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From: JKOSS00@RICEVM1.BITNET (Jordan Kossack)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Cellular Phones (of the Future ?)
Message-ID: <1791JKOSS00@RICEVM1>
Date: 8 Dec 90 08:04:42 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Rice University - ONCS
Lines: 52

In article <3911@corpane.UUCP>, sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes:|>
| >pocketphones share many of the same characteristics:  for most people they
| >do not represent a significant added utility, they'd be costly and at times
| >inconvenient, and the infrastructure (in this case, spectrum space) is not
| >there to support a really universal pocketphone system.
|
| I disagree with the above statements. How would they be NOT be a significant
| added utility? You would have the means to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime
| To me that is greatly useful. As far as inconvenient goes, you can always
| turn it off. Or maybe there will be cellular answering machines small enough
| to be built into pocket phones to take messages when you dont or cant answer
|
     I disagree with the above statements. ;-)  But seriously, everything
you're saying about cellfones re: why 'everyone' would own one in the
future can be said about pagers today.  Hey, they're inexpensive to own
(the physical device itself) and cost per month is not too bad - cheaper
than my monthly bill from Southwestern Bell for residential phone
service.  If you have a pager, you can be reached 24 hrs/day by anyone
via a simple telephone call.  Returning the call is a simple matter of
finding a public phone (non-COCOT, please ;-) which I've never had a
difficult time doing in any urban or suburban area.  So why doesn't
everbody walk around with a pager these days?  They're small, so that is
not the problem.  I think that Henry Spencer is right - they're not
enough of an added utility for most folk. (Neither pagers nor cellular
telephones [nor pocketfones.])


In article <1990Dec3.171539.29346@amd.com>, phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil Ngai) wri
|> I don't think you have a accurate usage model for this product.
|> The point is not to make a call while you are mobile, it is to
|> *receive* calls while you are mobile.
|>
|> There may be payphones handy while I am out, but how is anyone
|> going to reach me without a cellular phone?

 A pager?   No . . . really!  ;-)
     For situations like these, a pager is better than a cellular
telephone.  With a good alphanumeric pager, you can wait until you
are STOPPED at the traffic light before getting the message.  You
don't have to take the cellular call while you're in the loo - call
back after you're done.  Sure, if YOU need a cellfone in your line
of work or you just think it's a gee-whiz thing to have, then go
right ahead and get yourself one.  I just don't think there is any
huge type of demand for them ... except as a status symbol. :-(

-------

 jkoss00@ricevm1.rice.edu | Jordan Kossack | n5qvi | +1 713 799 2950
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