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I am going against the grain, I expect,
I don't have a 'smartphone' - and was especially pleased the other week of this fact when I put my actual phone (like you a Nokia) through the washing machine.
I am either
a) At work by the computer, with email etc,
b) Driving - where I don't want distraction or
c) At home - again with laptop on.
I have, however, recently acquired a tablet computer (Tesco Hudl) which is the size of an Ipad Mini - and very handy for checking emails etc whilst out and about. Now, it needs Wifi to do that - but there are a lot of places that I go to that have free Wifi for customers - such as Barclays Bank, and dare I say it McDonalds.
I have been surrounded by computers since childhood, as my father had an IT firm, but somehow never got the 'phone bug - hence my quasi luddite status.
I do wonder, however, that if I were to get an Iphone I would probably never want to be parted from it.
No good on 2G
No smart-phone will work too well (other than for calls) on 2G. Browsing the web, downloading, etc, will be hopelessly slow. Emails will work but very slowly.
But if you have broadband (even a modest connection speed) the phone's data based functions should work fine over WiFi.
Captain
yes of course you do
WHY because it will make your life so much bloody easier and anyone who says anything else is talking rubbish. there are a number of apps that are fantastic for iOS or android , the best example i can give is the companies house app , if you havent tried it folks then pull your fingers out and do so. windows phones are catching up and fine for most things but lack a few vital apps. also mobile business banking apps are very useful secure and easy to use. for an entry level great value android phone get a motorola
Easier?
WHY because it will make your life so much bloody easier and anyone who says anything else is talking rubbish. there are a number of apps that are fantastic for iOS or android , the best example i can give is the companies house app , if you havent tried it folks then pull your fingers out and do so. windows phones are catching up and fine for most things but lack a few vital apps. also mobile business banking apps are very useful secure and easy to use. for an entry level great value android phone get a motorola
Is there an app for:
- getting the woman from the Jehovah's Witnesses to stop coming round just because I'm too polite for my own good?
- helping me make conversation with people?
- persuading me that it's safe to leave home because it won't burn down in my absence?
- checking with the nice Mental Health Services Team whether they've forgotten I exist because I'm still waiting for an appointment for them to say 'yes Flash you have Asperger's, now go and stim somewhere quietly and don't bother us again'?
- removing the cat vomit stains from the carpet?
Ah, well I'm not thinking my life will be much easier then :)
I would say yes
Will have to check out the CH app, but the three main things I use mine for (that you can't do on a non-smart phone):
1) Checking emails on the go.
2) Scanning documents quickly and in a mobile situation, great for taking copies of ID etc - plenty of free apps for this. In fact it's actually quicker than my home office flatbed and quality is good enough.
3) I can access my encrypted document cloud storage from an app.
I would say no ...
... but it depends on how you work. I only work from the office, and occasionally from home, so I have absolutely no need for mobile devices. I don't give clients my mobile number as there is always someone in the office to take calls and an answer phone for evenings/weekends. I don't work while on holiday, either.
Lucky you Shirley
going back to apps etc , i also use SKYPE , HANDYSCAN, TFL, iPLAYER, MAPS , ONE DRIVE ,PDF READER, WHATS APP, EXPLORER etc on and on ..............waffle waffle
No computer?
Which all have equivalent or better on the desktop computer. going back to apps etc , i also use SKYPE , HANDYSCAN, TFL, iPLAYER, MAPS , ONE DRIVE ,PDF READER, WHATS APP, EXPLORER etc on and on ..............waffle waffle
So you don't NEED a smartphone to do your job if you have a computer. However, you might find your job easier on the move with one. You can have certain functions and information at your fingertips, without having to boot up a desktop. I know I find that convenience good from time to time. You shouldn't just get one because of some perceived need to keep up with other people though.
I am lucky, carnmores
My mobile is pay as you go, and I put £10 on it every couple of years. We have a Skype account though (for the PC's), so I have made it part way into the 21st century. :)
Yes
It makes life very easy. You do not need a contract and do not need anything very expensive as you can get very good smart quite cheap. For example, I recently bought a Nokia Lumia 635 (sim free unlocked) for my daughter for £128 from Tesco and a Virgin mobile sim (30 day rolling contract) for £10 per month which gives 500 mins, unlimited texts and data. The phone is fantastic value as you can download maps for 95 countries so you get a satnav like Tomtom and loads of other useful apps.
No
I am proud to be a Luddite on this.
