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From: jrallen@devildog.att.com (Jon Allen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Phones of the Future
Message-ID: <14828@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 19 Nov 90 17:06:48 GMT
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In article <14765@accuvax.nwu.edu> jwilde@barney.bgsu.edu (jane wilde)
writes:

>I think these phones are a great idea - calling the person, not the
>place.  But the price will keep them off the market to the general
>that's the case, won't this be a major distraction to others.  How
>would you like to be at the movies and have someone talking on the

Actually, I recently experienced this.  In Hong Kong it seems like
almost everyone carries small cellular telephones (seems to be some
sort of status symbol these days).  While returning to Hong Kong from
Macau on a Jetfoil, I as sitting near a young lady.  Three times on
the 55 minute journey her purse beeped and she proceeded to have
conversations, which were interesting to listen to, since there is not
much else to do on such a journey.  While standing in the customs
line, two other people right behind me got phone calls and were
talking.  This is indeed very distracting.  I guess this is what the
future holds.

As a side note, I would think that in cities of the future,
small/cheap phones would be the death of the pager business (although
I see people in Hong Kong carrying both a phone AND a pager on the
street).  Once your reachable anywhere anytime by phone whats the
point of the pager?  (Now if we could just get caller-id on these
small/cheap phones... :-))


Jon
jrallen@devildog.att.com