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maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 12:03 PM

So some friends and I were at this huge party last night (about 2000 people) and I had met this guy earlier that my friend knew.... and I am SO TERRIBLE with names, so of course I forgot it. But we were dancing and he introduced me to someone and I was like, CRAP, what is this guy's name???

I couldn't call my friend because you couldn't hear a thing over the music. I've never really used SMS before, but I whipped out my Nokia and sent one to my friend, wherever she was in the crowd -- "What is that guy's name again???"

Within 30 seconds I had a reply. Ahh. Horray for SMS! I'm addicted now...

Powaqqatsi · May 18, 2003, 12:09 PM

Welcome to last century

I can't stand SMS personally, I always call people. But all of my friends use it a lot because it's much cheaper than calling someone.

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Welcome to last century

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always knew it was there, just never really had any reason to use it...

Powaqqatsi · May 18, 2003, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always knew it was there, just never really had any reason to use it...

Yeah, I know

Sometimes it's handy when you are in some place where you can't use your phone. Example: when I'm at a restaurant I tend to use it.

OptimusG4 · May 18, 2003, 12:50 PM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Yeah, I know Sometimes it's handy when you are in some place where you can't use your phone. Example: when I'm at a restaurant I tend to use it.

or the movies

text messaging is awesome here...esp. since all my friends have it and we're usually split up on weekends.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 18, 2003, 12:51 PM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
I can't stand SMS personally, I always call people. But all of my friends use it a lot because it's much cheaper than calling someone.

Raelly, I find it faster and cheaper to call someone.

philzilla · May 18, 2003, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Raelly, I find it faster and cheaper to call someone.

i'm not surprised, the amount of typos you make...

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 18, 2003, 01:05 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
i'm not surprised, the amount of typos you make...

Do you have a supercomputer keeping up with all my posts and coming up with all the witty responses or do you just have to much time on your hands?

Oooh, now I can say.. "Shame you don't even have anyone to call"

Fun times had by all.

Adam Betts · May 18, 2003, 01:19 PM

Yep, text messaging rocks

theiliad · May 18, 2003, 01:20 PM

Yeah apparently it's not that popular in the US. In Europe everyone ( and I mean everyone) uses text. Alot cheaper than calling

tikki · May 18, 2003, 01:52 PM

Text Messaging sucks since I can't get it to work across multiple cell networks.

My friends use Cingular.
My family uses Verizon.
I use SprintPCS.

I am screwed.

willed · May 18, 2003, 02:22 PM

Ahh, you Americans - so quaint and old fashioned. Texting is SO 1999. In the UK we have video mobile phones now. Of course only stupid people with too much money have them at the moment, but it might catch on.

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by tikki:
Text Messaging sucks since I can't get it to work across multiple cell networks.

My friends use Cingular.
My family uses Verizon.
I use SprintPCS.

I am screwed.

Weird, this was cross networks and we didn't have a problem.

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by willed:
Ahh, you Americans - so quaint and old fashioned. Texting is SO 1999. In the UK we have video mobile phones now. Of course only stupid people with too much money have them at the moment, but it might catch on.

You mean like webcams? Gosh, the last thing I want in a phone is for someone to see a live picture of what I look like.... that could be bad.

DeathMan · May 18, 2003, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by willed:
Ahh, you Americans - so quaint and old fashioned. Texting is SO 1999. In the UK we have video mobile phones now. Of course only stupid people with too much money have them at the moment, but it might catch on.

Either that or we have a different type of calling plans/usage habits. Its been around, for a while, but the people with enough money to have a cell phone don't worry about the extra cost of calling someone, and will generally find it too cumbersome to type on those little number keys.

I saw a lot of people in Germany (Arbeitslos) who couldn't afford phones, but had them, and when they were low on minutes, they would spend all their time text messaging.

Its annoying. It would be useful if there was speech to text. Maybe there is something like that, anyone know?

It's not quaint so much as just different. I don't think its just now catching on, just this one guy likes it now. I don't see a trend, though.

Powaqqatsi · May 18, 2003, 02:34 PM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Raelly, I find it faster and cheaper to call someone.

