nospam

In article <michelle-0E3A1A.11511511102011@news.eternal-september.org>,
Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> wrote:

> > > What in the iPhone's calling plan is more than you need?
> >
> > I don't know. I do know that I'm paying T-Mobile about $20 per month
> > and am perfectly happy with what I'm getting.
> >
> > If I bought an iPhone from AT&T, I'd be obliged (according to their
> > web site) to pay a minumum of
> >
> > $15 month for data
> > $40 month for phone service.
> >
> > That's already $55 month, and it leaves me with no texting plan (which
> > I use since I have teenagers). You could say I get data, but at $15
> > for 200 MB I wouldn't feel like I had data.
>
> I just checked T-Mobile's web site; the cheapest plan they have with data
> that I could find is 55/month, with 200 MB of data. For unlimited data,
> it's $60/month.

that's postpaid.

try t-mobile prepaid, where the cheapest is currently $15/mo for
monthly plans, and depending on usage, it could be less expensive on
straight pay as you go.

<http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans>

Doug Anderson

Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> writes:

> In article <lq8vorwjwm.fsf@ethel.the.log>,
> Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > in exchange for paying more than I needed
> > >
> > > What in the iPhone's calling plan is more than you need?
> >
> > I don't know. I do know that I'm paying T-Mobile about $20 per month
> > and am perfectly happy with what I'm getting.
> >
> > If I bought an iPhone from AT&T, I'd be obliged (according to their
> > web site) to pay a minumum of
> >
> > $15 month for data
> > $40 month for phone service.
> >
> > That's already $55 month, and it leaves me with no texting plan (which
> > I use since I have teenagers). You could say I get data, but at $15
> > for 200 MB I wouldn't feel like I had data.
>
> I just checked T-Mobile's web site; the cheapest plan they have with data
> that I could find is 55/month, with 200 MB of data. For unlimited data,
> it's $60/month.
>
> The cheapest without data or texting is 35/month; with unlimited texting,
> it's $40/month.
>
> Those plans have a limit of 500 anytime minutes a month. For plans with
> unlimited anytime minutes, it's $5 or $10 more a month, depending on the
> plan.

I use t-mobile's very cost-effective pay-as-you-go plan.

> It sounds to me that the basic issue is that you do not need a smart phone,
> whether it's an iPhone or an Android phone.

Ah. Nice to have someone tell me what I need - thanks!

I can go back to carrying a dumb phone _and_ an iPod. Or just a dumb
phone and not having access to my music, books, podcasts etc. in my
pocket, and not having internet access in my pocket at wherever I am
at work, or at home, or at friend's houses.

No thanks, I'll keep my iPhone.

It _is_ true that I manage OK without a data plan. I'd rather have
one frankly, but if I went from my current situation to the minimal
AT&T plan I'd have to go from ~$20 to $55 per month for a measly 200
MB of data.

Again, no thanks.

Your Name

In article <vm1uujegvp.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
<ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:

> Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> writes:
>
> > In article <t939ez8win.fsf@ethel.the.log>,
> > Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > > Part of that $50 is for the plan. Even if you bought an unlocked
phone and
> > > > used it as a pre-paid phone, you'd still have to be paying
something. :-)
> > >
> > > True enough. I have an unlocked 3GS. I pay roughly $20 per month.
> > > So the "cost" of my "free" phone would be 24 x ($50 - $20) = $720,
> > > which still seems like way too much to me.
> >
> > Do you count the cost of your internet service as part of the cost of the
> > computer?
>
> If I got a "free" computer in exchange for paying more than I needed
> to for internet service, I would absolutely count the cost of my
> internet service as part of the cost of my computer.
>
> > Do you count the cost of your landline telephone service as part
> > of the cost of the phone?
>
> If I got a "free" phone in exchange for paying more than I needed to
> for a landline phone service, I would absolutely count the cost of
> my landline phone service as part of the cost of the phone.
>
> > Do you count the cost of your cable or satellite
> > service to be part of the cost of the television?
>
> If I got a "free" television in exchange for paying more than I needed
> to for a cable or satellite service, I would absolutely count the cost
> of my service as part of the cost of the television.
>
>
> Just because a company claim something is "free" doesn't always mean
> it is.

It's extremely rare to get something that is actually free. Even the
"free" toy in your cereal box or Happy Meal has been paid for by the
company including that cost into the product's price.

Your Name

In article <t939ez8win.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
<ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> yourname@yourisp.com (Your Name) writes:
> > In article <gpsjn0bd78.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
> > <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> writes:
> > > >
> > > > You can get a brand new 3GS for $0, so why would you buy a used one?
> > >
> > > The real price for that $0 phone is about 24 x $50, which is kind of a
> > > lot.
> >
> > Part of that $50 is for the plan. Even if you bought an unlocked phone and
> > used it as a pre-paid phone, you'd still have to be paying something. :-)
>
> True enough. I have an unlocked 3GS. I pay roughly $20 per month.
> So the "cost" of my "free" phone would be 24 x ($50 - $20) = $720,
> which still seems like way too much to me.

