So Pete and I are re-doing our whole internet and phone thing here right now.
For the last year or so, Pete and I have each had a phone and service through StraightTalk. He got the $30/mo plan, and I do too, through the winter; then the $45 during Bug Man season when I'm taking calls and can easily go through 2000 minutes a month. (I use Skype most of the time, and rarely use that many minutes, but those calls are my livelihood, so I want a backup plan in place.) We also have had an "internet stick" - a USB device that gets our computer online anywhere - for about $60/mo. And our cable internet is $55/mo. In the summertime, that adds up to $190/mo. Just for internet services and devices.
So this year we are going Droid. It started when we let someone borrow the internet stick and it was lost. We still have to pay for it every month until our contract runs out the end of May, but the stick, which cost $250, is gone. The person who lost the stick, when requested for the replacement cost, gave us $265 (to include the tax) so we went into our local Basic Communications store for a new one.
However, once we got there and started a dialog with the saleswoman - Andrea - we learned that we could each get a Droid that would get our computers online without the cable modem. If we tethered them (there are a couple of programs that will do that) we would have unlimited internet access as we do now. Anywhere. And that would get rid of the cost of the cable modem and the stick (even though we don't have it anymore) both. $115 saved. And of course we wouldn't have the StraightTalk bill anymore either - another $75 saved. And the cost for both of us to each month would be $150 (plus taxes and fees). Definitely a savings. But the money isn't the only reason we're switching.
Right now when I go places I carry my cell phone, my digital camera (which is on its last legs and will need replacing this year), and the N810 internet tablet (which I still LOVE and use all the time, BTW!). Pete carries a camera and his cell phone on his belt in little holders. Now, we will each have our Droid which will eliminate the need for all of that. And I probably won't have to carry my netbook around in my oversized purse either for that matter, unless I'll be gone overnight or something.
I will still want to make sure I have a backup for the Bug Man season, April-Oct, so I may keep the cable modem running through the summer. Especially since we have just learned that we can't use Skype when the phones are in wifi mode (to keep the computer online and use Skype)...and if I don't use Skype I will have to buy a lot more minutes. This is not a huge issue at the moment, we will give up the cable modem in October...
Anyway, Pete has his Droid now, which we bought with the "internet stick" replacement money; he got a Droid X. I will get my Droid when I start Bug Man again this spring, and continue to use my StraightTalk phone in the meantime. Not sure if I will also get a Droid X because I don't know enough about them yet, but at least I know that this model will do what I need it to do.
Pete is enjoying the heck out of his Droid X. I have to admit that I'm a little jealous, even though I am also content to wait for mine. And by the time I get it, he will be able to show me how it all works.
It seems like I'm always the one that gets all the goodies - like my netbook as an example - so it was fun to watch Pete get his Droid X and it is still fun to watch him learning about it and playing with it. He is a man who always puts others first, makes sure our needs are met, and doesn't ask for anything for himself. I am happy to see him getting so much enjoyment out of his new "toy" as he is :).
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
God's Word Abides Forever: #Christian Daily Devotional: 1 Peter 1:24-25 NASB
I especially love this obvious but neglected truth:
"...many people have based their understanding of Christianity and the Bible on what other people have mistakenly said or done. They don't realize that instead of actually knowing God's Word, they simply are repeating what other people have told them. They've based their beliefs on human traditions or tried to make the Bible conform to their personal interpretations and opinions.
But God wants each of us to know His Word for ourselves. Instead of just knowing about the Bible, we must have a fresh, personal revelation of its truth.
Every year, customs and styles change. New fads come and go. But God's Word never changes!"
See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/brazd
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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