normiss 893 #26 August 8, 2008 $74 bucks last year, this year, and next year still feels like $74 bucks out of my pocket. I don't need an advanced accounting degree to realize the costs of life go up faster than our pay checks do. I don't use a formula to figure out that something I paid $300 bucks for last year, if it costs me $400 this year, the cost has gone up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcd11235 0 #27 August 8, 2008 Quote$74 bucks last year, this year, and next year still feels like $74 bucks out of my pocket. I don't need an advanced accounting degree to realize the costs of life go up faster than our pay checks do. I don't use a formula to figure out that something I paid $300 bucks for last year, if it costs me $400 this year, the cost has gone up. Yep, $74 each month is $74 each month. And, $200 now is $200 now. But, we're not really considering $74. We're considering the value of $200 now or twenty-four monthly payments of $15, the difference between $74 and $59. That comparison is not as straightforward as $15*24 > $200. One doesn't need to open an account with enough money to cover all of the costs for the whole two years. One only needs to put the $200 plus the difference in the present values in the account. Then, they can withdrawal the $15 dollar difference each month for the duration of the contract. If they can't afford to do that, then they are likely limited to the 3G phone anyway, due to its lower cost of entry. There's no need for any accounting degree. This is all lower lever undergrad stuff, probably even taught in some high schools.Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 893 #28 August 8, 2008 "lower lever" - I like that. How many people would actually open an account to put money into to collect interest on it simply to pay a phone bill??? Either way....I'll keep my $40 a month phone. I like unlimited plans. I don't need the extra techno-goodies. I got over those years ago when I decided my personal time was just that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jewels 0 #29 August 8, 2008 Good grief. And then you can add up the hourly opportunity cost for figuring out the price difference in present and future value of the iPhone and related phone plan charges, then determine whether this cost should be allocated to the old iPhone, the new iPhone, or both, and your costs have gone up yet again. Then you need to calculate the present and future value of the intangible benefit of having the latest and greatest iPhone available, and allocate THAT cost as well, correlating it to any negative impacts of keeping the old iPhone. Or, you could look at a comparison of present value costs for each phone and plan, weigh the general benefit to you, and then decide whether the new phone is worth the additional expense. TPM Sister #102 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcd11235 0 #30 August 8, 2008 QuoteHow many people would actually open an account to put money into to collect interest on it simply to pay a phone bill??? Not many, but then no one has ever accused the typical American of being financially savvy. We do things like buy big screen televisions on credit at 15-20% or higher interest rates at a time when our own money can't even earn 5% in a savings account. QuoteEither way....I'll keep my $40 a month phone. I like unlimited plans. I don't need the extra techno-goodies. I got over those years ago when I decided my personal time was just that. Agreed. Personally, I think $40 per month is way too much to spend for my phone needs. I have full intentions of getting an iPhone, but not until I can use it easily as a Skype (or similar) phone on Wi-Fi with a pay as you go cellular plan. That would reduce the monthly charges to about $10 or less for me, since I almost always have a Wi-Fi signal available.Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 893 #31 August 8, 2008 ZERO credit card debt here and proud of it! If I have to charge something, it's an emergency or I don't buy it. Cash for my big screen! I will agree with you on the other points...and if work were to cover my cost if they felt I needed one, I'd probably love the damn thing too. I have played with my daughter's iPhone and it IS a nice product. I just cannot see spending that kind of money for a personal cell phone, it doesn't make sense to me - for me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcd11235 0 #32 August 8, 2008 QuoteZERO credit card debt here and proud of it! If I have to charge something, it's an emergency or I don't buy it. Cash for my big screen! Same here, but I don't think we are typical in that respect. Edit to add: I don't own a television of any size. QuoteI will agree with you on the other points...and if work were to cover my cost if they felt I needed one, I'd probably love the damn thing too. I have played with my daughter's iPhone and it IS a nice product. I just cannot see spending that kind of money for a personal cell phone, it doesn't make sense to me - for me. Whereas most smart phones strike me as phones that do some computer stuff, the iPhone strikes me as a mini-computer that does phone stuff. It is the mini-computer aspect that appeals to me. Still, right now it's not a priority, because I usually have my laptop with me, anyway.Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #33 August 8, 2008 There is an excellent voip application. Skype is also coming soon. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #34 August 8, 2008 QuoteThere is an excellent voip application. Skype is also coming soon. Or you could just get something like an HTC Tilt and have it now... but you don't get the pretty touch/squeeze icon stuff.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stitch 0 #35 August 8, 2008 I've played around with other people's iPhones, and think they're super-cool. But for the enviroment I use a cell phone in, the iPhone would probably be destroyed within a week."No cookies for you"- GFD "I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65 Don't be a "Racer Hater" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 893 #36 August 8, 2008 If you'd just give up mud wrestling, that issue would be solved...one in a long list is a start! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #37 August 8, 2008 I will ccontinue using my htc over my iPhone until the iPhone gets many needed upgrades that I constantly use for my busines when not in the office. All the apps on the iPhone are very childish for time being or just pointless. I find myself always needing copy paste even if it is just to delete a block of text and I hate that the only way to share files is with an app that only works on macs and I hate that safari can not download and save any file. The iPhone also needs for the email application to go sideways for a bigger keyboard and the sideways feature should be an option on safari not compolsary if you tilt it. iPhone needs many improvemants for it to be any good as a business PDA. For now it just cartoonish. It does give you the feeling that it is very capable of going far and beyond the touch screen windows mobile devices such as my jasjam. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #38 August 8, 2008 I don't know - I can see both sides of it. I have an ipod touch and like it. I think that, for people that have to CREATE content, that the iphone may not be the best choice, but it's certainly not a bad choice if you're just showing content that is already created.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #39 August 8, 2008 Quote Quote Quote In fact, if you add up the cost of the 3G/current plan structure and compare to the cost of the previous generation iPhone/plan, the payout is in fact, more in the current set up. What hurdle rate are you using in your calculations in order to reach that conclusion? No hurdle rate, simple math: First gen iPhone: Unit price: $399 Cheapest Plan: $39 (450 min) Data Plan: $20 (200 SMS included) Two Year Contract Total: $1815 3G iPhone (8GB): Unit price: $199 Cheapest Plan: $39 (450) Data plan: $30 SMS Plan: $5 Two Year Contract Total: $1975 AT&T had to restructure in order to subsidize the hardware (which wasn't the case with the first generation iPhone). The US has it good, I understand that the plans for the iPhone in Canada, Australia and New Zealand are stupid-expensive. [ Australia I pay 70 usd per month and get the iPhone 16gb plus 700 mb data plus 550 dollars worth of calls and texts. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #40 August 8, 2008 After seeing what the rest of the world has for phones, it is plain to see that we do not even know what smart phones are in the USA. Sadly the iphone is the closest thing to a smart phone in the USA at the moment. Has this latest iphone been jailbroke yet?"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigway 4 #41 August 9, 2008 Yeah, I was pretty blown away when i saw the phones that were common in the states while there. I could not believe how basic and old they seemed. .Karnage Krew Gear Store . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #42 August 9, 2008 Yup - it always seems to take a couple years for the "good stuff" to make it to the States. Of course, there's places like Xpansys, but people don't want to pay the money to buy the phone outright - well, that and the fact that pretty much all the rest of the world is GSM - only offered by ATT stateside, to my knowledge. So, everyone else has to wait for CDMA versions to be developed for stateside carriers.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
