New gadget-itis... I got it bad.

[gerbick]

So... I'm fighting the gadget-itis (read: the burning feeling to buy a new gadget) and I ran across a deal to purchase a Samsung Blackjack cellphone for pretty much nothing. Mad cheap.

Mind you, I know it doesn't have wifi... so I'm looking at the MicroSD wifi card to add that functionality.

Found out that it has Windows Mobile 6 also as an update available if it's not included already.

After realizing that the iPhone will be a closed environment and the Zenum Opus will cost like 800 bucks, I'm looking for a phone that will allow me to use wifi - as well as find wifi hotspots - and stay as much off of the data package as much as possible.

Oh... and thinking of getting an Apple iTV just to hack it to run OSX fully and give my mother a machine she doesn't have to worry about virus and other Windows specific problems.

Lord... I need new and cheaper habits.

What's gotten your attention lately?

[Frets]

Dude,

Your walking a tightrope with your current employment and you thinking spend?

Can you honestly justify the cost?

[gerbick]

It will save me money. Switching all calls to VoIP when I'm in a hotspot will allow me to drop my package minutes per month, saving what I spend for the phone and sd wifi in the second month.

By the end of the year, it will save me over 360.00 after buying the new phone and changing my data and phone minutes.

It's also how I've saved at home - switched to VoIP totally for all communication - and saved 960.00 last year as well as helped out my parents save another 480.00 last year. And so far, with the cuts I've been making to assist the situation I'm currently in, saving my mother another 4k this year. I'm optimizing where I can just in case of this ending up to be an even worse year.

And this one gadget, pays for itself.

Yes. I can justify the cost.

[alty29]

Where are you getting it so cheap?

[gerbick]

Via Cingular. I'm due for an upgrade and they offered me the Blackjack for pretty much the refurb price for a brand new one.

[jAQUAN]

I gotta say I like my blackjack more and more each day. Comes with a spare battery and charger so you can always pop in the charged one. Friend of mine sent me a link to a service that utilizes a paid skype account for all calls. If you have a unlimited data plan, you can get the smallest minutes plan and not sweat. I'm thinking of switching to that.
Remember it's not touch screen but the click wheel is smooth and v and b page down.
There's no beam either.

I haven't spent much time trying but I can't get opera or the flashplayer to install. I had to edit the registry to get the nes emulator to work but my treo friends drool over its performance and color (un-overclocked). The camera is sick, 3G is like bad dsl which is nice.

The battery drains if you leave a lot of apps running but I hear that's normal.
If it had a stylus and wifi I'd say it's the phone to beat.

[PAlexC]

I remember you telling me the Blackjack sucked and to avoid it like the plague.

[gerbick]

I remember you telling me the Blackjack sucked and to avoid it like the plague.

Yep. But it's the cheapest way to get a keyboard and a possible wifi hotspot finding, skype/sjlabs voip lil' dude right now. 8125 isn't upgradeable to WM6. 8525... I'm not a fan of it either.

I'm saving money by going that route with the Blackjack. But speed demon, it's not. Nor was the Q you were asking about at the same time, IIRC.

Both are... "ok" phones. In your case, you'd return it faster than you could hack it. In my case, I'm willing to sacrifice a bit to get what I need... cheaply.

[el-Ignoramus]

What did you mean about the iPhone??? don't crush my dreams young man??

[PAlexC]

I'm saving money by going that route with the Blackjack.

Sold.

[gerbick]

What did you mean about the iPhone??? don't crush my dreams young man??

I don't like closed environments... the apps I want are never the apps that are made available. So I pretty much rely on 3rd party apps... and that's not going to happen on the iPhone.

I'm not the typical user in the least though. So keep dreaming, young'n.

[drunknbass]

have you looked at the fake apple i phone? its a phone made overseas in china or something but they have 2 sim card slots and offer alot of the same functionality like mp3 player an camera and have a micro sd slot. they also sell for like 280$ shipped

[gerbick]

Meizu MiniOne?

[WannaBe_80z]

What's wrong with that phone- and how are they not sued yet?

[jAQUAN]

so what all does a phone need to do to fit the bill?
seriously, how many of the desired uses come into play in your day to day? and how many are just tinker toys?

[Vatcher]

I walked into the Helio store today on the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica, and walked out with the new Ocean phone, its interface is gorgeous. The google maps thing sold me, which is what I was looking forward to on the iPhone, but wasn't going to spend $500 for the phone. I got the Ocean for $145.

[WannaBe_80z]

What the hell is a Helio? All the commercials say they aren't really a cell phone and then just say you can check your myspace on them...?

[gerbick]

It's a cell phone with unlimited data based on the MVNO service framework.

The Ocean is cool... but no wifi or OS that would support it dooms it for me.

[RazoRmedia]

to be fair gerbick, you'd struggle with a couple of paper cups and a bit of string so I suggest you save your money and perhaps nip out and get your back shaved.

[gerbick]

Who do you recommend, darling?