Hooked on smartphones

(21-04-2011, 12:32 AM)piggo Wrote: Data plan frees up more time for my other stuff. I can read news, reply emails on the go... it's also convenient in many little ways i.e saves you the trouble of remembering which buses go where, exact address etc etc. especially so for me since I store everything online, so anything everything I need is available wherever I go. Think it's worth it if you can fully utilize the functions facebook, music, movies are but a tiny fraction of what it can do...

I completely agree with you that iPhone and smartphones can allow you to do many more activities - but that is if you intend to fully utilize its functions. And also, at what cost?

Assuming I choose the cheapest iPhone plan by Singtel at $39/- per month (before GST) for a 2-year plan, and pay $620 for an iPhone 4 32 GB, the total comes up to $1,550. My existing phone comes FOC, and my bill is about $29 per month (for 2 years), and total cost is $700. So I have to ask - what justifies me paying 120% more for a phone when I mostly use it for SMS and phone calls?

Nice video MW!

I am falling more and more behind the generation gap..... I renewed my M1 mobile 2 year plan last CNY. They gave me a free Huawei android phone..... Where's the number pad? Sheepishly, I sold it to a 2nd hand mobile shop. I'll stick to my old Nokia phone with simple camera and radio functions. Music on train rides, camera to snap funny candid moments.

I happy like bird!

I guess I am late adopter when it comes to new technology..... LOL

Mw, you're with singtel? I'm paying about $30 for my data plan... :p learn how to fully make use of all its functions and the extra time you free up will be worth it! Come to think about it I hardly sms our call these days

(21-04-2011, 02:35 PM)piggo Wrote: Mw, you're with singtel? I'm paying about $30 for my data plan... :p learn how to fully make use of all its functions and the extra time you free up will be worth it! Come to think about it I hardly sms our call these days

Yes SingTel. Are you on corporate plan? The plans I see minimum $39 per month.

Don't really see, at a glance, how the extra functions will be worth my while.

Don't worry too, you're not the first person to try to "convert" me haha. Many of my friends (nearly 80%) own iPhones and have been trying to coerce me to switch!

Yea they've recently upgraded their corporate plan to reduce from 35 to 30.

you only live once and the smartphone really brings too much benefits that outweigh the cost.

the greatest cost was not mentioned

1) radiation affecting our brains

but really, the reason I can view so many blogs and comments and respond to them is because these devices enables RSS reading easily. if i were to go 7 blogs to read news like normally i will probably not be bothered.

bloomberg on the smartphone and tablets is really damn good for checking latest stock prices and news.

i shall not go into the entertainment stuff since most here really don't think music, reading books and watching education videos are good tension relievers.

Hi Drizzt,

Haha point acknowledged. But I am still suaku over "RSS" and am not sure how it works. Most of my blog reading occurs when I get home from work and after I take a shower.

Another problem I feel about using Smartphones like iPhone or BB to surf the Net is that the font size is really, really small and can cause you to squint. I guess that's why Apple came up with the iPad?

Aside from repeating my statement that cost is high compared to the entertainment value, I guess for me, I do derive my musical and movie entertainment is other ways*.

*Which is to say yes I love music and movies but in the traditional sense and not through the use of smartphones.

hi musicwhiz, a food for thought: in japan the pc didnt really took off. what took off way before other countries were handphone. they were doing every Sh** on their handphone way before us.

even now, a trend is that people realise they don't really need their pc so much. recent pc trends have shown a marked fall in turnover.

the future is a world where productive 7-9 inch tablet apps that enables us to trade wherever we are and no company can block our access!

as for the small font, thats why smart smartphone users don't really use the browser but rely on specialised reading apps. epub and specialise readers are able to increase the font size.

for ebook reading i really find no difference with a 6 inch or 3.5 inch because books are just continuous texts. as long as i increase the font size its good and to value add i can change the contrast to black background and white text and Georgia fonts to make reading easier.

(22-04-2011, 09:58 AM)Drizzt Wrote: hi musicwhiz, a food for thought: in japan the pc didnt really took off. what took off way before other countries were handphone. they were doing every Sh** on their handphone way before us.

even now, a trend is that people realise they don't really need their pc so much. recent pc trends have shown a marked fall in turnover.

the future is a world where productive 7-9 inch tablet apps that enables us to trade wherever we are and no company can block our access!

as for the small font, thats why smart smartphone users don't really use the browser but rely on specialised reading apps. epub and specialise readers are able to increase the font size.

for ebook reading i really find no difference with a 6 inch or 3.5 inch because books are just continuous texts. as long as i increase the font size its good and to value add i can change the contrast to black background and white text and Georgia fonts to make reading easier.

Yo Drizzt,

You've made a very good point.

So, I may just consider getting an e-book reader or e-reader instead of a smartphone!

So therein lies the answer to the debate, MW. Not trying to convert you or anything, one of the reasons why Smartphones boomed is coz, with a smart phone, you actually only need 1 device, rather than having a h/p, ebook reader, address book, etc, to carry around at the same time. Having said that, i'm quite happy with my Blackberry camera-less hammer-phone and my Ipad 3G. Everything I need on the go is right here.