Skip to main content

Thank you Verizon

I was going to upgrade my smart phone to the new Samsung Galaxy S3, but when you came up with your new Share Everything Plan, I decided against it. I know I can keep my unlimited data plan, for now, but if I don't upgrade by 6/28, I won't be able get a subsidized phone after that date, and keep my current plan. And that's what pissed me off.

[note]I can get a subsidized phone, and have the option of choosing a standalone data package starting at $30 for 2GB (what I pay for unlimited data now), which would be OK, as I typically use less than 1 GB a month. It's just the principle of the thing.[/note]

In one regard it may be a good thing. I don't need a new smart phone. My old DroidX works fine. And I definitely don't need to waste $300 for a new one. Heck, l'm not even convinced I need a smart phone at all. This staying connected all the time thing, and being inundated with a constant stream of news and propaganda, can't possibly be a good thing.

There's a lot more to living, and while it's often spoken in jest, I honestly believe there is such a thing as "too much information (TMI)"!

So for now I'm going to keep Droid X, and decide at some [later] time what to do. Maybe I'll just go back to a dumb phone, or even switch carriers. Virgin Mobile is offering smart phones at only a slightly higher price than your subsidized versions, and includes 1200 minutes of calling, with unlimited texts and data, for only $45 (half what you're charging), and without a long term contract.

Who knows, I may yet decide to upgrade to a new smartphone phone before 6/28 (although that is highly unlikely), or just upgrade later and go with the 2 GB data limit.

I just can't decide, but one thing I've learned in life is, sometimes it pays to wait before making tough decisions. Often times things work themselves out on their own. I'm just hoping this is one of those instances.

Comments

Rebecca said…
I had AT&T and switched to Verizon and they gave $158.00 towards my old iPhone. I, too, had unlimited data, but my texting was costing me (which I hadn't noticed until recently) I don't use all the bells and whistles, but I really like the navigation feature when I'm out and about like yesterday in Venice. Decided to go to Baby Blues for some BBQ and just talked to Siri and she gave me all the info I needed.
Marc said…
That’s true, but for $360 a year, I can buy a Garmin (or other manufacturers) GPS, including all the bells and whistles, and still be way ahead of the game
Marc said…
Plus the GPS feature uses a lot of data, so if you don't have unlimited data, and you use it too much, it will cost you a lot more in overages.

Popular posts from this blog

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...