Remember when phones where free?

[Member 34319]

Seriously!

Apparently Apple released another phone today. Starts at $1000. Goes up from there.

I understand these things are basically super computers in the palm of your hands, but I sure wish they started to make a dumbed down version with longer battery life that costs something closer to $200!

I remember my first contract back in the day. Got a free Motorola Razr I want to say. Went through three or four free phones for at least a 10 year period. Then iPhones came. It's been downhill since then!

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[ma96782]

Yeah.......and I'm still using an iPhone 7. LOL.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Member 34319]

View attachment 1272970

Yeah.......and I'm still using an iPhone 7. LOL.

Aloha, Mark

I want to say that's newer than mine!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I remember when phones were twenty five cents.







Lol

 

[ma96782]

I can remember these while growing up.




I think that it might just have come FREE when my parents bought the house.

Aloha, Mark

PS.......But then, maybe my parents were actually "leasing it". And, had to pay for it along with the additional monthly phone service fee. Yeah.....the phone company was ruthless, back then. And, there were no Govt. subsidies to "HELP".

 

[Rickenbacher39]

 

[BBQ Guy]

Yep.
I think the first 3-4 cell phones we had were free. Then they got ridiculous with the advent of smart phones that have made people really stupid.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Yep.
I think the first 3-4 cell phones we had were free. Then they got ridiculous with the advent of smart phones that have made people really stupid.

Don't forget smart/fitness watches.
Yea, it really makes your fat bubblegum look smart while you're guzzling your mountain doo.

 

[Alexx1401]

We had several of the "free phones" in the early days. Nothing is of course free, we paid for them monthly. When Digital got better it was the same thing. We would get a couple "free phones" but we were paying for them. Long ago Wife and I went to pre paid. The cheap Smart Phones we have now can do FAR more than we even know how to use them for. Android offers some phones that are in the 1K range too. Not sure what the hell they do. I am sure there are a few users who really get out of them all they are capable of. Suspect many just throw the money away. Last decade or so I have a couple times bought us phones that were $200. I could not see what they did better than the ones that were half that but it was fun now and then to buy a "better one" just for the hell of it. For me to pay 1K for one it would have to be able to service me

 

[Member 52301]

I remember when phones were twenty five cents.







Lol

I remember when you could use a DIME to make a telephone call on a public telephone and it was EASY to find public telephones too.

Old Lady Cate

 

[ilikegunspdx]

We had several of the "free phones" in the early days. Nothing is of course free, we paid for them monthly. When Digital got better it was the same thing. We would get a couple "free phones" but we were paying for them. Long ago Wife and I went to pre paid. The cheap Smart Phones we have now can do FAR more than we even know how to use them for. Android offers some phones that are in the 1K range too. Not sure what the hell they do. I am sure there are a few users who really get out of them all they are capable of. Suspect many just throw the money away. Last decade or so I have a couple times bought us phones that were $200. I could not see what they did better than the ones that were half that but it was fun now and then to buy a "better one" just for the hell of it. For me to pay 1K for one it would have to be able to service me

You can do most anything on ur phone now. My phone is used for probably 95% of the things I used to do on computer I would guess, thus my computer time is reduced probably by that amount or close to it.

Random example the other night I wanted to see those satellites that run in a "train". Downloaded one of the many free apps that tracks them in about 30 seconds or so. Held my phone up to the stars using the free "star chart" to see where they were going to be relative to the few stars I could see. That app let you see all the stars with names on your phone as you hold it up towards the sky. Went out at the right time and took video of them with phone (very dim here where I live due to light pollution).

I wonder if there is an app that lets you see infrared that woudl let you see them better? Everything starts like that, "I wonder if there is an app that lets you do X" and nearly all the time there is already an app for that and most of the time they are free.

 

[Alexx1401]

You can do most anything on ur phone now. My phone is used for probably 95% of the things I used to do on computer I would guess, thus my computer time is reduced probably by that amount or close to it.

Random example the other night I wanted to see those satellites that run in a "train". Downloaded one of the many free apps that tracks them in about 30 seconds or so. Held my phone up to the stars using the free "star chart" to see where they were going to be relative to the few stars I could see. That app let you see all the stars with names on your phone as you hold it up towards the sky. Went out at the right time and took video of them with phone (very dim here where I live due to light pollution).

I wonder if there is an app that lets you see infrared that woudl let you see them better? Everything starts like that, "I wonder if there is an app that lets you do X" and nearly all the time there is already an app for that and most of the time they are free.