I don't know what prices are like in America, but most new smartphones in
New Zealand* when bought as "handset only" without a plan subsidy /
"unlocked" are around US$700 give or take US$100 or so depending on the
model, memory, etc. So, US$720 doesn't seem too out of place ... although
admitedly the iPhone 3GS is now "old tech", so should be cheaper than an
iPhone 4S.


* Note: Here in New Zealand we do get badly priced goughed by greedy "big
business" for almost everything. It's often cheaper to buy something from
a webstore, even when you include postage and customs fee / duty / import
tax. Even things like milk that New Zealand exports to other countries is
actually cheaper to buy in those countries than it is here!! X-(

Doug Anderson

yourname@yourisp.com (Your Name) writes:

> In article <vm1uujegvp.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
> <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> writes:
> >
> > > In article <t939ez8win.fsf@ethel.the.log>,
> > > Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > > Part of that $50 is for the plan. Even if you bought an unlocked
> phone and
> > > > > used it as a pre-paid phone, you'd still have to be paying
> something. :-)
> > > >
> > > > True enough. I have an unlocked 3GS. I pay roughly $20 per month.
> > > > So the "cost" of my "free" phone would be 24 x ($50 - $20) = $720,
> > > > which still seems like way too much to me.
> > >
> > > Do you count the cost of your internet service as part of the cost of the
> > > computer?
> >
> > If I got a "free" computer in exchange for paying more than I needed
> > to for internet service, I would absolutely count the cost of my
> > internet service as part of the cost of my computer.
> >
> > > Do you count the cost of your landline telephone service as part
> > > of the cost of the phone?
> >
> > If I got a "free" phone in exchange for paying more than I needed to
> > for a landline phone service, I would absolutely count the cost of
> > my landline phone service as part of the cost of the phone.
> >
> > > Do you count the cost of your cable or satellite
> > > service to be part of the cost of the television?
> >
> > If I got a "free" television in exchange for paying more than I needed
> > to for a cable or satellite service, I would absolutely count the cost
> > of my service as part of the cost of the television.
> >
> >
> > Just because a company claim something is "free" doesn't always mean
> > it is.
>
> It's extremely rare to get something that is actually free. Even the
> "free" toy in your cereal box or Happy Meal has been paid for by the
> company including that cost into the product's price.

True, but that is at least transparent. You pay your money, and you
get a box of cereal and a decoder ring.

Doug Anderson

yourname@yourisp.com (Your Name) writes:

> In article <t939ez8win.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
> <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > yourname@yourisp.com (Your Name) writes:
> > > In article <gpsjn0bd78.fsf@ethel.the.log>, Doug Anderson
> > > <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> writes:
> > > > >
> > > > > You can get a brand new 3GS for $0, so why would you buy a used one?
> > > >
> > > > The real price for that $0 phone is about 24 x $50, which is kind of a
> > > > lot.
> > >
> > > Part of that $50 is for the plan. Even if you bought an unlocked phone and
> > > used it as a pre-paid phone, you'd still have to be paying something. :-)
> >
> > True enough. I have an unlocked 3GS. I pay roughly $20 per month.
> > So the "cost" of my "free" phone would be 24 x ($50 - $20) = $720,
> > which still seems like way too much to me.
>
> I don't know what prices are like in America, but most new smartphones in
> New Zealand* when bought as "handset only" without a plan subsidy /
> "unlocked" are around US$700 give or take US$100 or so depending on the
> model, memory, etc. So, US$720 doesn't seem too out of place ... although
> admitedly the iPhone 3GS is now "old tech", so should be cheaper than an
> iPhone 4S.

I'm not assertubg that $720 is out of place (but new unlocked 3GS go
for much less than that).

Simply that it is much too much for me to want to pay for a phone.

JF Mezei

Your Name wrote:

> tax. Even things like milk that New Zealand exports to other countries is
> actually cheaper to buy in those countries than it is here!! X-(


But kiwis still get about 5 sheep per men though, right ? Or has the
ratio gone down ?

Doug Anderson

JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> writes:

> Your Name wrote:
>
> > tax. Even things like milk that New Zealand exports to other countries is
> > actually cheaper to buy in those countries than it is here!! X-(
>
>
> But kiwis still get about 5 sheep per men though, right ? Or has the
> ratio gone down ?

Surf City, New Zealand edition.

Michelle Steiner

In article <5fty7fe3xf.fsf@ethel.the.log>,
Doug Anderson <ethelthelogremovethis@gmail.com> wrote:

> > It sounds to me that the basic issue is that you do not need a smart phone,
> > whether it's an iPhone or an Android phone.
>
> Ah. Nice to have someone tell me what I need - thanks!

I didn't tell you what you need; I told you what it appears to me that you
need. I informed you of my perception, based on what you had written; that
is all.

--
Tea Party Patriots is to Patriotism as
People's Democratic Republic is to Democracy.