I only get hand-me-up 'phones from my sons when they have moved onto something more flash. Like the OP, my current one (HTC?) sits in the car for emergency use only on a pay-as-you-go basis. Our office is open 8:15 to 6:15 on weekdays and our clients know better than to expect to be able to speak to us outside those hours or at weekends. The office is where I do most of my work and when I visit clients, I certainly do not want to interrupt my time with them by taking calls from other clients. I drive half-an-hour each way to work and do not feel the need to cope with 'phone calls when negotiating the M4 with all those German cars blasting past at 90 mph in the outside lane. And at home, I have my social secretary (AKA wife) to organise my social life. Nor do I waste my time checking my work e-mails at home or at the weekends. And I have a SatNav in my car, so don't need that App.
agree with Euan, Shirley and Tom123
Can't really add very much, they have summed up my situation very well.
The fundamental question is: do you want to deal with emails when you are out and about? I don't.
Little puppies
No smart phone. What do you read in the toilet?
I just look at those cute little puppies on the loo paper!
Of course you need a smart phone
Of course you need one, otherwise you will find yourself
actually listening to people you are having dinner with instead of fiddling with your phonesleeping through the night instead of being woken up by the blasted thing announcing the arrival of yet another unwanted messageconcentrating on the road when drivinghaving to find other ways of annoying people on public transportthinking about things, instead of replying instantly to an email/text with a misspelt, rude, half-witted, ungrammatical, stream-of-consciousness, knee-jerk replyrejoining the human race
Up to you.
No
If your current phone is 10 years old and you're asking the question, the answer has to be that you don't need one. Whether you could change your life and make use of one is a whole other question, but a much bigger one than you asked.
It is convenient, not essential.
Having a smart phone does not mean having to take calls from clients at weekends or reading client emails outside of work hours, etc. Just having a convenient way of having information and assistance at your finger tips does not mean you have to use it. If you are based mostly in your office then you do not need a smart phone. If you regularly travel to clients, etc. then a smart phone makes life very easy and, if properly set up, you have your emails, contacts, diary, etc to hand, this data is backed up and amendments in one device get replicated elsewhere. I visit clients regularly and while travelling between clients I can catch up on emails, my secretary can book meetings in my diary and instantly appear on my phone, my wife can book social events and they also appear in my diary. I do not need to carry a diary/Filofax, address book, satnav, camera, toys, etc. I can do a lot on the move so that I can switch off when I get home, not continue working to catch up.
SmartPhone
Hello
Nowadays it is currently helpful to have a smartphone. Apart from the way your normally operate, smartphones can actually help you in many ways especially with your practice.
It has loads and loads of features and app which can make your life much easier.
In fact it wont be wrong to say it will actually save you time if you find out what you would need from a smartphone.
Cheers
I was talking to a restauant owner regarding phones the other day.
He said his restaurant is just as busy as it was 10 years ago, the only different is the revenue isn't the same.
He said people are that busy on their phones taking pictures of the food, fiddling about in general they spend much longer in the restaurant than they would without the phone. So although the restaurant is always full, it doesn't see the same volume of feet through the door.
No ...
... you don't need one, you don't need a smart phone to receive e-mail.
I do have one, only because my package was up for renewal and having a new phone saved me £2pm! I did think about selling it on but thought would see what the fuss was about.
As amny above say, when I am working I have a proper PC with hardwired fast broadband, and when out I am either driving to a client or talking to a client.
The only application icon on my screen is the camera, which probably isn't even classed as an application.
The camera alone is the only reason I have kept the phone because it is invaluable as a portable scanner/copier to collect information when at a client.
If you do get one, get a Moto G from Motorola - phone call quality is best I have experienced, it has a large clear screen and is 1/3 the cost of an Apple rip-off device.
That said, I saw there is a Chinese Mi-phone which takes dual sim and wil be well under £100, they are aimed at emerging ecomoies but you will be able to import to Uk as they work with our systems. The beauty of these is you can have personal and business numbers on one handset, and turn off whichever at the appropriate time.
My two cents
There are times when I love having a smart phone - it's great being able to call my family in Ireland for free through the Viber app), taking and sharing pictures and being able to answer my email while out and about.
And there are times when I hate having one... such as when I feel the obligation to check in on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and messages every few minutes.
I guess there's a healthy balance though. The tool is what you make it, that's the beauty of technology nowadays - you can create a powerful and useful tool to help you with your work by downloading the correct, most useful apps and staying away from the distracting, annoying ones.
