Stupid CellPhone Question

[ERD50]

To be clear, your original question was

However, I want to make sure when I switch the number to the cell phone I still have it for the landline.

I think "everyone" was trying to tell you that when you port ( move ) the number to wireless it is not available for the landline.

That is correct. you can't have the same number on two lines (of any combo). I think this question got asked a few different ways as the thread progressed.

But as others have said, some phone service providers allow for "simultaneous ring" (my VOIP home phone, set up like a 'land line' has this), and/or consecutive-ring, so that can get a person with a set up that is pretty much equivalent to what the OP wants.

-ERD50

 

[Options]

I personally see no reason for keeping a landline. Between the unnecessary expense, having to be tethered when using it, as well as its overall uselessness compared to a cell, I see no reason for it. When I got the cell, it felt great losing the landline (and that bulky phone with all those cords and wires!), porting the number I'd had for years and never looking back.

 

[ERD50]

I personally see no reason for keeping a landline. ... When I got the cell, it felt great losing the landline (and that bulky phone with all those cords and wires!) ...

You never heard of a 'cordless' phone? We have VOIP, which uses our old 'landine' phones. 3 extensions, and I could buy more for ~ $20 each. We can pick up the phone all over the house, and use them as 'walkie talkies' (intercom mode) as well.

Between the unnecessary expense, having to be tethered when using it, as well as its overall uselessness compared to a cell, I see no reason for it.

For VOIP, we pay ~ $12/month (and could pay less if we didn't spend hours each week on calls to family).

DW has a cell, I have a cell, and we have extremely cheap monthly rates (83 CENTS/month for me), as we do most of our calls on that old 'landline' phone.

For some people, a combination works best. I don't want to get DW's phone calls, and she doesn't want to get mine, so we still need a third 'family' line. Plus, the old fashioned 'answering machine' has some advantages over voice mail.

It's not a slam-dunk, it depends.

-ERD50

 

[Options]

You never heard of a 'cordless' phone? We have VOIP, which uses our old 'landine' phones. 3 extensions, and I could buy more for ~ $20 each. We can pick up the phone all over the house, and use them as 'walkie talkies' (intercom mode) as well.

For VOIP, we pay ~ $12/month (and could pay less if we didn't spend hours each week on calls to family).

DW has a cell, I have a cell, and we have extremely cheap monthly rates (83 CENTS/month for me), as we do most of our calls on that old 'landline' phone.

For some people, a combination works best. I don't want to get DW's phone calls, and she doesn't want to get mine, so we still need a third 'family' line. Plus, the old fashioned 'answering machine' has some advantages over voice mail.

It's not a slam-dunk, it depends.

-ERD50

Well if that works for you, fine.

Landlines, cordless phones, answering machines are all so very last century to me. I don't know how I put up with all that before. Even the smallest cordless phones are bulky and antiquated next to a palm-sized smartphone. Smartphones blow everything else out of the water. I see absolutely no advantage of some space-taking, cord dangling box answering machine over VM. In fact, I prefer texting to voicemail and email--a thousand times more efficient and effective. This week, a friend took a picture on his smartphone of a number on a receipt I needed and texted it to me, which was even faster than his having to text the numbers to me (emailing it would have been a huge waste of time--on his part and mine).

These days, I'm all about simplicity and efficiency. The old boxes, cords, machines, stereos, speakers, televisions, etc. are gone. In their place are quite small, more efficient, wireless devices. As I say, I don't know how I put up with having all that junk around the house before. YMMV.

 

[ERD50]

Well if that works for you, fine.

Exactly - as I said "it depends".

Landlines, cordless phones, answering machines are all so very last century to me.

And the wheel and fire are even older, yet we still use them, and they are often the best alternative.

An answering 'machine' (it's all digital now), does things that voice mail does not.

Even the smallest cordless phones are bulky and antiquated next to a palm-sized smartphone.

And for someone like my Mom, a 'palm sized smartphone' doesn't work as well as a large cordless phone. Try using those with diminished manual dexterity and neuropathy in the fingers.

And around the house, I like the BIG phone to make/receive phone calls, and not worry about menus, etc. Just call. Sometimes task specific devices fit the bill just fine, in place of jack-of-all, master of none, multi-use devices.

Smartphones blow everything else out of the water. I see absolutely no advantage of some space-taking, cord dangling box answering machine over VM.

Not with what Steve Jobs called 'the killer app' - making a phone call. Sure smart phones do things you can't do with a cordless, but each has their place.

