Treating Myself To A Nokia
Nothing is more satisying than when something just works the way you expect it to. For example, this morning I registered for Vodafone's online billing service. The first part of this procedure was to give them my mobile (cell) number so they could SMS me a code to verify it was in fact my number. Sure enough, no sooner had I clicked the button than my phone beeped and there's the code. I was suitably impressed. A company with an online service that works.
I've added sending SMS messages to my mental list of things to investigate while I've got time off. Maybe start with sending myself a message each time a post is added to a blog. Not much use but it should keep me entertained for a while.
In order to complete the above form I had to find out my account number, so had to ring Customer Services. While on the line I asked how long was left of my 12 month contract and hence when I'd be able to upgrade my phone. It ran out in January she informed me. Well, thanks for letting me know Vodafone. There's Customer Service for you.
So, while I've still got a job, and don't have to feel guilty about spending money I went to upgrade my phone this lunchtime. Going against Mike's advice to buy a Sony-Ericsson I opted to stick with what I know and bought this shiny new Nokia 6100. So what did I get for £140? Well, a colour screen, bigger display, polyphonic ringtones and the ability to send and receive photos. None of which I really want, save maybe for the large display. So far I've turned off the start-up tune, removed the wallpaper and put it in to silent mode. Basically I've paid for the same phone I already had and have signed up for another 12 month contract. D'oh... as I suspected we are all being robbed by the phone companies!!
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and how ....
Jake, as this is your last day on contract will you be taking a few beers after work?
I wanted a slightly smaller phone than my Nokia 6210 which would fit into my front pocket without looking like I was on Viagra 24-7. I was due a free upgrade as my contract had finished.
I signed up for 12 months worth of Sony Erikson T-whatever last July. I can't remember the model becuase it's been sat in a drawer since August. It's the one with the film 3-2-1 shutdown.
I thought I had 2 weeks to change my mind, so 10 days in I called Orange and asked to swap it for something useful. Turns out the period was only ONE week. So I was 3 days late, anything I could do?
Tough doodoo, they said. The fact that I have been with Orange since they started cut no sway with them. So I am stuck with this piece of crap until July, unless I pay a hefty upgrade fee. Come July, Goodbye Orange.
Good job I never returned the 6210. It works, basically. It's been dropped X amount of times, but soldiers on. Nokia's menus and options are much more intuitive and less prolonged than Sony with it's daft wheel which doesn't lock and puts you in silent mode unwittingly...
Seems like most of the new phones are morphing into gameboys that can make calls. All I want is something very small that makes calls and gets me around in the fewest number of clicks.
Lesson learned: Ease of use > features.
And Orange suck.
Not sure what I'm doing yet Matt. Will get in touch if I do. Need to talk to you about your Stag weekend anyway...
Talking of Orange sucking. My girlfriend just got one of her pupils (she's a teacher) to send me a photo of her using his phone. Expecting to see it on my new jazzy screen I was surprised to see a message telling me to go a website and enter the supplied details. Anyway, I went to the site (Orange.co.uk) and the MMS server was unreachable...!!
So, is there a network that doesn't suck?
I've got no complaints with Vodafone after being with them for nearly 4 years.
I got sick to death of Orange, I could never make a call, working in Docklands, London there are about 100,000 people here and 1 Orange mast. I swiched to Vodafone and got myself a Panasonic GD87, both the phone and Vodafone are excellent.
I moved from Nokia (I was a devotee) to a Sony-Ericsson T68i and have never looked back. Great phone, great features and amazing standby time. It also weighs less than the equivalent Nokia. I do agree that all the nonsense with sending photos and fancy games is just noise to attract teenage kids.
tq
Okay, I take it back. The reason I can't see the MMS photo is that the web service runs on port 7001, for some reason, and this is blocked here (and I suspect most other places).
Mike just showed me this news item about a deal to allow MMS use over all networks: {Link}
Makes one long for SW radio...
I think I'll wait until Star-trek style communicators are available before I upgrade my phone... the little badge type, not the James T. Kirk cell-phone looking kind...
I figure any new device I'm going to spend cash on will have to possess incredible artificial intelligence that has no visible buttons or menus, knows who I want to connect to simply by my stating so, has a range equal to the area occupied by several decent sized planets, translates my jabbering into the language of whomever I adress, and looks spiffy when it auto-adheres to lycra.