Feeling out my options

[effervescible]

-Get a shiny shiny phone with mobile browsing because though it costs more, it's a one-time cost, and pay thirty bucks a month for the web/data plan
-Get a useful but less shiny phone with mobile browsing to save a hundred bucks but still pay an extra thirty bucks a month for the web/data plan
-Switch to another provider whose mobile browsing plans are cheaper Nah
-Suck it up and just deal with having internet at my desktop computer and not wherever I feel like it

This is hard.

Comments

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

Honestly? As much as I loved Verizon, switching to an iPhone was one of the best decisions I ever made. Especially the new ones with built-in GPS and will have turn-by-turn software within the next month.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

I actually have a GPS unit already! But the Blackberry that is tempting me has it, too, though I don't know how well it works. IT IS SO HARD TO DECIDE.

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

A lot of phones have it now. I actually didn't have one before, so it was nice to have. Mike and I are mesmerized by the accurate dot in Google Maps. The one in my phone works really well to date.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

My brain keeps going something like this: "If it's just a one-time expense, why NOT get the nicer phone, if the real extra cost you can't change is the thirty more bucks a month?...MAYBE I SHOULDN'T BE PAYING A WHOLE THIRTY MORE BUCKS A MONTH."

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what job you now have, but definitely get what suits your job. As a journalist, for me, having the mobile web/e-mail has been a valuable resource that has been worth the money. I also give up other things for it like cable that I don't use. If you're going to use it, then it's worth the money.

[ursamajor]

Which Blackberry? hyounpark has the Bold and loves it, while my mom finds the Storm somewhat bemusing but is able to do her web and email things on it reasonably well.

(I am adoring my iPhone, a month and a half in. But I definitely use it for mobile web and text communication more often than I use it as an actual phone. Things like Twitter (especially for photomoblogging, what an eyerolltastic word) and Facebook, reading LJ/DW, mapping. Hyoun is far more all-business with his phone, emails and document reading and editing on the fly.)

[jaina.livejournal.com]

The Storm is the one I was cooing over cuz it's all shiny and shit. And yeah, I'm looking at it for more than a phone--if I just wanted a new phone, I'd stick with something simple again like the Razr I have.

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

Got a good way to read LJ/DW without going through Mobile Safari? Supposedly the LJ app is going to update to where you can read your friends list through it one of these days. Still waiting ...

[ursamajor]

Man, I wish. I know I've been missing more stuff reading mobile-ly because the mobile friends page only displays usernames and subjects without the entry contents, and not everyone gives their entries subjects, so I tend to skip over subject-less entries, and then forget to check for what they were about when I'm back at a laptop.

Probably what I'm gonna end up doing for the short term is figure out which LJ/DW styles are reasonably Safari-friendly. I like Negatives on DW okay (especially after tweaking the color scheme a bit), and having my droll bookmarked helps, but I am hoping for either a revamp of the mobile page, or some more even more mobile-friendly styles.

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

I'd go with the last one to save money. Yes, this is the boring response. I also am not into emailing/browsing from my phone, so that is an easy decision for me.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

But I just got a raise and shit :(

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

Eh, I just don't like the idea of being that attached to email. But that's a personal hang up. You can save the money to eventually get your own place, or you can buy yourself a treat. Neither is really wrong. We all know I give myself little "rewards" in the form of new shoes. It's no different :)

[jaina.livejournal.com]

It's looking like their plan for net phones that aren't blackberries is more reasonable, so I may be able to have a satisfying compromise.

I COULD BUY SHOES AS A TREAT

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

I ALWAYS APPROVE OF SHOE PURCHASES. YOU HAVE THE SACRED GINA BLESSING.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

BITCHIN'. One of these days we need to shoe shop together.

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you could keep up ;)

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Tutor me!!!

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I JUST BOUGHT SOME SHOES, THEY ARE PEEP TOES WITH LITTLE BOWS ON THEM

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SHOES

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

THOSE SHOES SOUND CUTE, BUT I REQUIRE FOTO EVIDENCE TO MAKE A FINAL JUDGEMENT.

I WAS GOING TO BUY THESE SHOES TO GO WITH MY NEW DRESS, BUT I WAS A GOOD GIRL AND DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL MY NEXT CC BILLING CYCLE :)

[arafel.livejournal.com]

THESE SHOES: LITTLE BO PEEP TOES

ALSO I AM THINKING ABOUT THESE: BLACK FOREST PEEP TOES

YOU SHOULD DEF. GET THOSE SHOES WHEN YOU ARE ABLE, SO CUTE!

[buttercup0222.livejournal.com]

THOSE ARE SOME CUTE SHOES ESPECIALLY THE FIRST ONE. AND THAT WEBSITE LOOKS SUPER FUN SO I'M GOING TO BOOKMARK IT. YAY.

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

Same here - even when I had a phone that was pretty good at it, I just didn't get the same pleasure from web browsing on a medium that small and limited.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

I wish I could like...rent one for a month to see how I like it.

[greenfish.livejournal.com]

I have a Krazr right now and I really need a new phone because one of my button faces came off!! I'm thinking about just waiting until my contract is up and switching to AT&T so I can get that damn iPhone already. I have, like, 4 friends that have one and they're giving me gadget envy, which I, like, NEVER GET.

[greenfish.livejournal.com]

PS: Why I felt the need to use "like" in that comment twice, I have no idea, but it seemed very necessary at the time.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Valley girl.

[c0untmystars.livejournal.com]

Useful but less shiny is the option I'm going for when I replace my current phone.

[c0untmystars.livejournal.com]

Also, Sprint's data plan is super cheap... just sayin'...

[jaina.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna stick with Verizon. I've been with them for years and they have good service/coverage around here, while I've seen friends with other providers struggle to get reception at times.

[tardbot5000.livejournal.com]

While il my iPhone because I can take the internet with me everywhere, including the gym (where I can entertain myself with downloaded TV shows AND the internet), if you use gtalk a lot you might be better off with a Blackberry. My coworker loves hers, and I'm pretty sure in addition to the integrated gtalk, she browses LJ and Facebook all the time on it. \o/

OTOH iPhone might have longevity on its side. I bought mine well over a year ago and haven't felt the need to trade it in for a newer model yet. I can't say the same for other phones I've had :/

[llamaramauk.livejournal.com]

I'm probably going to get an iPhone in the next month or so.... clearly I am not the person to offer advice XDDD

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Can you go month-to-month or pay as you go? Maybe having it for a while and taking note of how often you use the mobile web will help you make a final decision. I decided against it because mobile web is not all that fast and I didn't think I would use it enough. That has proved to be the case.

It's great that you got a raise, but at the same time, don't let the money burn a hole in your pocket! Have a healthy savings account is much better.