With VM, I can't easily 'listen in', and hear that this call would be better going to a recording, or hearing that it is a call that would be better served with an instant reply - like sometimes a friend will start leaving a message for DW - in most cases, I let the answering 'machine' take the message for her. In other cases, it is time dependent, and if I pick up and talk to them, I can save them both some grief (like "no, she just left a minute ago, so you can talk to her at the meeting"). With VM, you need to let it go to VM, and then listen, and then try to call that person back (and get their VM). Rinse, repeat.

In fact, I prefer texting to voicemail and email--a thousand times more efficient and effective.

Right - use the best tool for the job. And sometimes, the old fashioned phone is the right tool.

The old boxes, cords, machines, stereos, speakers, televisions, etc. are gone. In their place are quite small, more efficient, wireless devices.

The cords for the cordless phone are neatly tucked away - it is no big burden. You use a cord to charge your smartphone, right?

You don't use speakers? Oh, the humanity!

-ERD50

 

[meierlde]

I personally see no reason for keeping a landline. Between the unnecessary expense, having to be tethered when using it, as well as its overall uselessness compared to a cell, I see no reason for it. When I got the cell, it felt great losing the landline (and that bulky phone with all those cords and wires!), porting the number I'd had for years and never looking back.

Because of the technical setup a land line will work longer during an area wide power failure than a cell phone. In a land line the power comes from the central office, whereas when either your phones battery goes dead or the batteries/generators at the cell site go dead the cell phone is just a brick. (Look at reports from the blackout in the Northeast in the mid 2000s).

 

[zinger1457]

Because of the technical setup a land line will work longer during an area wide power failure than a cell phone. In a land line the power comes from the central office, whereas when either your phones battery goes dead or the batteries/generators at the cell site go dead the cell phone is just a brick. (Look at reports from the blackout in the Northeast in the mid 2000s).

True if you use one of the old landline phones that connect only to the phone jack but not if you use a cordless phone.

 

[kcowan]

MJ worked fine for about 3 months for me. After that it started dropping the line. Wouldn't stay up for more than 5 minutes at a time. Rebooting the device only helped for a few more minutes. I'm fine with cell phone only at this point.

You should try an online chat session with them. Often a reset and software download is required. I did it and it has been flawless.

 

[kcowan]

With VM, I can't easily 'listen in', and hear that this call would be better going to a recording, or hearing that it is a call that would be better served with an instant reply - like sometimes a friend will start leaving a message for DW - in most cases, I let the answering 'machine' take the message for her. In other cases, it is time dependent, and if I pick up and talk to them, I can save them both some grief (like "no, she just left a minute ago, so you can talk to her at the meeting"). With VM, you need to let it go to VM, and then listen, and then try to call that person back (and get their VM). Rinse, repeat.

Does anyone know if there is a smartphone app that enables call screening? It seems that it is a major obvious shortcoming. We have 2 iPhones and a landline with a recorder just for screening. Now that we are getting spam on our mobiles, it is a real shortcoming.

 

[REWahoo]

The Mr Number app doesn't allow you to screen calls but does automatically send spam calls to VM after the first ring. I've been using it for a little over a month and so far it has been very accurate.

 

[Options]

Hopefully, for those who are willing, the actionable part of this thread is the willingness to (a) acknowledge the revolution in technology that has taken place in a very short time (i.e., smartphones, ipads less than 10 years old), (b) review one's historical use of technology (i.e., phones, entertainment systems and access points, analog and paper filing systems), and (c) capitalize on this revolution that is taking place. A smartphone is one such tool, and my prediction is that OP will be delighted with what new capabilities it brings.

For example, you don't need to "screen" calls when your smartphone lets you know who is calling and then you can decide whether to answer. With texting, screening is nothing less than archaic. Further, with an app like Pushbullet, you don't even have to be near your smartphone to know who is calling. You can be on your laptop, for example, and a pop up will tell you. You no longer need dated paper filing systems now that everything can be digitized and stored electronically. You no longer need to pay to access most entertainment with the advent of sites such as YouTube and Hulu, for example.

For early retirees, we have more time to take advantage of these space and time saving devices, which simultaneously have become our personal servants, bringing us information and capabilities that heretofore were the purview of the very wealthy. Further, this build out of machines as an extension of humans has only just begun. In my view, not since the invention of the Gutenberg press has there been a more exciting time to be alive.

The key is to be willing to change your thinking from what you have historically known. For anyone under, say, thirty, this discussion is alien because innovation is all they've ever known. It's what Mark Zuckerberg meant when he famously said at age twenty-two that young people were just smarter. In the sense they have grown up without being enslaved to legacy systems of older generations, they are. How to catch up? Be willing to view everything with fresh eyes.

The 2009 book "Exploiting Chaos" by (at the time) thirty-year old Trendhunter.com founder Jeremy Gutsche had a profound impact on my thinking regarding the criticality of ongoing personal reinvention.