Damn things are amazing compared to what we had just a very short time ago. The phone I have now cost about a C note and it is a small computer and decent camera I carry in my pocket. Pretty damn impressive to me still. Just the damn Camera alone can do a hell of a lot of stuff I never have bothered to learn. Have watched the Wife a few times doing stuff with it that you used to have to buy expensive software to do. Now its all in the phone!

 

[Unicykle]

I agree the cost is getting excessive, and I hate computers and electronics with a passion, but these new phones have made Business a lot easier these last 10 years. I'm pretty sure without this phone and Mapquest I'd still be lost somewhere in the Beaverton Tigard Hillsboro area so to me it's well worth the cost

 

[Mikej]

You can do most anything on ur phone now. My phone is used for probably 95% of the things I used to do on computer I would guess, thus my computer time is reduced probably by that amount or close to it.

Random example the other night I wanted to see those satellites that run in a "train". Downloaded one of the many free apps that tracks them in about 30 seconds or so. Held my phone up to the stars using the free "star chart" to see where they were going to be relative to the few stars I could see. That app let you see all the stars with names on your phone as you hold it up towards the sky. Went out at the right time and took video of them with phone (very dim here where I live due to light pollution).

I wonder if there is an app that lets you see infrared that woudl let you see them better? Everything starts like that, "I wonder if there is an app that lets you do X" and nearly all the time there is already an app for that and most of the time they are free.

What APP is that? We're headed on Vaca with the boat tomorrow and will be at Siltcoos lake for three weeks. The night sky is STUNNING from the docks on the lake. Always looking for satellites, but very seldom see them.

 

[Mikej]

I remember when you could use a DIME to make a telephone call on a public telephone and it was EASY to find public telephones too.

Old Lady Cate

You must not be that old, Lady Cate. I remember 5 cent payphones. BUT, if you hit the coin return plunger just right, when you dropped the nickel, you'd get your nickel back, and your phone call.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

You buy it for 1k check on one of the sites that buys phones a month later and they will give you $50 lol

 

[TTSX]

Pepperidge farm remembers

 

[TTSX]

Oh yeah, I 'member

 

[ilikegunspdx]

What APP is that? We're headed on Vaca with the boat tomorrow and will be at Siltcoos lake for three weeks. The night sky is STUNNING from the docks on the lake. Always looking for satellites, but very seldom see them.

My #1 recommendation is to buy one of these. In PDX last week I could see only 4-5ish stars with the naked eye in the whole sky. But using this I could see hundreds or maybe thousands from the same spot at the same time. It only takes a bout a minute to spot a satellite using this. Here is a video from last week that shows 3 sats then a 4th going the other direction. Those and shooting stars are all over the place we just cant see them.

sats.mp4

• ilikegunspdx
• Sep 11, 2022

On phone I recommend the free starchart spp for star/planet id. I think you can add satellite id and stuff to it if you upgrade to the paid version but I haven't upgraded. There are probably tons of other similar ones I don't know about.

For satellites and space station there are tons of free apps. some even specifically tell you when the space station will cross the moon so that you can see it in silouette against the moon. I would say try some free ones and delete the ones you don't like. Many will give you a brightness scale which I think is really helpful. To just see satellites, space station, and shooting stars that night vision gizmo will work fine not using any apps at all because they are everywhere. If you see an unusually bright one {can see with naked eye often) that's the space station.

Edit: Oops just read you are leaving tomorrow. If you want to borrow the night vision gizmo you are welcome to take it. I think you are in same general area so I can meet u to drop it off if you want.

 

[Mikej]

My #1 recommendation is to buy one of these. In PDX last week I could see only 4-5ish stars with the naked eye in the whole sky. But using this I could see hundreds or maybe thousands from the same spot at the same time. It only takes a bout a minute to spot a satellite using this. Here is a video from last week that shows 3 sats then a 4th going the other direction. Those and shooting stars are all over the place we just cant see them.

sats.mp4

• ilikegunspdx
• Sep 11, 2022

On phone I recommend the free starchart spp for star/planet id. I think you can add satellite id and stuff to it if you upgrade to the paid version but I haven't upgraded. There are probably tons of other similar ones I don't know about.

For satellites and space station there are tons of free apps. some even specifically tell you when the space station will cross the moon so that you can see it in silouette against the moon. I would say try some free ones and delete the ones you don't like. Many will give you a brightness scale which I think is really helpful. To just see satellites, space station, and shooting stars that night vision gizmo will work fine not using any apps at all because they are everywhere. If you see an unusually bright one {can see with naked eye often) that's the space station.

Edit: Oops just read you are leaving tomorrow. If you want to borrow the night vision gizmo you are welcome to take it. I think you are in same general area so I can meet u to drop it off if you want.

Thank for that offer! I'll have Wifey do a little search and see if there's something free that will help us know a little more.