I’ve joined the mobile revolution
I have owned a cell phone since the late 80’s. My first was one of those over the shoulder bags that weighed a ton and cost me close to 500 bucks. Over the ensuing years I’ve had various flip and brick phones. The last time I upgraded camera phones were just starting to become popular, but I passed.
I’m an old media fogie – phones are for talking on. Well my last phone started giving out on me recently so I decided it was time to upgrade. As regular readers know I was at Rogers on the weekend and ruled out a Blackberry. I really didn’t want to be tied to my email anyway. There’s no way I can afford the mortgage for the iPhone and the accompanying data plan, so that was out.
The last couple of days there have also been events occurring around me where I thought, “Darn I wish I had a camera phone”, so that was my number one priority. The mobile web was a little further down the list and believe it or not video on my phone wasn’t even on my wish list.
So I dropped by another Rogers store yesterday and looked at what is available. I settled on the Sony Ericsson 810i and spent last night getting acquainted with it.
I surfed to the SonyEricsson site and downloaded a couple of ring tones. I set up my Google email (so now I do have email on my phone). upgraded to the $7 unlimited access plan (we’ll see how unlimited it is!) and actually watched a couple of videos on YouTube on my phone!
I’m blown away by mobile now. I was the guy 7 years or so ago who told the Multimedia Developers Program Advisory Board at Canadore that mobile was coming, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it (being the old fogie and all) but now that I have experienced it, I’m sold. I can see how some people can get caught up in the mobile enthusiasm and become evangelists. The mobile web may be having a hard time gaining traction here in North America compared to Europe and Asia, but if enough old fogies like me can catch the bug, then the tide may turn. It’ll be slow – took me 7 years – but I think it will eventually turn.