 

[youbet]

Hopefully, for those who are willing, the actionable part of this thread is the willingness to (a) acknowledge the revolution in technology that has taken place in a very short time (i.e., smartphones, ipads less than 10 years old), (b) review one's historical use of technology (i.e., phones, entertainment systems and access points, analog and paper filing systems), and (c) capitalize on this revolution that is taking place. A smartphone is one such tool, and my prediction is that OP will be delighted with what new capabilities it brings.

For example, you don't need to "screen" calls when your smartphone lets you know who is calling and then you can decide whether to answer. With texting, screening is nothing less than archaic. Further, with an app like Pushbullet, you don't even have to be near your smartphone to know who is calling. You can be on your laptop, for example, and a pop up will tell you. You no longer need dated paper filing systems now that everything can be digitized and stored electronically. You no longer need to pay to access most entertainment with the advent of sites such as YouTube and Hulu, for example.

For early retirees, we have more time to take advantage of these space and time saving devices, which simultaneously have become our personal servants, bringing us information and capabilities that heretofore were the purview of the very wealthy. Further, this build out of machines as an extension of humans has only just begun. In my view, not since the invention of the Gutenberg press has there been a more exciting time to be alive.

The key is to be willing to change your thinking from what you have historically known. For anyone under, say, thirty, this discussion is alien because innovation is all they've ever known. It's what Mark Zuckerberg meant when he famously said at age twenty-two that young people were just smarter. In the sense they have grown up without being enslaved to legacy systems of older generations, they are. How to catch up? Be willing to view everything with fresh eyes.

The 2009 book "Exploiting Chaos" by (at the time) thirty-year old Trendhunter.com founder Jeremy Gutsche had a profound impact on my thinking regarding the criticality of ongoing personal reinvention.

You seem to be making an argument to an audience that isn't participating in this thread. Is that your intention?

 

[ERD50]

Hopefully, for those who are willing, the actionable part of this thread is the willingness to (a) acknowledge the revolution in technology that has taken place ...

For example, you don't need to "screen" calls ....

You seem to be making an argument to an audience that isn't participating in this thread. Is that your intention?

It's a little hard to say, but since I mentioned 'screening calls', perhaps it is at least partially directed at me?

It is somewhat fascinating that some people claim to know what best for my situation, which is very likely different from their situation, and assume from that that the other person must be fearful of technology!

I've got multiple computers, tablets, smartphones, dumb-phones, VOIP phones, plain electro-mechanical phones (good for troubleshooting), and all sorts of tech in my home. My music is on hard disc (lossless format), and I use all sorts of different players, mainly with high quality USB-DACs for maximum fidelity. My computers have various flavors of Linux that I've installed myself and configured, others are Apple OS,tablets in the home are both iOS and Android, smartphones are Android. But I guess I need a lecture on being willing to accept change!


Options - For my situation, yes screening is desirable. I don't say this out of ignorance or fear of change - I know the advantages (and disadvantages) of VM, email, texting, messaging, Skype, etc. It's not worth my time to detail all the cases where screening makes sense for us with our old, shared number that we've had for 20+ years, and don't want to get rid of. You've apparently already made up your mind that I'm wrong about that. So be it!

-ERD50

 

[scrinch]

Hopefully, for those who are willing, the actionable part of this thread is the willingness to (a) acknowledge the revolution in technology that has taken place in a very short time (i.e., smartphones, ipads less than 10 years old)...

Sorry to nitpick, but I bought my first smartphone in 2002, 14 years ago. It was a Treo 300, and while it was far less capable than smartphones today, it was still a app-loading, IM and e-mail sending, touchscreen device. I still am amazed at the computing power (and what can be done with that power) of handheld devices, but the smartphone revolution has been around for quite some time.

 

[Marita40]

I'll just jump back in here to change the discussion a bit. I am really impressed with Ting so far! Really like their no-nonsense, no contract pricing. Also--huge plus--I called them twice over the last week to ask questions and both times I got a live, utterly helpful and knowledgeable, American speaker on the phone within 3 rings with no annoying answering system and no wait time. Unbelievable!

 

[SteveNU]

We have two Moto X phones with republic wireless and ported our old phone number to magic jack a while back just as a way to keep it for a little while longer until we get up the nerve to drop it completely. The problem I have which is probably a common one is that my wife is not technically inclined and constantly needs help figuring out the phones. I can see the benefit to having an old fashioned land line with a maybe a cell phone with one of the bigger companies so it would be easy to get assistance. My wife would not have a clue what to do if I wasn't here to support the tech.

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