But it all depends on whether you 'need' one or are simply getting one to comply with the masses.
I say if you're happy and working contently (and effectively) with what you have, then stay with it.
But if you're experimental and tech-orientated and know it'd be a help rather than a hindrance, by all means go for it!
I've often wondered ...
... if the smartness of the phone has an inverse correlation to that of the user!
The worrying thing, which I see happening, is that as the link shows, the more we use external devices and systems we lose the big picture, everything is proken down in to pieces and dealt with on a micro level and we loose sight of the macro picture.
With the data we process I think it certainly is true that the sum of the whole IS greater than the sum of the parts, and those who make most use of social media, google etc. are the poorer for it. The mind, like the rest of the body needs to be exercised to be in peak condition, over-use of smart phones is the mental equivalent of driving rather than walking - and there WILL be pay-back!
LOL @OGA
aha thats why i still struggle with it , Stepurhan is always right i know we are told so , but actually the CH app is better than the desktop version IMO and handyscan is great when at clients, scan it it and its straight onto onedrive . i travel a lot and use logmein but sometimes i dont want to drag around a clunking great tablet or laptop. you self confessed luddites ........................................
@ Carnmores ...
... but if you had IRIS you don't need it, CoSec links directly to CH website via the tradesman's entrance so I rarely go though the front door these days.
No!
I too have a 10 year old Nokia (maybe more? who's counting?)
I check my emails on my desktop computer a couple of times a day (more if I'm bored or looking for a displacement activity).
I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.
Anything I need to "research" when with a client can wait until I'm back in the office, and be emailed to them as above.
If you've managed for this long, then I say no. Not unless you fancy a shiny new toy to play with, or the Nokia dies.
Correct English
I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.
Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope
I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
Second comma
I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
So what is the point of the second one?
See Flash
I think Flash answered it. 'Thoughtfully' sits alone so as to be more than a throwaway adverb but to allow emphasis. The email generation would possibly embolden 'thoughtfully', but the letter writing generation would see a pair of commas as correct. It adds clarity for the reader to intone if read aloud too.I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
So what is the point of the second one?
Superfluous comma
I think Flash answered it. 'Thoughtfully' sits alone so as to be more than a throwaway adverb but to allow emphasis. The email generation would possibly embolden 'thoughtfully', but the letter writing generation would see a pair of commas as correct. It adds clarity for the reader to intone if read aloud too.I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
So what is the point of the second one?
So how would the meaning change without the second comma?
Why . . .
Do you think the meaning would have to change? The answer is that it makes the intent of the writer more specific and clearer for the reader.I think Flash answered it. 'Thoughtfully' sits alone so as to be more than a throwaway adverb but to allow emphasis. The email generation would possibly embolden 'thoughtfully', but the letter writing generation would see a pair of commas as correct. It adds clarity for the reader to intone if read aloud too.I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
So what is the point of the second one?
So how would the meaning change without the second comma?
Ah well
Do you think the meaning would have to change? The answer is that it makes the intent of the writer more specific and clearer for the reader.I think Flash answered it. 'Thoughtfully' sits alone so as to be more than a throwaway adverb but to allow emphasis. The email generation would possibly embolden 'thoughtfully', but the letter writing generation would see a pair of commas as correct. It adds clarity for the reader to intone if read aloud too.I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Nope, works for me - puts emphasis where needed and allows breathing. Better too many commas than not enough. In my most humble of opinions.
So what is the point of the second one?
So how would the meaning change without the second comma?
That would be a change in meaning, albeit very subtle. So how would it be less clear without the comma, and where would the intent move towards?
Don't you have the 'better use of commas' app on your smartphone - I've always found it essential :)
I don't have a smart phone. They're rubbish.
Don't you have the 'better use of commas' app on your smartphone - I've always found it essential :)
I don't have a smart phone. They're rubbish.
So ...
Don't you have the 'better use of commas' app on your smartphone - I've always found it essential :)
I don't have a smart phone. They're rubbish.
... not only do you have no understanding of the subtleties of the English language you are a liar too.
I don't have a smart phone. They're rubbish.
