Landline phones

[Slyfive]

I've found I use my mobile more now I run my own business, most of my business calls come to my mobile and none of my friends use landlines so I cal them on mobile, I'm on pay-as-you-go but you can pay a set amount for a month of calls to certain people and 5000 national texts, so it's pretty good.

I totally agree with SaintC about smartphones, it's not the necessity, it's the ultimate convenience... my entire business runs based on my smartphone calendar.

[Razor X]

... it puzzles me why for $20 a month people would want to go back 50 years to when the was ONE phone in the house to use. I like the convenience of a phone in each room to use. Plus in an emergency there is a phone right where you are without running to find the ONE phone.

I agree.  When my cell phone rings at home, I often have to run and find it -- that's if I remembered to take it off vibrate and can even hear it ringing. 

I used to pay about $25 for landline service, but when it got bundled with my cable and internet, the total cost of all three was about $25 less than what I'd been paying for them separately.  So basically, the landline doesn't cost me anything at all.

I use the cell for contacting doctor's offices, repairmen, etc -- so I don't have to worry about being at home to get the call when they call me back.

[Razor X]

I STRONGLY DISLIKE cell phones.  The volume is LOW. The coverage is spotty.  Drops calls. The digital compression makes it hard to hear the voice.  People call from the noisiest places and that makes it hard to hear.  It's just expensive terrible service! Who would want to pay huge amount of money for terrible service?  I guess many Americans do. Not this one.

Sounds like you need to change providers. 

[mrzed]

I STRONGLY DISLIKE cell phones.  The volume is LOW. The coverage is spotty.  Drops calls. The digital compression makes it hard to hear the voice.  People call from the noisiest places and that makes it hard to hear.  It's just expensive terrible service! Who would want to pay huge amount of money for terrible service?  I guess many Americans do. Not this one.

Sounds like you need to change providers. 

Every phone I have borrowed to try is like this, every provider I have tried is like this.  They all stink.  All models, all brands, all services.

[BillOnBass]

Smartphone only.  It basically runs my life.  I use it as my alarm in the morning, for all calls dialed and received and texting, it has all my friends and business contacts (backed up to the PC of course), it's connected to my email account, I use it as my calendar and set time-specific reminders on it, I check the weather forecast with it, use it for voice memos to record song ideas, use it as my camera and video recorder, use it for Pandora and iPod at the gym and plan workouts with the iFitness app, browse the internet, it has a calculator and a compass, I watch Netflix on road trips with it (not while driving, of course), I use Google Maps as my GPS when my Garmin can't find a place, and hell, I even have a police scanner app.  And a flashlight app.  And many other apps that are much less useful. 

Did I mention it makes telephone calls?

[BaldHDbiker]

I have Vonage but if i didn't need it for work i would just go with my smartphone.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Every phone I have borrowed to try is like this, every provider I have tried is like this.  They all stink.  All models, all brands, all services.

So you've never had a mobile phone of your own?  You base your somewhat equivocating opinion on "borrowed" use of all models, brands and service providers?  Neat trick.  Good thing you don't need one.  You must still have pay phones in your area I guess.   But, if you do need to communicate, can't find a land line and you're out of quarters there's always smoke signals, I guess.

[mrzed]

Every phone I have borrowed to try is like this, every provider I have tried is like this.  They all stink.  All models, all brands, all services.

So you've never had a mobile phone of your own?  You base your somewhat equivocating opinion on "borrowed" use of all models, brands and service providers?  Neat trick.  Good thing you don't need one.  You must still have pay phones in your area I guess.   But, if you do need to communicate, can't find a land line and you're out of quarters there's always smoke signals, I guess.

I'm 'on call' at work one week out of three. I carry the work cell phone. Over the past few years there have been several different phones. All terrible.

We've had two ATT phones to share in the family ... and several models over the years. All terrible.

I currently have a tracfone ... and several models in the family. All terrible for audio.

And when I'm out and need to call, but don't have a phone, I may borrow. Never had a good cell phone conversation. They are all difficult to hear on.

[mrzed]

And most of the phones today do just about everything (for a charge) except to make phone calls.  I really dislike trying to wade through many menus on the phone trying to figure out how to answer the call.  Yuck.

I'd like a phone that only makes and receives calls.  The photos are terrible, fuzzy, low-res, like an old 110 camera with a piece of saran wrap plastic for a lens. And non-standard USB jacks, so you can't download the photos without paying outrageous data fees to get the crummy pictures out. 

The have never 'ring' like a phone.  Obnoxious ring tones, yuck.

I guess you get the drift that I have little use or enjoyment out of a cell phone.

