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#31
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 09:59:38 -0500, Wolf K wrote:
On 2014-12-08 9:43 AM, Ken Blake wrote: If I were a celebrity (or at least if I had the money most celebrities do) I would have a smart phone. The main reason I don't is the monthly cost of having one. The basic plans are cheaper than a land line, apart from the surcharge for buying the thing. I bought mine outright, since that surcharge pays for the phone in the first 12 months or so, huge interest rate IOW. I pay $30/month for the usual 200 anytime minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, unlimited texting (which I hardly ever do). No data plan, as I access data via wi-fi, not via mobile network. Our land line is almost double that, but has a terrific bundled long-distance plan, saves us roughly $200/month ate "regular rates", so we're keeping it. With some careful shopping, you should be able to cut the landline bill down to about $3.00 a month or so, and that's only if you need to be able to receive calls at that number, versus making calls. In my case, I receive calls via my cell phone, so my landline is only for outgoing calls and costs me $0.00 every month. Long distance is included, of course. I use an Obi100 VoIP device plugged into my home network, which then uses my Internet connection for calls. You can also port your current number over, if desired. -- Char Jackson |
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#32
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 09:59:38 -0500, Wolf K
wrote: On 2014-12-08 9:43 AM, Ken Blake wrote: On Sun, 07 Dec 2014 23:48:37 +0000, Andy Burns wrote: Ken Blake wrote: Since I use a flip phone, I guess I'm a big dumb dinosaur too. No, you're running with the celebs http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/05/iphone-samsung-galaxy-flip-phone-is-back If I were a celebrity (or at least if I had the money most celebrities do) I would have a smart phone. The main reason I don't is the monthly cost of having one. The basic plans are cheaper than a land line, apart from the surcharge for buying the thing. I bought mine outright, since that surcharge pays for the phone in the first 12 months or so, huge interest rate IOW. I pay $30/month for the usual 200 anytime minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, unlimited texting (which I hardly ever do). No data plan, as I access data via wi-fi, not via mobile network. Our land line is almost double that, but has a terrific bundled long-distance plan, saves us roughly $200/month ate "regular rates", so we're keeping it. My "land line" (if you want to call it that) is VoIP, from Phone Power. It costs me $5 a month for usage all over the US and most of Europe. I also have two flip phones (one for me and one for my wife) They have T-Mobile's prepaid service, and they each cost me $10 a year to add minutes to it, so the unused ones don't expire. That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. |
#33
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
In news
wrote:
That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. It looks like you're not including the cost of your Internet service for your VoIP phone. -- St. Paul, MN |
#34
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 17:26:15 +0000 (UTC), Bert
wrote: In news wrote: That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. It looks like you're not including the cost of your Internet service for your VoIP phone. True, but two points: 1. I would have the internet service even if I didn't have VoIP, so it's not an extra cost occasioned by my having VoIP. 2. Even if you ignore my point #1 above and add in the $45 a month I pay for the cable internet service, it comes to $61.67, still substantially less than his $90. |
#35
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:28:06 -0500, Wolf K wrote:
On 2014-12-08 12:33 PM, Ken Blake wrote: On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 17:26:15 +0000 (UTC), Bert wrote: In news wrote: That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. It looks like you're not including the cost of your Internet service for your VoIP phone. True, but two points: 1. I would have the internet service even if I didn't have VoIP, so it's not an extra cost occasioned by my having VoIP. 2. Even if you ignore my point #1 above and add in the $45 a month I pay for the cable internet service, it comes to $61.67, still substantially less than his $90. Thanks for your advice, people, but this is _Canada_, where we have a quasi-monopoly on cell phone service. Three major carriers, which don't even share their networks properly. For Canadian conditions, I'm paying at the low end of the scale, but I am looking for better deals. It doesn't matter where you live. VoIP phone services are available anywhere in the world where you can find an Internet connection, including Canada. You're overpaying, big time. -- Char Jackson |
#36
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 07:43:53 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2014 23:48:37 +0000, Andy Burns wrote: Ken Blake wrote: Since I use a flip phone, I guess I'm a big dumb dinosaur too. No, you're running with the celebs http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/05/iphone-samsung-galaxy-flip-phone-is-back If I were a celebrity (or at least if I had the money most celebrities do) I would have a smart phone. The main reason I don't is the monthly cost of having one. They don't cost any more than regular phones, and they've been getting dumber, because you can't get them with proper keypads any more. My wife just got one, and when the plastic auntie says "Press 1 for this" and by the time you've found the keypad again you've missed what she said for "Press 2 for that" and has already moved on to "Press 3 for the other thing". Last time my cellphone provide offered me an "upgrade" they couldn't give me a new phone with a 5 megapixel camera like the old one, so I said I'll stick to the old one. They called a couple of days later and offered me a reduction in price and another phone, so I got a pay as you go SIM card for it, and use it when the other phone's battery is flat. -- Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk |
#37
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Tue, 09 Dec 2014 06:53:19 +0200, Steve Hayes