Well for me it doesn't matter, I have a subscription with my network I pay the same for calling one minute as I do for one SMS, so why should I use SMS ? (and my parents pay

) But almost everyone of my friends has a prepay card where calling 1 minute costs about 3x the amount of 1 SMS. So that's why they use SMS

. I can understand this. (Everybody uses my phone because it's free

)

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 18, 2003, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Well for me it doesn't matter, I have a subscription with my network I pay the same for calling one minute as I do for one SMS, so why should I use SMS ? (and my parents pay ) But almost everyone of my friends has a prepay card where calling 1 minute costs about 3x the amount of 1 SMS. So that's why they use SMS . I can understand this. (Everybody uses my phone because it's free )

Well for me it is free after 6 pm and all weekends, I also get 200 regular minutes a month. Text messaging is just a pain most of the time.

philzilla · May 18, 2003, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Do you have a supercomputer keeping up with all my posts and coming up with all the witty responses or do you just have to much time on your hands?

Oooh, now I can say.. "Shame you don't even have anyone to call"

Fun times had by all.

go and take your medication, you stupid little person

Swiss Bob · May 18, 2003, 03:10 PM

Originally posted by maxintosh:
So some friends and I were at this huge party last night (about 2000 people) and I had met this guy earlier that my friend knew.... and I am SO TERRIBLE with names, so of course I forgot it. But we were dancing and he introduced me to someone and I was like, CRAP, what is this guy's name???

I couldn't call my friend because you couldn't hear a thing over the music. I've never really used SMS before, but I whipped out my Nokia and sent one to my friend, wherever she was in the crowd -- "What is that guy's name again???"

Where's your sense of adventure? Think of the fun you missed out on by being able to ask what his name was!

Swiss Bob · May 18, 2003, 03:12 PM

Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
Do you have a supercomputer keeping up with all my posts?

I thought we all had supercomputers? This is a Mac forum, right?

Kilbey · May 18, 2003, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by Swiss Bob:
I thought we all had supercomputers? This is a Mac forum, right?

I do not have a Supercomputer. I have a Pismo, the last PowerBook before they became Supercomputers.

I don't find text messaging very convient. They only place I could think to possibly use it is in the theater, but then I do NOT want to be disturbed and turn my cell completely off.

I have 3000 anytime minutes and rarely use half of them so it is not a cost issue.

Now that I think of it though, there have been times in a loud crwoded bar that text messaging would have come in handy. But that rarelt happens either as I prefer small quieter pub and tavens so I am actually able to talk with the people i am with.

Swiss Bob · May 18, 2003, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by Kilbey:
I do not have a Supercomputer. I have a Pismo, the last PowerBook before they became Supercomputers.

Give yourself a space then: "super computer" instead of "supercomputer".

tikki · May 18, 2003, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by maxintosh:
Weird, this was cross networks and we didn't have a problem.

I dunno. What network do you use?

deekay1 · May 18, 2003, 04:12 PM

i hate typing sms. the only time i really use it, is if i have to communicate with somebody, but don't really feel like talking a lot...

OwlBoy · May 18, 2003, 04:16 PM

I like it too, though I wish they could make it standard over all the companies, then online services could be implimented better, more use of it etc. It could only mean more money for the phone company if the users had more people to message too

.

Oh, and SMS is great for in class

.

-Owl

Mac Zealot · May 18, 2003, 06:20 PM

I have both SMS and AIM on my phone (though I have to pay for inernet and not for SMS).

Ya know the fun thing tho is near the end of the month when I still have like 200 mins to waste, I call my friends on the other side of the country and stuff (guess what people.. you don't get free long distanace on your free mins

)

Severed Hand of Skywalker · May 18, 2003, 06:39 PM

Originally posted by philzilla:
go and take your medication, you stupid little person

Booya! Ultimate dis #2 in this thread alone!

Now I say... I am not on any meds (ya ya and you think I should be) and then I call you a ugly, balding, Alcoholic.

Right?

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 06:50 PM

Originally posted by tikki:
I dunno. What network do you use?

