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General discussion

Do you access the Internet on your cell phone?

Nov 1, 2005 6:43AM PST

Do you access the Internet (e-mail or Web) on your cell phone?

Yes (how often?)
I can, but I don't (why not?)
I can't, but I wish I could
No (why?)
Phones should be used only for talking

Discussion is locked

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I am trying to decide between blackjack and lg music
May 21, 2007 9:15AM PDT

any ideas I like the fact that I can get xm radio anyone else have it

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Portable Internet..
Nov 1, 2005 2:14PM PST

I use my cell phone to access my Yahoo and Hotmail email accounts all the time. I love being able to jot a note or short message to friends when ever I want.

Ever chat with friends over coffee about the where/when the newest movies are playing? No problem, there are a number of WAP compatable sites that not only have movie listings arranged by ZIP CODE, but they have sort reviews of the movies as well.

Stuck in the Dr's waiting room or riding on a train or bus? You can almost always get Weather information as well as short ''news clips'' right on your cell phone.

Even more fun, but less often, I dongle my cell phone to my laptop. While the speed is more like what most people know ''dialup'' to be, its plenty fast enough for light surfing and email.

While I agree that phones ought to just be phones and handle a simple voice call well before doing anything else, we are in the online information age where taking and having access to information with us is a valuable addition to our cell phones.

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It's a sad world!
Nov 1, 2005 3:03PM PST

I do have a mobile phone but it mainly stays in the car as a means of contacting the breakdown service if I should break down. However, I work in further education and our late teen students are surgically joined to their mobile phones. The technology caught on more quickly here in Europe than it did in the USA and about 94% of young people in Britain have a mobile. They mainly use them for text messages and will sit in class with this expensive little gadget under the desk if they can get away with it, sending text messages across the room or to other classes or whatever. Sad.

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Students and Class
Nov 1, 2005 9:43PM PST

You pretend that if they didn't have cell phones they would pay more attention. Text messaging is just the new note passing.

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Gee, another way to cheat in class?
Nov 1, 2005 11:13PM PST

Neat post; sad commentary on kids and cellphones. I had not even thought of ALL the uses for cellphones. This is a new twist. Duh!!! Wink I learn something new everyday!

I'm an oldie but a goody born in the 30s during the Depression. I've watched all this "stuff" come to be. It makes my head spin. I was looking at my coffee table the other evening after laying out stuff I was doing including my knitting. Happy There lay tiny camera cellphone and my little Olympus Stylus camera plus some remote controls AND my cordless phone. I rolled my eyes in wonder. Had I seen anything remotely like digital cameras or that tiny camera cellphone as a kid I would have been doing flips to get them! Happy

Our only telephone was stuck to the wall, and we stood up to use it. We had to "ring" up the operator with a little crank, tell her who we wanted by name or number and she would "put us through" to whomever. There were at least one or two other neighbors on our "party line." THAT was interesting, believe me. We talked just as long as today only we stood there or sat on a stool under the phone! No long distance calls were made due to cost. I miss real people to help on the phone (customer service ain't what I'm talking about!). Wink We got correct time of day or anything else we needed to know. I learned to use an old switchboard at my college, and when I think of that compared to today's phone systems (I learned a very complex system some years back working as a temp) it boggles my mind.

I just marvel at ALL my parents saw happen between early 1900s to the mid to late 1990s when they died. I'm now just REALLY pondering what I've witnessed (including space age). I even returned to the university and studied business (PCs were JUST coming out). I took classes in software which got me over that hurdle then I bought a "portable computer" (Compaq SUITCASE) in 1986. That's a dinosaur! A few KBs were all we had at first. 20 MB on my upgrade blew me away.

And now a small digital camera can have 40GB of "hard drive" in it (HP has one out). Cellphones continue to evolve up and up to the point I only know the main functions I need, but I see so many more in there that I don't subscribe to. I use my cellphone for emergency calls during days, and sometimes I use it to visit "free" over the weekends or late at night.

Truly, we live in such amazing times we can never master all of it. Everything is so highly specialized. In "my day" one person could master many things well. I do miss the "softer" days when I was younger. I think young people of today have missed a LOT to be honest. I miss it ALL. Really! I do. I had something we will never see again unless we step into those rare small towns that still have many of the "old ways" still there. (I grew up on a small farm with just about everything we needed to be self-sufficient!) These are national treasures to my way of thinking! They won't last long. Developers are making sure of that! What a shame AND loss. And yet . . . time marches on. We just need to remember the past and study it if we haven't experienced it personally. Wink

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EveryDay....:)
Nov 1, 2005 5:22PM PST

I love my Treo600!!!

I work at an auto plant, Hard work!
On breaks, I check my Email, Read Tech stuff and more.

The Breaks go fast, but I feel like I got away from the stress for a short time.