wrote: On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 07:43:53 -0700, Ken Blake wrote: On Sun, 07 Dec 2014 23:48:37 +0000, Andy Burns wrote: Ken Blake wrote: Since I use a flip phone, I guess I'm a big dumb dinosaur too. No, you're running with the celebs http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/05/iphone-samsung-galaxy-flip-phone-is-back If I were a celebrity (or at least if I had the money most celebrities do) I would have a smart phone. The main reason I don't is the monthly cost of having one. They don't cost any more than regular phones, and they've been getting dumber, because you can't get them with proper keypads any more. Their monthly cost is *much* more than dumb phones--at least the dumb phone service I use, which, as I said earlier, costs me $10 a *year*. |
#38
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
In message , Char Jackson
writes: On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:28:06 -0500, Wolf K wrote: On 2014-12-08 12:33 PM, Ken Blake wrote: On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 17:26:15 +0000 (UTC), Bert wrote: In news wrote: That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. It looks like you're not including the cost of your Internet service for your VoIP phone. True, but two points: 1. I would have the internet service even if I didn't have VoIP, so it's not an extra cost occasioned by my having VoIP. 2. Even if you ignore my point #1 above and add in the $45 a month I pay for the cable internet service, it comes to $61.67, still substantially less than his $90. Thanks for your advice, people, but this is _Canada_, where we have a quasi-monopoly on cell phone service. Three major carriers, which don't even share their networks properly. For Canadian conditions, I'm paying at the low end of the scale, but I am looking for better deals. Here in the UK, the marketing is very dishonest: they usually put the "plus line rental" in as small a print as they can get away with. In a lot of locations (at least about 20%), you need a landline to get internet, even if you never use it for 'phone calls. I think I'm paying about 220 (pounds) a year for landline plus broadband, with which I get free evening and weekend calls to other landlines. Without continually messing about with short-term offers, that's about the norm here; if I didn't want the free calls, I could perhaps save about a fiver a month. (I should think about it, as I hardly ever use it; I just like not having to worry about the cost when I do.) If I lived in a more urban area with more companies' equipment in my local exchange, I could do a _little_ better. It doesn't matter where you live. VoIP phone services are available anywhere in the world where you can find an Internet connection, including Canada. You're overpaying, big time. "Anywhere you can find an Internet connection." You clearly haven't been to Canada. (Nor have I, but!) That has shades of "apart from that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf "Everyone is entitled to an *informed* opinion." - Harlan Ellison |
#39
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On 12/09/2014 08:35 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
snip Their monthly cost is *much* more than dumb phones--at least the dumb phone service I use, which, as I said earlier, costs me $10 a *year*. I'd call $10 a year a /smart/ phone. Did you say that was T-Mobile? Is the audio quality good? If so, I should get that and give up my rarely used land-line that must cost over $400 a year |
#40
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Tue, 9 Dec 2014 22:09:14 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote: In message , Char Jackson writes: It doesn't matter where you live. VoIP phone services are available anywhere in the world where you can find an Internet connection, including Canada. You're overpaying, big time. "Anywhere you can find an Internet connection." You clearly haven't been to Canada. (Nor have I, but!) That has shades of "apart from that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" I've been to Canada several times, but that's neither here nor there. What part of "VoIP services work anywhere you can find an Internet connection" is wrong? I mean, it even works over dial-up, as evidenced by family members using it who live in Malaysia and the Philippines. You buy the VoIP adapter outright, (I paid $39, no tax, no shipping), then you plug it into your Internet connection. That's enough to make unlimited calls at no additional charge. If you want to also receive calls, you need to buy VoIP service, which will run you $2-$5 dollars a month or so, sometimes less if you buy a year at a time. When we say VoIP, are you by chance thinking we mean DSL? It's not at all like that. -- Char Jackson |
#41
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Tue, 9 Dec 2014 22:09:14 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote: In message , Char Jackson writes: On Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:28:06 -0500, Wolf K wrote: On 2014-12-08 12:33 PM, Ken Blake wrote: On Mon, 8 Dec 2014 17:26:15 +0000 (UTC), Bert wrote: In news wrote: That combination meets my needs and my wife's, and costs the grand total of $80 a year, or $6.67 a month--much less than your $60 for the land line + $30 for the cell phone. It looks like you're not including the cost of your Internet service for your VoIP phone. True, but two points: 1. I would have the internet service even if I didn't have VoIP, so it's not an extra cost occasioned by my having VoIP. 2. Even if you ignore my point #1 above and add in the $45 a month I pay for the cable internet service, it comes to $61.67, still substantially less than his $90. Thanks for your advice, people, but this is _Canada_, where we have a quasi-monopoly on cell phone service. Three major carriers, which don't even share their networks properly. For Canadian conditions, I'm paying at the low end of the scale, but I am looking for better deals. Here in the UK, the marketing is very dishonest: they usually put the "plus line rental" in as small a print as they can get away with. In a lot of locations (at least about 20%), you need a landline to get internet, even if you never use it for 'phone calls. I think I'm paying about 220 (pounds) a year for landline plus broadband, with which I get free evening and weekend calls to other landlines. Without continually messing about with short-term offers, that's about the norm here; if I didn't want the free calls, I could perhaps save about a fiver a month. (I should think about it, as I hardly ever use it; I just like not having to worry about the cost when I do.) If I lived in a more urban area with more companies' equipment in my local exchange, I could do a _little_ better. And I'm paying about £624 a year for much the same thing -- more if I exceed the bandwidth cap. I use VOIP (Skype) to talk to my daughter in Greece, otherwise I see no need for it. -- Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk |
#42
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Tue, 09 Dec 2014 19:01:53 -0600, philo* wrote:
On 12/09/2014 08:35 AM, Ken Blake wrote: snip Their monthly cost is *much* more than dumb phones--at least the dumb phone service I use, which, as I said earlier, costs me $10 a *year*. I'd call $10 a year a /smart/ phone. It might be smart service, but the phone is dumb. g Did you say that was T-Mobile? I don't remember whether I said it or not, but yes, it's T-Mobile. Is the audio quality good? Yes, it's fine. If so, I should get that and give up my rarely used land-line that must cost over $400 a year A good plan. Or else use VoIP, as I do with Phone Power and an OBI100. It costs me $5 a month. |
#43
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On 12/10/2014 08:25 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
I don't remember whether I said it or not, but yes, it's T-Mobile. Is the audio quality good? Yes, it's fine. If so, I should get that and give up my rarely used land-line that must cost over $400 a year A good plan. Or else use VoIP, as I do with Phone Power and an OBI100. It costs me $5 a month. Ok thanks, I'd like to lower the cost of my land line. It's hardly used other than the incoming telemarketing calls that mostly get blocked by Nomorobo |
#44
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
In message , Char Jackson
writes: On Tue, 9 Dec 2014 22:09:14 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote: In message , Char Jackson writes: It doesn't matter where you live. VoIP phone services are available anywhere in the world where you can find an Internet connection, including Canada. You're overpaying, big time. "Anywhere you can find an Internet connection." You clearly haven't been to Canada. (Nor have I, but!) That has shades of "apart from that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" I've been to Canada several times, but that's neither here nor there. What part of "VoIP services work anywhere you can find an Internet connection" is wrong? I mean, it even works over dial-up, as evidenced by family members using it who live in Malaysia and the Philippines. The discussion to me seemed to be about doing away with a landline for voice calls. I would imagine there is a _lot_ of Canada where you cannot "find an internet connection", other than where a landline is already present (so using VoIP to avoid the need is, er, pointless). You buy the VoIP adapter outright, (I paid $39, no tax, no shipping), then you plug it into your Internet connection. That's enough to make unlimited Your internet connection obtained by magic (-:. calls at no additional charge. If you want to also receive calls, you need to buy VoIP service, which will run you $2-$5 dollars a month or so, sometimes less if you buy a year at a time. When we say VoIP, are you by chance thinking we mean DSL? It's not at all like that. No. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf (If you are unlucky you may choose one of the old-fashioned ones [language schools] and be taught English as it should be, and not as it is, spoken.) George Mikes, "How to be Decadent" (1977). |
#45
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Believe it or not but PC is coming back...
On Wed, 10 Dec 2014 23:18:19 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote: In message , Char Jackson writes: On Tue, 9 Dec 2014 22:09:14 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote: In message , Char Jackson writes: It doesn't matter where you live. VoIP phone services are available anywhere in the world where you can find an Internet connection, including Canada. You're overpaying, big time. "Anywhere you can find an Internet connection." You clearly haven't been to Canada. (Nor have I, but!) That has shades of "apart from that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" I've been to Canada several times, but that's neither here nor there. What part of "VoIP services work anywhere you can find an Internet connection" is wrong? I mean, it even works over dial-up, as evidenced by family members using it who live in Malaysia and the Philippines. The discussion to me seemed to be about doing away with a landline for voice calls. I would imagine there is a _lot_ of Canada where you cannot "find an internet connection", other than where a landline is already present (so using VoIP to avoid the need is, er, pointless). Wolf posts here. Ergo, he already has an Internet connection. All he needs is a VoIP adapter, a small device about the size of a deck of playing cards. It works anywhere that you have access to an Internet connection, whether that's at home, at work, in a hotel, whatever. The discussion was about the fact that he says he's paying close to $60 a month for landline service, when he could be paying that much or less for an entire year. He brought up the Canada thing, but that's a red herring. There's nothing special, err, I should say nothing different, about Canada's Internet versus Internet anywhere else. Plug in the adapter and make a call. You buy the VoIP adapter outright, (I paid $39, no tax, no shipping), then you plug it into your Internet connection. That's enough to make unlimited Your internet connection obtained by magic (-:. I think I've been quite clear from the start that an Internet connection is required, but he already has that. calls at no additional charge. If you want to also receive calls, you need to buy VoIP service, which will run you $2-$5 dollars a month or so, sometimes less if you buy a year at a time. When we say VoIP, are you by chance thinking we mean DSL? It's not at all like that. No. Then I'm not sure where the disconnect is... -- Char Jackson |
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