iPhone syndrome

LunarMist

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I find no "Mexico" posted since January.

Maybe I'm too old for SF culture? :dunno:
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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People go all the way to Mexico for that? I thought most of the software, video, etc. criminals were online?
Maybe some Swedish youths have nothing better to do.
 

Stereodude

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People go all the way to Mexico for that? I thought most of the software, video, etc. criminals were online?
Maybe some Swedish youths have nothing better to do.
Ok, it still went over your head. Note the similarity in the pronunciations.
 

Handruin

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Ah, see, I read the name and it didn't sound the same so I didn't make the connection.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
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Eww, why on earth would you have bought that?

I have one because I put Snow Leopard on someone's Macbook Air a few weeks back. I don't know where they got it and they didn't really want the disc that they can't use back.

But anyway, I can't seem to make it work either. I'm not giving up but it's quite annoying because I had a functional Hackintosh but it was built on an Acer notebook and, well, "Acer" just says it all.


Now I need to find where to go to get an unlocked Android phone for use in Europe. Bleh.
 

Sol

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Now I need to find where to go to get an unlocked Android phone for use in Europe. Bleh.

Somewhere to go in Europe or somewhere to go in the US to get the phone for Europe?

Play.com and The Carphone Warehouse are the 2 that immediately spring to mind.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
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If it isn't going to be needed regularly, you can rent one from your cell provider. Just goes onto your regular bill when you get back.

My brother lives in the Czech Republic. I'm going to make him buy one that he can get with some kind of insurance policy since he has staggering abilities to destroy netbooks (he's on his fifth one now) and he won't buy anything that isn't at least that portable.
 

LunarMist

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Why doesn't he just buy the phone in Europe? I don't get it.
 

time

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I bet he went shopping in Juarez, Mexico. :bomb:

I feel your pain.

For what it's worth, I thought that it was fairly obvious. I don't speak Spanish, but the context and the smiley hint inevitably led me to look closely at the place-name.

Perhaps you need to create a short explanation that people can click on if they don't understand your wit.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
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Why doesn't he just buy the phone in Europe? I don't get it.

My brother is helpless about this crap. He speaks Czech but not well enough to shop for a smartphone. He wants me to tell him exactly what to buy and from whom, even if it means going to Germany or something to get it. So I have to figure out what's supported by Euroland carriers in the Czech Republic and who has the best deals and crap.

Maybe one of the Scandinavians who lurk will pop in with some decent advice because this crap is a PITA to figure out. Of course, they'll probably tell me to just get a Nokia phone anyway.
 

MaxBurn

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Apple just put out 4.3.3 which addresses the concerns of the location data tracking stuff. Any of the other manufacturers push out an update that fast?
 

theSwede

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Maybe one of the Scandinavians who lurk will pop in with some decent advice because this crap is a PITA to figure out. Of course, they'll probably tell me to just get a Nokia phone anyway.

You called?
First, do not get him a Nokia! They suck nowadays...

Most phones in Europe are unlocked. The normal way is to buy the phone in a independent store and then sign up to a carrier of your choice. All phones work in all carrier networks, at least as long as the radio hardware is compatible with the carrier (ie a GSM1800 only phone doesn't work in a GSM 1900 network). Most of the time there is no problem since most phones are triple or quad band.

The HTC Desire is a good choice. About a year old, but still has ok hardware. Quite cheap, at least around here. The Nexus S or the Samsung Galaxy S II would also be nice, but a little more expensive.
 

Sol

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Assuming your brother wants his phone to function in English the safest place to buy it from would be the UK. Unfortunately probably not the cheapest, but the available options are generally pretty good.

I'm not really sure which bands they use in the Czech Republic but I've never heard of a phone from anywhere in Europe not working anywhere else in Europe so he's probably pretty safe with just about anything.

Along with the two suggestions in my last post you could try the European Amazons. The UK one seems to be the best in Europe (in my experience) but the German and French ones might have some other options.
 

Handruin

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I guess if you can afford that gun...shooting an iPhone ain't no ding to the wallet.
 

Handruin

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Weird...maybe Engadget messed with them? none the less, I can't imagine many people actually make a purchasing decision based on what J.D. Power has to say about it.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
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I'm sure a few will chime in with their opinion on how they disagree with J.D. Power.

Apple is a lifestyle brand. People who buy Apple stuff buy Apple stuff. It does not occur to Apple people that they could buy things that do not have an Apple logo on them if an Apple logo is available.

iTunes is still an abortion and so is AT&T's service, at least where I live. I have no comment on Verizon's iphone experience, though I understand that it's even more expensive than AT&T's.
 

Handruin

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Apple is a lifestyle brand. People who buy Apple stuff buy Apple stuff. It does not occur to Apple people that they could buy things that do not have an Apple logo on them if an Apple logo is available.

iTunes is still an abortion and so is AT&T's service, at least where I live. I have no comment on Verizon's iphone experience, though I understand that it's even more expensive than AT&T's.

On some level that may apply to people who really aren't into technology, but like to feel like they are. I buy some Apple products that fit my needs better than other products on the market, but I don't see all Apple products as a way to fit into my lifestyle or are in any way my lifestyle brand. I've seen both sides of the lifestyle within the friends I have. I'm certainly going to consider all my options for mobile smart phones after the iPhone 5 comes to market. I want to see if any of the Android phones fit my needs better than what Apple will offer.

I hate iTunes (as much as, or more than) the next guy. I've found that the frequency in which I use it is rarely more then once ever 2-3 months. That is an acceptable level of usage for me because it plays such a tiny role in my mobile phone experience. The pros of the phone won over the cons of iTunes. The AT&T argument is really no longer a big deal any more. Verizon will likely cost more regardless of the iPhone, but they seem to have better service coverage in my area than anyone else. There's also rumors that Sprint may be in the mix for the iPhone 5 with unlimited data plans. Once you have the three basic, there's less reasons to avoid the phone as a viable option. Although in my area, Sprint really isn't an option I would consider.
 

Santilli

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I'm at a crossroads here. My contract is up in December. A smart phone would be cool. I like tethering with the Nokia, like the 10 dollar plan that is discontinued, even though it's throttled if you use it much(T mobile).

My question is:
Is it really worth the prices these companies charge for an unlimited data plan, smart phone?

I've used the feature once or twice where I was on the road, and, I actually managed to sign up for work I would not have had, thanks to being able to get on the net on my phone.
Irony is, if I'd called the guy, or emailed, he would have given me the work.

So, my general feeling is getting to I want a minimum cost cell phone, use google Voice for calls from home, free, and F.... these companies, their plans, and, what to me looks like price fixing monopolies.

Come on, 70-80 bucks for a phone, per month, tied in for two years, with a phone that will be trashed in 6-12 months?

I liked TMobile, since I could upgrade my phone by moving the chip. Worked once, sucked once, since the phone I bought had a bunch of proprietary software on it from Verizon.

I'm even looking at buying a pay first cheapy.

Comments, thoughts?

Tmobile has been calling me for a couple days, trying to rig me up with a great deal on something, to extend my contract.

I recently had my phone minutes go over 500, because I was renting out a room.
Cost me an additional 20 bucks. When I first signed up for the service, you could call in,
up your plan to 1000, no problem. Now, (AT&T looming in the background) you can only do that with a new, two year contract. I went ballistic, and, they removed the 20 dollar
fee, but, I don't really know where to go.

I like the SIM cards, allowing new phones. But, that leaves only AT&T, and, their new bitch, TMobile. I wonder if I can live without a phone...? And google voice.?
 
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