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i-mode by NTT DoCoMo
Nov 1, 2005 5:47PM PST

Yes, I access the Internet on my mobile phone. I check SMS and AOL mail. And sometimes I check a train diagram (As I live in Japan, it is a very important service!), a weather cast, and news. It's really useful!
But it is a bit of expensive since my phone is 2nd generation.

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to expensive
Nov 1, 2005 5:49PM PST

I can use the internet on my mobile, but I find it expensive and also the small screen makes it difficult to read a significant amount of information a once.
Have occasionally found it useful when travelling abroad, especially in the USA who's news media outlets are very poor at reporting anything not US related or for that matter outside the local town or city.
Able to folow cricket and football results(soccer to you.
john
UK

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If I want to access the internet
Nov 1, 2005 7:22PM PST

Why should I use a mobile to do it? I very much prefer to use my computer for the job, it's much better designed for just that work.

As for using the phone, I try to use a landline where possible - I do not deny that cellphones have their uses, but I can't see many, most of what you see is media hype.

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Internet access by cell phone
Nov 1, 2005 7:26PM PST

There is enough noise pollution in our everyday life as it is. Since many people have little or no regard for others, the use of cell phones for other than necessary communication, just increases the irritation/stress level we already have to deal with.

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Access internet on my cell phone? Every day, at least once
Nov 1, 2005 7:38PM PST

I'm a 67 year old woman and I access the internet at least once a day, usually more. So there.

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Using the internet on the cell phone? NO!
Nov 1, 2005 8:45PM PST

I Don't use the internet capabilities of my cell phone for two main reasons, 1; it's too slow, and 2; it's not practical for one who spends a lot of time travelling. That's all we need is another person fooling around with thier cell phone while they are driving. It's bad enough that people try to carry on animated discussions, eat, apply makeup, and drive at the same time. In general, I think the usage of cell phones has allowed people to become more disorganized and less prepared for everyday tasks, thus they are rushing around getting all stressed out, and it's usually in the car while they are driving that they are trying to get organized. My feelings? If we have to have cell phones, keep it as a PHONE, leave the rest of the garbage off for the safety of others on the road. Have a Nice Day!

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Anyone using a cell/mobile phone while driving should be ...
Nov 1, 2005 10:36PM PST

... banned from driving for life.

Same thing for doing other distracting things while driving.

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If you're gonna talk, get a headset.
Nov 2, 2005 5:51AM PST

My opinions go basically like this:
Cellphones are now just a part of life, but if you're going to talk and drive, GET A HEADSET! (realistically, it's no worse than having an animated discussion with the person in the passenger seat.) Keep both hands on the road and at least part of your thought processes there too. If you want to read/write your Email or check out the web, PULL OVER!
Cheers,
Bren384@hotmail.com

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Inet acces on cell phones
Nov 1, 2005 9:18PM PST

I have a simple Sony/Erickson cell phone and still have no idea how to use it. Basically, I am technically impaired. I still use the computer as a typewriter and after 7 years I have no idea about what to do with files and all that stuff. I bought many books and to date I have yet to figure them out or to find one that realy teaches you how to use them in a dumb non tech language. Even if I knew how to do it.. who the hell wants to see internet in a 1 1/2" screen? It's like the Ipods.. I don't want to store 20k photographs and having to look at them with a magnifying glass..same for movies. Why doesn't Apple forget about that crap, make them only for audio and make them cheaper?

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Text messages and More
Nov 1, 2005 9:32PM PST

A lot of people use the internet unwittingly by sending text messages. You can comapre it to email only with smaller messages. Picture mails are the same way.
Also, most cell phone companies have ways to check your usage and pay your bill online. This I think is less annoying then calling and listening to the automated message.
I like the internet on my cellphone. I use it to check sports scores, weather, and movie showtimes. I don't think they're all the helpful for internet research or online shopping, but that's ok. It is limited but definitly not useless.

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I can, but don't.
Nov 1, 2005 10:20PM PST

2 expensive
2 slow
2 small screen
2 difficult

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Cellphones are phones plus that's a mighty small screen!
Nov 1, 2005 10:28PM PST

I don't use my cellphone for anything but talking. I could if I wanted to and if I could afford it, but I hate tiny screens. My cameras are enough, thank you! Happy

Perhaps if I were younger, worked in a business that demanded all sorts of contact and quick information AND I was out on the road a lot it would be different; however, I have a feeling I'd be using a laptop if that were the case.

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Do you access the Internet on your cell phone?
Nov 1, 2005 10:47PM PST

No, too much money. I have Verizon Wireless, its great for phone calls. I rarely get dropped calls, but I made mistake by going on the internet what a mistake!