You don't need a smart phone any more than you need a computer, but both computers and smart phones are very useful. I use my smart phone:
to navigate, so I don't have to keep looking at a map when driving or walking,to look things up when I am outto read the newspaper for free wherever I amfor reminders and alarmsto scan receipts and other documentsto scan business cards and have them automatically imported into my Google contactsto do my Tesco shoppingto get the weather forecastto read AWebto read books wherever I am and in whatever light, often for free if they are out of copyrightto tell me the name of music tracks I am listening toto take notes which synchronise automatically with my computerto film the road in front of me in case of an accident or an illegal police stopto track the calorie and protein content of what I am eatingfor Clear Books and Xeroto take notes at client meetings and have them automatically synchronised with my computeras a torchas an FM radioto watch the BBC Channel 4, Netflix and Google filmsto order taxis and let them know where I am even if I don'tto pay for parkingto listen to music
Rumbled
... not only do you have no understanding of the subtleties of the English language you are a liar too.
Damn! You saw through my cunning plan to mislead everyone. You should be a detective.
Who's actually sitting at a computer looking at this forum?
And who's just blocking out mum-in-law, whilst pretending to look up a hotel for her? I know, it is rude,
Don't you have the 'better use of commas' app on your smartphone - I've always found it essential :)
I don't have a smart phone. They're rubbish.
Without my smartphone, Chatman, I wouldn't have been aware of or responded to a recent VT query from said mum-in-law's. Aaah, but on rescanning the thread, I now realise you are a heavy 'user' yourself.
So how would it be less clear without the comma?
Without the second comma it would not imply that writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character. It is a matter of grammatical structure - how to communicate effectively your intent in writing.
It is an almost-lost art.
Superfluous comma
Without the second comma it would not imply that writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character. It is a matter of grammatical structure - how to communicate effectively your intent in writing.
As far as I can see, the only thing that implies that the writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character is the fact that she says she does it. There is nothing in the grammar or punctuation that implies it. The sentence merely says that she emails them (i) thoughtfully and (ii) in correct and considered English.
Well,
Without the second comma it would not imply that writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character. It is a matter of grammatical structure - how to communicate effectively your intent in writing.As far as I can see, the only thing that implies that the writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character is the fact that she says she does it. There is nothing in the grammar or punctuation that implies it. The sentence merely says that she emails them (i) thoughtfully and (ii) in correct and considered English.
Well, we'll have to agree to differ. We are at an interesting point in the slow decay of written communication. An understanding of how to communicate effectively, concisely and unambiguously in writing is becoming rarer and rarer. Fortunately the ability to recognise one's lack of that ability is still present - although also decaying. The company of which I am Financial Director is taking full advantage of this brief period. We ghost-write.
Couldn't agree more ...
Without the second comma it would not imply that writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character. It is a matter of grammatical structure - how to communicate effectively your intent in writing.As far as I can see, the only thing that implies that the writing in correct and considered English is one aspect of the writer's thoughtful character is the fact that she says she does it. There is nothing in the grammar or punctuation that implies it. The sentence merely says that she emails them (i) thoughtfully and (ii) in correct and considered English.
Well, we'll have to agree to differ. We are at an interesting point in the slow decay of written communication. An understanding of how to communicate effectively, concisely and unambiguously in writing is becoming rarer and rarer. Fortunately the ability to recognise one's lack of that ability is still present - although also decaying. The company of which I am Financial Director is taking full advantage of this brief period. We ghost-write.
... we have spent centuries building and honing the most colourful, flexible, robust, effective language in the world and in the space of a decade or so we have returned almost to the stone age, the way things are going words will become irrelevant, we will just jab at pictures with our fingers.
We peaked in Victorian times, but them the European and African influences on English in the melting pot of USA have seeped back across the pond.
There is nothing greater than a raconteur, who can paint pictures with words, entrance our emotions, have us laughing one monent then gasping in terror the next, all with an intonation, a drawn syllable or a well placed pause. A dying art indeed, but it won't be missed as we have lost the ability to listen too.
Everything is in the now, our lives are longer than ever, yet we seek to rush through them with never a sideways glance at the view. Those who choose to take the slow scenic route along the winding country lanes are dwindling as most seek to speed along the information super-highway of life, but we have the last laugh as you wait in your 25 mile tail back caused by an idiot in a (most likely) BMW texting whilst tail-gating at 110 mph.
Tell me, did you ever hear the story about the tortoise and the hare ...
No there isn't
I email my clients from my desktop machine, thoughtfully, and in correct and considered English.Isn't there a superfluous comma in there?
Take a look at one of the first few comments if you want to see some seriously distressed punctuation.
