Why do I have a regular phone line?!
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: On the lakefront...
Why do I have a regular phone line?!
Since I have DSL for Internet access and cellular phone I use for just about everything...why do I still have a regular phone line?!
Am I missing something? Couldn't I save the $$$ each month, get a bigger plan on the cell phone and trash my VTECH (....
...) phone?!
The part that sucks is that I would only give out my home number and would always forward that to my cell phone. So, few people know my cell number and I always told people that they don't need to know my cell number...just call my house and it'll forward. But that's not a huge deal...
Have any of you gotten rid of your normal phones? What has your experience been with that? I think I may do it...just need some encouragement...!
Am I missing something? Couldn't I save the $$$ each month, get a bigger plan on the cell phone and trash my VTECH (....
...) phone?! The part that sucks is that I would only give out my home number and would always forward that to my cell phone. So, few people know my cell number and I always told people that they don't need to know my cell number...just call my house and it'll forward. But that's not a huge deal...
Have any of you gotten rid of your normal phones? What has your experience been with that? I think I may do it...just need some encouragement...!
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Joined: Feb 2001
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From: West Henrietta UPSTATE NY
I'm in the same boat. I have yet to cancel my land line because the one thing it does offer, is the ability for people to look up my phone number and call me. It seems to me we need a "phone book" or an on-line database for cell phone numbers.
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: North Richland Hills, TX
Greg,
I had the same thought as you have now. Even worse, my friends always seemed to call my mobile # first, even when I was at home. I'd sometimes forward my home # to my mobile phone, only to be bothered by telemarketers away from home.
I've been home phone-less for about a year, and like it. There's only 1 number for people to reach me wherever I am, and airtime is inexpensive enough now for cost not to be an issue.
Triple-H, I had an unlisted # when I had a land line, but it still got into telemarketers' hands. I don't want my # available in any directory or listing...those who need it have or can get it easily enough. I'm not about to publish my work or mobile #'s online!
I had the same thought as you have now. Even worse, my friends always seemed to call my mobile # first, even when I was at home. I'd sometimes forward my home # to my mobile phone, only to be bothered by telemarketers away from home.
I've been home phone-less for about a year, and like it. There's only 1 number for people to reach me wherever I am, and airtime is inexpensive enough now for cost not to be an issue.
Triple-H, I had an unlisted # when I had a land line, but it still got into telemarketers' hands. I don't want my # available in any directory or listing...those who need it have or can get it easily enough. I'm not about to publish my work or mobile #'s online!
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 9,210
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From: WA
If I had a cable modem I might jerk the land line, but I think I must keep it to retain the DSL service. The only issue might be some of the conference calls that I run on an 800 number could be more difficult with the cell phone.
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From: Tulsa, OK
I've thought about getting rid of my home phone, but my Tivo needs a phone line to dial up and get the new programming info every day. There's a modification that some people have done where they have added a ethernet port to their Tivos and modified the software to use their cable modems to get the programming data every day. I'm just not sure if I want to mess with my Tivo especially since I'm not too familiar with Linux. Maybe someday I'll get around to it, but for now it's worth the $27 a month split with a roommate.
Mark
Mark
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Yuma, AZ
Been without a landline for just over 1.5 years now. Originally quit using landlines because I was moving to a new city about every 3-6 months (moved to 4 different cities in past 1.5 years) and I couldn't justify the expense of starting a new line everywhere I lived. I don't have much problems with using only a cell phone, but somethings I have noticed are:
1. Try to use a reliable cell service. While I was in Chicago and Western Michigan, I used Sprint PCS and Cingular, and both had areas of the city where signals were easily dropped or very weak (inside of high rise). Nothing is more frustrating than not receiving a call on your phone simply because the carrier doesn't have strong signal strength and having your girlfriend bitch you out because she thinks you're screening her calls! I'm currently using Voicestream, and I must say that in the St.Louis and Chicago areas, the reception is fabulous (no static, few dropped calls, reliable roaming).... (BTW, I'm not trying to endorse or rip on any particular company, these are just my observations)
2. Its pretty handy to have 2 batteries, with one of them being an "extended capacity" one. That way you will pretty much always have one charged up and if you have to do a long converstation, you'll have enough juice to last.
3. Try to guess whether you'll be using more minutes in the daytime or the evening/ weekends and adjust you're phone plan accordingly... It really makes a big difference if you go over the allotted minutes. I've gone over hugh on my minutes a few times... worst time it turned a $45 bill into > $250. That one really hurt, but it couldn't be helped.
4. Don't worry too much about getting long distance included in your minutes if you only dial long distance few times a month. I use a phone card (much cheaper rates) that has a 1800 dial in number, so when I dial it, its considered a local call. check out www.dynasky.com for long distance phone card.
5. Good thing and a bad thing: People know that they can always reach you. I you don't answer the cell phone, better have a good excuse if they ask why you didn't pick up!
Later
puremagik
1. Try to use a reliable cell service. While I was in Chicago and Western Michigan, I used Sprint PCS and Cingular, and both had areas of the city where signals were easily dropped or very weak (inside of high rise). Nothing is more frustrating than not receiving a call on your phone simply because the carrier doesn't have strong signal strength and having your girlfriend bitch you out because she thinks you're screening her calls! I'm currently using Voicestream, and I must say that in the St.Louis and Chicago areas, the reception is fabulous (no static, few dropped calls, reliable roaming).... (BTW, I'm not trying to endorse or rip on any particular company, these are just my observations)
2. Its pretty handy to have 2 batteries, with one of them being an "extended capacity" one. That way you will pretty much always have one charged up and if you have to do a long converstation, you'll have enough juice to last.
3. Try to guess whether you'll be using more minutes in the daytime or the evening/ weekends and adjust you're phone plan accordingly... It really makes a big difference if you go over the allotted minutes. I've gone over hugh on my minutes a few times... worst time it turned a $45 bill into > $250. That one really hurt, but it couldn't be helped.
4. Don't worry too much about getting long distance included in your minutes if you only dial long distance few times a month. I use a phone card (much cheaper rates) that has a 1800 dial in number, so when I dial it, its considered a local call. check out www.dynasky.com for long distance phone card.
5. Good thing and a bad thing: People know that they can always reach you. I you don't answer the cell phone, better have a good excuse if they ask why you didn't pick up!
Later
puremagik