Cingular, and I think she has AT&T... I can check though.... I'm going to move over the T-Mobile pretty soon.

willed · May 18, 2003, 06:56 PM

btw, typing SMSs is easy if you have predicative text input which is on almost all phones nowadays (surely?). Texting is great coz you don't have to have a whole conversation or bother talking to an answerphone, you can just ask what you want and that's it. Anyone who says they are too difficult to type is either too stupid or needs a bit of practise.

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by willed:
btw, typing SMSs is easy if you have predicative text input which is on almost all phones nowadays (surely?). Texting is great coz you don't have to have a whole conversation or bother talking to an answerphone, you can just ask what you want and that's it. Anyone who says they are too difficult to type is either too stupid or needs a bit of practise.

Yep, T9 is great, especially if you know the shortcuts (e.g., change the underlined word, insert symbols, etc.)

SSharon · May 18, 2003, 07:41 PM

predictive text = a must.

I use SMS to remind me of important meetings etc. I hate waking up so I have iCal send me an "e-mail" to my phone and its great, very easy better than just an alarm this tells me where, with who, whatever I want.

Someone mentioned its great in class, and it is, unless you go to my school and get expelled for cheating by having people SMS you answers during a test.

Its also great to get answers out of those people who talk too much and waste my minutes by calling during the day.

talisker · May 18, 2003, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by OwlBoy:
I like it too, though I wish they could make it standard over all the companies,

You mean it's not standard across all companies? Wow, the USA certainly seems to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to cellphone stuff! Can't think of anywhere else I've been where you can't text across networks, even internationally. And that's been for years.

Mind you, fair enough I suppose. You get Apple Music Store, we get better cellphones

Swiss Bob · May 18, 2003, 09:10 PM

Originally posted by willed:
Anyone who says they are too difficult to type is either too stupid or needs a bit of practise.

Or has man-sized hands instead of the dainty little girlie hands required to operate most modern phones?

Incidentally, I read the other day that somewhere in Birmingham, UK, they're using tax-payers' money to fund adult classes in... ...text messaging (and how to download new ringtones). Nice to know my taxes aren't being used for anything trivial like hospital beds or crime fighting.

AB^2=BCxAC · May 18, 2003, 09:24 PM

Originally posted by talisker:
Wow, the USA certainly seems to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to cellphone stuff! Can't think of anywhere else I've been where you can't text across networks, even internationally.

Ah, good ole' Freedom of speech in the U-S-of-A, baby.

Want convenience? Pay up to the next level of service.

That's why cell phone contracts are 35% more expensive here than in Canada. We can't have just anybody with the ability to reach out and touch someone, that's practically communist.

talisker · May 18, 2003, 11:02 PM

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
Ah, good ole' Freedom of speech in the U-S-of-A, baby.

Want convenience? Pay up to the next level of service.

That's why cell phone contracts are 35% more expensive here than in Canada. We can't have just anybody with the ability to reach out and touch someone, that's practically communist.

Actually, my theory as to why this is the case is that the USA has had multiple privately owned telephone companies for many years, whereas in most European countries and others there was until fairly recently (or in some case still is) one monolithic state owned telephone company.

So when mobile phone technology was being introduced in these countries in the 80s and 90s, it was done in a coherent, standardised way, led by one company. Although there may now be many different mobile phone companies operating now, the fact that they had a consistent network standard to start with has led to them being in a more advanced position than the USA, where there were different standards and systems set up by the different telephone companies in the beginning. A case of competition leading to less efficiency.

Please note that the above is largely based on guesswork and a very limited amount of knowledge. Seems convincing to me though.

Kilbey · May 18, 2003, 11:15 PM

Originally posted by Swiss Bob:
Give yourself a space then: "super computer" instead of "supercomputer".

I thought you were pointing out a spelling error on my part and I was going to refer you to:
http://www.apple.com/powermac/processor.html

But then, I reread your post, and I agree. I have a "super" computer.

From dictionary.com (#2)
"su�per

-adj. Informal
1 Very large, great, or extreme: ?yet another super Skyscraper? (Dylan Thomas).