[Acme]

I haven't had a landline since I moved over 6 years ago.  I use the Xlink adapter to connect my cell phone to my house phones.

What happens is when I am home, my cell automatically connects by bluetooth to the Xlink which is connected to the house wiring and therfore my 7 house phones become active on my cell service.  When my cell rings, all the house phones ring.  When I make a call on the house phones, it actually goes out over the cell phone.  The cell phone passes caller id to my house phones and I can still access call waiting on the house phones.  If your cell phone can dial by voice, you can still use that feature on your house phone.  The Xlink will connect up to 3 cell phones to your single line house phones and give you different ring patterns for each phone.  As soon as I leave the house with my cell phone, all the house phones are dead.

The Xlink even simultes dial tones so it is exactly like having land line service.  You can connect it to the computer to change the ring patterns on the house phones and you can set the volume and various other things.  I think my cell phone sounds better when using it over the house phones.

I leave the small Xlink box in my bedroom so when I come in, I drop the phone on the night table and that's it.  I don't have to carry the cell phone around the house to use it.  Also, if you have spotty cell service in your house (luckily I don't), you can install the Xlink in what ever room you have good service as long as you have access to a phone jack too.

Check it out at myxlink.com .  This is exactly the product I designed in my head but didn't know how to actually make it.  I can't believe more people don't know about it.  There is a similar item call the dock'n'talk.  I tried that first but it was terrible and sent it back!

Let me know if you need anymore info.

[Razor X]

And most of the phones today do just about everything (for a charge) except to make phone calls.  I really dislike trying to wade through many menus on the phone trying to figure out how to answer the call.  Yuck.

I'd like a phone that only makes and receives calls.  The photos are terrible, fuzzy, low-res, like an old 110 camera with a piece of saran wrap plastic for a lens. And non-standard USB jacks, so you can't download the photos without paying outrageous data fees to get the crummy pictures out.  

The have never 'ring' like a phone.  Obnoxious ring tones, yuck.

I guess you get the drift that I have little use or enjoyment out of a cell phone.

Your experiences are not typical. The vast majority of people do not have these problems.  There are occasional dropped calls, and sometimes the signals can be weak, but most of the time they work just fine.  Yes, phones do a wide variety of things, but they still do make and receive calls.  They *do* ring like a phone.  Mine has an old-fashioned ring just like phones used to have 30 years ago when they sounded like an actual bell.  

The cameras are also improving dramatically.  You can't compare the photos taken on low-end equipment to those that are shot with an iPhone or an Android smartphone.  You can upload them to your online photo albums or email them to yourself or to friends.  I have never, ever, connected my phone to a computer, though it is quite easy to do should I want to.

I took this photo with my Motorola Android on Saturday.  It's not as good as what I can take with my regular digital camera, but I wouldn't exactly call it low resolution or fuzzy.  And it took about 20 seconds to upload it wirelessly to my Photobucket album:



If you don't like using cell phones, that's perfectly fine. It's your prerogative.  We're not trying to convert you.    But with all due respect, you are making a lot of faulty assumptions about them based on some rather limited experiences with less than state-of-the-art equipment.  

[wpruitt]

I still have the landline, too.  It's barebones w/ no long distance (and is pulse).  It serves in an emergency and is for the alarm system.

[Tyler]

I have TWO landlines...WOW!  One is with my AT&T Uverse Bundle...and is free because I still have "employee" status.  The other is my MagicJack...which is AWESOME!  I can take it with me wherever I take my laptop, so I can make calls on the road and it appears that I'm calling from my local landline.

With that said..95% of my calls are on my Android phone along with text, email, movies, music, calendar, notes, camera, and every other delicious thing it does.

[Ming the Merciless]

Very few of Ming's subjects call His Imperial Majesty, but when they do, Ming expects them to call his land line.  Being "always in touch," which is the supposed virtue of having a cell phone, does not add to Ming's happiness.  Ming's cell phone sits on a shelf, usually, turned off.  Ming's land line has an answering machine: "The Imperial Palace. Ming is not available to take your call.  Please leave a message at the sound of the gong, and Ming will either return your call or arrange for your decapitation."

Why does Ming not carry his cell phone in a some pocket of his regalia?  There is such a thing as being too available, and Ming prefers to favor inaccessibility over being at the beck and call of... callers.  Ming does have a life beyond the public, and his hatching of plans can be derailed by inconsequential calls.

Ming's land line number is unlisted.

[Acme]

I still have the landline, too.  It's barebones w/ no long distance (and is pulse).  It serves in an emergency and is for the alarm system.

The phone may be pulse but I would bet a touch tone phone would work too.  If it doesn't, try switching the polarity of the phone wires.  Some phone systemes no longer recognize pulse dialing.