with me. I already dropped it once, just in my house! I bought the screen protector and will get a hard case, but that glass is still exposed. Maybe I can learn to be a little more careful with this cell phone. Btw, I took this photo to the left with the camera on my laptop. See? There's hope for me yet with some of this technology! In the meantime, for those of you who do regularly call me on my cell, please be patient. If I don't respond within a day or so, best to call my land line or email until I have this figured out. :-)
A big thanks to Sarah for all her patience. It was a comfort to have someone along who could speak the language! I only saw her roll her eyes a few times during this phone shopping experience.
