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New "Vertu" mobile phone - Printable Version

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New "Vertu" mobile phone - Michael (South Texas) - 05-09-2002

This may be a bit off topic, but has anyone seen the new vertu mobile phone? www.vertu.com It seems to be an attempt at a new direction in mobile phone handsets. It sports such features as jeweled bearing buttons, display with sapphire crystal, ceramic back cover, etc, etc, all for a mere 6,000 euros (of course this is the base model trimmed in stainless steel with no accessories, the top of the line platinum trimmed model is only 18,000 euros more).

I guess the reason I bring this up is this is similar to a thread here a while ago where a watch-like calculator was described with ceramic case, sapphire crystal, etc. Granted, I assume that the market for a "Cadillac"/status cell phone is much greater than that of an unnecessarily fancy calculator (although I would imagine that if this is successful, an absurdly fancy PDA or similar device can't be far off), but some market studies somewhere have suggested that there are enough people who are willing to pay $25K for a cell phone that it has justified this endeavor.

While best of kind objects really intrigue me, I still can't get over the gall of marketing a $25,000 cell phone. This truly is the ultimate symbol of a civilization with way too much disposable income (and don't get me wrong, I love to blow money on unnecessary things - I guess that's one of the reasons I'm amazed that I am so galled by this product).

Dave, if you don't feel this thread is germane, please feel free to take it down - I just wanted to see what others' thoughts were.


Re: New "Vertu" mobile phone - Paul Brogger - 05-09-2002

In the US at least, the list price is not actually significant with cell phones.

The Platinum model will be offered "free" if you sign up for 200 years of service . . .


Re: Also off topic - Affordable Cell phone fro a guy who does not have loads of cash to burn - Eric - 05-09-2002

I will visit the United States next month and as many people know, in other parts of the world they use GSM 900 & 1800Mhz, while in the states (for historical reasons) 1900Mhz is used. Since I do not have triband telephone, my daily cell phone will be useless in the US.

If I want to buy and use a phone for a couple of weeks and it should be able to work in several states (Dallas Texas,Arizona, Florida, Washington D.C, New York etc) which phone should I buy and what subscription would be most affordable. I will not spend hours on the phone but use it when necessary (something which I may think will influence the choice) I have no idea how the market works over there but maybe somebody have a hint or can lead me in the right direction?

Also, is it possible to get "free" internet access (where only local telephone charges apply) for ordinary telephone lines in the US. What I mean is, can I go to a web address right now and sign up and get a username-password & local-telephone number, which I will be able to connect my laptop with when I get there without any problems? Any advice appreciated.
Eric


Way off topic - Affordable Cell phone fro a guy who does not have loads of cash to burn - Glynn - 05-09-2002

In discount stores around here, like K-Mart and WalMart, and I think Radio Shacks, you can find cellular phones that retail for about 49 dollars, which have a small prepaid amount of "minutes" of airtime. If you run out of airtime, you can "charge up" (literally, for they accept MC/Visa/AMEX) your phone by calling in to a special number and following their instructions-- which ultimately send a code to your cellphone and give it the minutes you pay for.

Obviously, they don't come out as "cheap" cell-minutes, but then, the darn thing doesn't involve you in a forever subscription decision. And you have a nice memento paperweight that looks like a Nokia 5200-series to take home with you...

The "free" access Internet services have pretty much shaken out of the market-- most failed like Juno etc. I have not looked hard at this, but I have a month-to-month account with my ISP anyway, since DSL is supposedly coming to my neighborhood "any day now" (for the last two years). So look for a no-setup-fee, month-to-month service in your location of interest.

Alternately, there is the nationwide AOL, which I think still offers free trials, at the cost of messing up your hard drive with their special install of IE-- and it's almost, not quite, worth avoiding it, EXCEPT that it IS nationwide-- no matter where in the US you are, you'll log in "locally".

Have fun.


Re: Way off topic - part two - Glynn - 05-10-2002

It is maddening for me sometimes to be away from my own computer, my own internet, etc.-- especially when awaiting some key email.

But many Kinko's Copy Centers, as well as a few motel chains, office stores, libraries etc, have Internet computers for hire. (Even a couple of "Internet cafe" houses). But I could never check my own email-- until I signed up-- for free!! at Yahoo's mail site.

I set up Yahoo's mail account with a pointer to my own ISP's POP3 account. So when I am away from home, I log into Yahoo mail, click on "Check other Mail", and it puts into my Yahoo Inbox any mail that has come in to my ISP's mailbox that I haven't yet read.

It does this, by the way, without indicating to my home account that the mail has been retrieved-- so I can get my mail twice, once at the house (I read and file it when I get home) and once at Yahoo (I read it while "on the road" and then "flush" it away). I think you can set this as a particular preference, or else have it mark the mail as received.

Now-- at the local library, for security, though I don't really have much to hide, I find that I must "clean up" after myself on their terminals-- by selecting and deleting whatever's in the Temporary Internet folder as the last thing I do after I am done there. At the Kinko's, they have a system that performs the purging automagically when I sign off.

So... at least for email, there IS a way of keeping in touch no matter where you are, as long as you have Web access, by using Yahoo mail to port over the mail coming to your POP3 account...

And Hey! As an added bonus, you have a Yahoo Mail address you can give to people you don't necessarily want to hear from, and they won't sully your "real" InBox. Or the 2nd address and a different credit-card number-- thats all you need to be on eBay bidding against yourself with a new ID. ;-)

Are there other "tricks" out there for "road warriors" in the U.S.?


Re: Way off topic - part one cont. - Glynn - 05-10-2002

Just checked-- and on eBay are several Nokia "Tracfone" models, and a few ATT "Free2Go" phones. And literally zillions of folk selling Minutes Cards for them. As these are nationwide prepaid services, I'd think you could be ready to call your friends as soon as you step off the plane!