You don't need a smart phone any more than you need a computer, but both computers and smart phones are very useful. I use my smart phone:
to navigate, so I don't have to keep looking at a map when driving or walking,to look things up when I am outto read the newspaper for free wherever I amfor reminders and alarmsto scan receipts and other documentsto scan business cards and have them automatically imported into my Google contactsto do my Tesco shoppingto get the weather forecastto read AWebto read books wherever I am and in whatever light, often for free if they are out of copyrightto tell me the name of music tracks I am listening toto take notes which synchronise automatically with my computerto film the road in front of me in case of an accident or an illegal police stopto track the calorie and protein content of what I am eatingfor Clear Books and Xeroto take notes at client meetings and have them automatically synchronised with my computeras a torchas an FM radioto watch the BBC Channel 4, Netflix and Google filmsto order taxis and let them know where I am even if I don'tto pay for parkingto listen to music
Erm
You don't need a smart phone any more than you need a computer, but both computers and smart phones are very useful. I use my smart phone:
to navigate, so I don't have to keep looking at a map when driving or walking, TOM TOM works for me, can also find dog friendly pubs etc.to look things up when I am out I like to look around when out, having lanned where to go beforehand (apart from the fact you can't read the damn things when the sun is out)to read the newspaper for free wherever I am Breakfast and dnner are for reading the paper, and provide a much better screen so you don't have to look at the familyfor reminders and alarms any phone does thisto scan receipts and other documents agree this is the one thing that makes them useful to scan business cards and have them automatically imported into my Google contacts I have a wallet for the few ones I really need to keep, but most contact is e-mail and that has all the details I need, and I would only need this when in the office.to do my Tesco shopping I have a wife for this, well Waitrose, Tesco is the retail equivalent of Ebolato get the weather forecast I have a window (and I don't mean a Microsoft one)to read AWeb Much easier on a 21" screen at my age, and I would only do this at my desk anyway, I do have a lifeto read books wherever I am and in whatever light, often for free if they are out of copyright I only read in bed and a proper book is preferred for the full reading experienceto tell me the name of music tracks I am listening to I just look at the CD cover or wait until the DJ tells me - if necessary any phone can do this with Shazaam.to take notes which synchronise automatically with my computer IT won't let me, doing this f***s up the network settingsto film the road in front of me in case of an accident or an illegal police stop won't this cause the accident, but again, any phone can do this?to track the calorie and protein content of what I am eating good grieffor Clear Books and Xero again, at my age much better on a pc with a scree I can readto take notes at client meetings and have them automatically synchronised with my computer - quicker with pen and paper, or propr keyboard on a laptop!as a torch - I have a f**k off maglite torch in a holster when out with the dog, or one on a headband if I need my hands free, other than that little need for one reallyas an FM radio FM? bit stoneage!to watch the BBC Channel 4, Netflix and Google films again, I would only watch on a screen I can see, if I am out I prefer to interact with my environmentto order taxis and let them know where I am even if I don't if I ever used a taxi I could understand that, but then again I would know where I was as I interact with my environmentto pay for parking any phone can do thatto listen to music anyphone can do that too, but prefer to listen to music properl, if I am out I don't like being cut-off from the world, a) it is dangerous and b) I like to be aware of what is going on round me
Accidents and Judgements
to film the road in front of me in case of an accident or an illegal police stop won't this cause the accident, but again, any phone can do this?
[/quote]
I can see how it could cause an accident if you were actually holding it in your hand while you were driving, but not otherwise.
I would not have thought a phone without a camera could film anything, but I am not an expert. Even if it could, the app I have uploads it periodically to the internet so you have a back up.
I don't think you should get a smart phone OGA. By the way, don't you find that wearing clothes when you are out rather isolates you from your environment?
most intriguing comment of the day
You don't need a smart phone any more than you need a computer, but both computers and smart phones are very useful. I use my smart phone:
...
to film the road in front of me in case of an accident or an illegal police stop
Wow! Has that happenned to you?
nothing new in 1 to 22
cheap phones , peecee's , etc ,and all the old technology will also do all this.. noting new here smartarse phones are very bad for you .. because you need to take a break and disconnect yourself from all that crap .. its really good to be " uncontact-able " and "disconnected" at times .. there is also the danger element we all need .. like when climbing a mountain. the experience is diminished if you know you can just call up the rescue services or pinpoint your position to the inch on the planet
Viruses
I initially look at all my emails and do all my surfing on my smart phone to avoid viruses on my pcs.