2 Excellent; first-rate: a super party."

maxintosh · May 18, 2003, 11:30 PM

Confirmed: SMS works fine across networks. My friend has AT&T and I have Cingular, and we were zapping messages back and forth all night.

tikki · May 19, 2003, 12:00 AM

Then Sprint just blows.

Scifience · May 19, 2003, 08:33 PM

Originally posted by tikki:
Then Sprint just blows.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I know people with Sprint who drop calls all the time and have terrible service. I have no problems SMSing across networks with Verizon.

CheesePuff · May 19, 2003, 08:48 PM

Originally posted by Scifience:
Couldn't have said it better myself. I know people with Sprint who drop calls all the time and have terrible service. I have no problems SMSing across networks with Verizon.

I have Sprint PCS, and its just fine. No dropped calls, no static (thanks to the all-digital network) and all of the features are fine. In fact, after filling out a online survery a Sprint rep called me and wanted to know how everything was going and if there were any problems with my phone.

tikki · May 20, 2003, 02:35 AM

Originally posted by Scifience:
Couldn't have said it better myself. I know people with Sprint who drop calls all the time and have terrible service. I have no problems SMSing across networks with Verizon.

I drop so many calls. It seems like my service has been getting worse as well. Oh well.

mixin visuals · May 20, 2003, 02:50 AM

i have text messeging enabled on my cell account with verizon. my brother just got the same plan and wanted unlimited text messeging and got the "unlimited" plan for $2.99 a month. the verizon rep told him that unlimited only meant less than a 100. what is that all about? on any given text messeging that i have done usually ends up in about 3 or 4 being transferred each way...

it has to cost just the same or less for text than voice...

unlimited = 100??? can you say class action lawsuit?

tikki · May 20, 2003, 02:53 AM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:

unlimited = 100??? can you say class action lawsuit?

If you don't like the service, don't subscribe to it.

mixin visuals · May 20, 2003, 03:00 AM

Originally posted by tikki:
If you don't like the service, don't subscribe to it.

wow. you must have gone to college or something...

thats not the point. if a buffet restaurant said all you can eat and then told you that only means 2 times up at the buffet, that is false advertising.

thats why you don't see gas stations telling you that you can get unlimited gas, as long as its only 2 tanks full.

tikki · May 20, 2003, 04:13 AM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
wow. you must have gone to college or something...

thats not the point. if a buffet restaurant said all you can eat and then told you that only means 2 times up at the buffet, that is false advertising.

thats why you don't see gas stations telling you that you can get unlimited gas, as long as its only 2 tanks full.

The unlimited text plan expires June 30th if I read the site correctly. Are you going to sue for that too?

mixin visuals · May 20, 2003, 04:33 AM

Originally posted by tikki:
The unlimited text plan expires June 30th if I read the site correctly. Are you going to sue for that too?

are you a sales rep for verizon or do you just not understand that they are selling a plan with unlimited text messeges and limiting unlimited to only 100.

if they bragged and boasted about unlimited nights and weekend minutes for regular phone time and then said unlimited only really meant 300 then i would say the same.

continue to try to argue this, it will prove why they are saying one thing and doing another even more...

tikki · May 20, 2003, 04:39 AM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
are you a sales rep for verizon

No, I just think you are a ****tard, and want to piss you off.

deekay1 · May 20, 2003, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by willed:
btw, typing SMSs is easy if you have predicative text input which is on almost all phones nowadays (surely?)

have you ever tried typing something that isn't in the "predicative text" list?

kinda sux. yes i know, you can add things.but it's still a pain in the arse.

typing sms sux. period.

deekay1 · May 20, 2003, 05:15 AM

Originally posted by talisker:
A case of competition leading to less efficiency.

as always...

philm · May 20, 2003, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by theiliad:
Yeah apparently it's not that popular in the US. In Europe everyone ( and I mean everyone) uses text. Alot cheaper than calling

Small fact here. In the UK, more text messages are sent each day than the size of the population. Something like 65 million texts sent each day for a population of 60 million.

Don't foget using SMS with a bluetooth phone and a Mac is fantastic. My phone is in my pocket 100% of the time, and I send and receive SMS via my Mac all the time. Smart.