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Cell Phones should be for talking.
Nov 1, 2005 10:55PM PST

Cell Phones have gotten silly with features. I have a camera and I wouldn't have my name associated with the quality (?) photos that cell phones have. It's also difficult to enter a courtroom or other municipal building carrying a cell phone with a camera. Security Guards here don't like 'em. I'm not that much of a Net addict, so that's not an issue. I'm sticking with the good old Nokia 3595.

No features, no problem!

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Internet wherever you are when you want it.
Nov 1, 2005 11:13PM PST

Don't laugh, but my laptop is stuck in the dark ages with Win95 & a broken screen, so I can't get on-line with this monster without waiting for hours (it seems) to load a page & having a seperate monitor hooked up. I use my phone (sanyo mm-8300) to get my Yahoo, bid & buy on Ebay, clock into work with outlook & have the normal WAP browser plus a WEB browser which identifies itself as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

So now with all this in my phone, I never have to worry about missing an important email, not being connected to work, missing my bidding on ebay, plus many other things others take for granted because they have a computer which takes care of these linkages for them. So for those who need to be connected at all times, WAP browsers are a must & with the 8300 I get satalite radio, GPS & live tv!

These things do drain a battery, but I can get 3 hours of surfing or 2.5 hours of tv watching before I have to find a charger, which I have placed anywhere I spend time (i.e. home, home office, cars, business office)

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$$$$$
Nov 1, 2005 11:50PM PST

It's all about cost. I would be happy to use it to access the web but frankly it's not cost effective.

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Do you acces the Internet on your cell phone?
Nov 1, 2005 11:51PM PST

Yes, when I go on a journey and I can not get the news from home.

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Expense among other reasons
Nov 2, 2005 12:37AM PST

The cost of using the cell phone for Internet use is way to high - what are the cellular service providers smoking. $0.10 per IM is robbery.

99.999% of web sites expect a PC with lots of bandwidth and memory to be on the other side. Most web pages just don't work with a cell phone or PDA display - you need a "PDA" Internet to mirror the "PC" Internet. Just downloading most home pages will cost you a couple of $, not to mention the wait time.

I also have a Palm with wifi - it is just as useless for Internet access.

I can't connect to my ISP for email through the cell phone, I refuse to maintain yet another email account. Besides, driving and talking is bad enough, driving and sending email - yikes.

Just give me a phone that actually works as a telephone and the camera is a great feature but the picture quality sucks - fix that Sony Ericsson.

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Yes, Costs Too Much
Nov 2, 2005 2:15AM PST

I agree about the cost - it's the sole reason I won't use e-mail or access the web with my phone. My friend and her family (including two teenage daughters) all IM, send e-mail, etc. with their phones, and their monthly bills are outrageous, often high enough that they cannot pay the bills, and their phone service is shut off until they CAN pay. I see no reason to pay extra charges when I have access at home for a flat monthly fee and at work. One thing, though. I'm not sure whether my phone is defective or designed to behave purposely this way: most of the time, when I push any button(camera button, too), the phone launches into "server access". I've checked with my provider and looked closely at my bill, and I'm not charged for this, but it is awfully disconcerting.

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No because ....
Nov 2, 2005 2:53AM PST

Cell phones are for phone calls but I am not myopic to the point that my thinking is rigid. I don't want to pay any more in service charges for my cell phone then I already do. I pay for High Speed Internet service and it is equitable and I like my service. When I am on the road I make sure where I stay offer High Speed internet service or access for a minimal fee.

Wireless internet is not a service I will spend my money for. If my company or their customers want me to be in touch 24/7 then they will have to pay for the service.

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It has access, but I don't use it.
Nov 2, 2005 3:19AM PST

I have access to text messaging, an Internet browser, etc, but I don't use it, because I don't feel like paying more for Verizon's data plan, so I'm happy just using the Internet at home, or other places...
And besides, my phone's screen is TINY!

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Cell phone is in my Blackberry!
Nov 2, 2005 4:09AM PST

A very wonderful thing.

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I used my cell for. . .
Nov 2, 2005 4:19AM PST

I use the cell phone for talking purposes only and minimize my radiation exposer.

Radiation is a really hazard with cell phones. I have seen pictures of State Troopers where they were exposed to much higher concentration of radar energy, believe me you would not want use your cell phone anywhere near your head. Example in this program I saw a State Trooper, where the signal cone went from the antenna and back. The tumor was the exact cone structure of the signal.

That is why I use an ear piece and Mike, to use a cell phone. To distance it away from me.

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Internet, Cellphones and Radiation
Nov 2, 2005 4:29AM PST

I don't worry too much about radiation because I text message mostly. And with predicted text (T9.com) it's almost as fast as talking. And no ugly tumor. Unless there's such a thing as thumb cancer! Yeek!

I just get sports scores, my horoscope and weather.