tonrob

This is about the dullest argument that's broken out on here all morning!

Duncan Roberts

So these weren't posted from you? The latter was regarding using 1000 a month (33 minutes per day) and people using 2000-4000 per month (66-133 minutes per day).

To clarify my point. SOME people will find a pay as you go financially better, MANY (most) people will not.

Happy in NC

To clarify my point. SOME people will find a pay as you go financially better, MANY (most) people will not.[/QUOTE]

Absolute nonsense.

Steerpike

Was this a renewal? If you sign up for 'new' service, and / or get discounted phones, they have always hit me with a contract. HOWEVER - If you renew or make a minor change after 2 years, and don't take advantage of upgrade offers, you end up being 'month-to-month'. That's how I am on my personal phone (which I need to cancel ... never use it ..!!!!)

Not sure whether the 'pre-paid' plans allow for pooling of minutes ("family share" plans, etc - where you all draw from one bucket); also, not sure if they allow for 'free in-network calling' type deals (which may or may not be of any use to you). Just something to check.

As others have suggested, get a pre-paid phone card. I use one for my international calls and it is great. My card service is 'PIN-less', meaning, you tell them the phone number you will be calling from, and they use caller-ID to 'recognize' your phone, and you don't have to enter any authorization codes (PIN-codes). Further - the cell phone is easy to program with long numbers so you can 'speed dial' the whole string - calling card service number, then the desired target number. The only tricky bit on this is finding out on your phone how to enter a 'pause'. Each phone and/or service may use different keys for that (this is so you can enter, eg,
123-123-1234,<pause>2<pause>011-44-1234-123456 . Easy to figure out when you set your mind to it.

I buy a $50 'card' (no real card involved, just a bunch of numbers received in an email) and I'm paying around 2, 3 cents / minute to UK. Lasts me for months!

englishinfl

They keep trying to revive it though.

Duncan Roberts

The weather made me do it.

tamms_1965

I've never had a contract (that's why I went with them), and I've been with them for almost 10 years. It may be specific for Cincinnati Bell though. DH and I are the only folks on our plan and we use less than 100 min a month between the two of us. My kids now have their own plan that their dad pays. My landline is sounding more and more useless the more I read on here. I would save $25 a month if I got rid of the landline (enough to nudge me towards an iphone or something similar). What to do, what to do! I don't like change.

I have a month to cancel the u-verse landline so I can check out some other cell plans. If I change cell plans I will want a smartphone with unlimited internet access (many legit sites are blocked at my work) and be able to have an additional 'regular' phone for DH. Something else you may know about (sorry to pick your brain) is some type of usb hardware that you can plug into your computer so you can use the monitor for the internet but actually your phone is doing the receiving.

Steerpike

I keep my landline but have removed all long distance from it (I use the calling card I mentioned) and only pay about $18/month. Call me conservative, but - a landline may be the only thing that works in a major disaster. Or, putting it another way - having a cell phone, a landline, and a 'voip' service like u-verse or Vonage gives me THREE ways to call out in an emergency. Having lived through the '89 quake, I like the idea of that! Note - not only do services 'fail' during emergencies, they also get overloaded - "all circuits busy" - so having three ways to call out increases your chances there too.
Getting pre-paid becomes more tricky when you want 'data' service. I think you end up paying per kilobyte of data when it is offered, and you'll rack up big charges if you are not careful.

Many smartphones will work as a 'modem' for your computer (using USB, as you mention); it's sometimes called 'tethering'. My last three 'Windows Mobile smartphones' offered that feature, and the usage was covered by the $50/month unlimited data plan. HOWEVER - depending on the phone and/or the specific carrier details, you may or may not be able to receive a call during that usage - so keep that in mind. In the ATT world, I believe 3G phones can handle voice and data together, but their 'Edge' service does not (Edge is earlier-generation technology, being replaced by 3G, but not everywhere - it's a geographic thing). Be aware, setting up the software on the laptop to work with the phone can be tricky; I got it working with my Motorola Q, but had to call support for the Samsung Blackjack, and got run-around by support until they escalated the issue.

I have found that the current generation of smartphones have screens that are too small to make then usable for casual browsing - OK for a quick google-local lookup, but not something you'd want to use for BE!

I now have an iPhone, and because of its large screen and 'zoom-ability' (you can enlarge any page to make it big enough to read), it's the first phone I've had that makes browsing a practical feature. BUT - currently, the iPhone does now allow 'tethering' (though there are hacks, and rumors that it is coming soon). All the phone co's are rushing to bring out an 'iPhone killer' phone, so you don't have to go with iPhone specifically - just wait 6 months and check out the current 'state of the market'.

There is no phone out there yet that will allow you to view the contents of the screen on a bigger monitor (AFAIK). iPhone can, I believe, hook up to a TV but it's only for certain types of content (I'm less clear on this as I have not pursued it).

A variation on using the phone as a modem (tethering) is to get a separate 'air card' - a card that slides into side of laptop and gets you onto internet via the cellular network. I get mine free from work, but they run about $50/month for unlimited data, and are surprisingly 'adequate', speed wise. We justify them because we travel a lot, and it's cheaper than paying for hotel internet service, airport internet service, etc. A dedicated card allows you to keep the phone free for other things.

tamms_1965

We had major wind damage and electricity outages in the fall and I was one of the few people that I know that could use their landline. Either they had phone service through the cable company, the internet, or didn't have a cheap non-electrical phone stashed in the closet. I had one. As you said the cell phone highway was at a standstill. I believe the u-verse comes with a battery backup to make essential calls only...not to run the internet.

If I went to a smartphone I will not go prepaid. I would get a plan.

I actually did know that about the iPhone...one of the young math teachers that I eat with has one and was telling me all about it. I think waiting to see what comes out in the summer is prob what I'll do. DH thinks I should get one but I really don't NEED one...I just want it because I love gadgets (and can't read my personal email on my break or access legit sites for class like YouTube and other sites have some great video clips that I could use in my lessons but all media streaming is blocked). I don't know if tethering would work at my school because a lot of software cannot be installed...although sometimes I've gotten around it somehow by using my flashdrive.

Thanks for the very helpful information.