Mom In Transition

Since I got my current cell phone back in 2007 (don’t laugh) I have been counting the days to upgrade once again. I never liked the options and features of my phone. The best part was that it was free and is tiny enough to fit in my jean’s pocket. Two years ago I decided that my next phone would be an upgrade to a more user friendly and feature rich phone to fit in with the tech savvy world we live…even if I actually had to pay money for this new phone (I have always upgraded to the free phone). How did we ever live without a camera, video, music, browser capabilities, email, text messaging, electronic planner, photo sharing, Google Apps, YouTube, and Facebook…all as integrated features within our cell phones? My upgrade decision seemed like the right thing to do and a very exciting upcoming transition. So why is it that almost a year has passed since my upgrade eligibility and I STILL have not made a change?

Let’s be clear. My current phone is as basic as they come, although it does have an unimpressive camera. Have you tried typing a text using a regular phone keyboard? Life is way too short. I never thought I would get into sending text messages. I was kidding myself. What is more pleasurable than sending a QUICK instant message to someone and never needing to wait for the voicemail beep to leave a message? The best use is when you are on public transportation and want to have a “private” conversation and/or get a few calls off of your to do list. However, let’s face it a phone with a QWERTY keyboard is not enough anymore. These phones are already yesterday’s technology…we need touch screen and hundreds of optional apps.

Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a given chip will double every two years and David House (former Intel Exec) predicted that computer performance will double every 18 months (it’s actually 20 months). Based on this information I am way behind the technology curve. I don’t just need an upgrade…I need to leapfrog to current day technology. My problem is that the current technology changes with each passing day. Our cell phones are now mini-computers. Microsoft just launched the Windows Phone 7 Series this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Check it out…it seems fantastic. Granted it won’t be available until the end of this year…but still. If I want to be current I have to research all the top smart phone operating system contenders…Palm webOS, Android, iPhone, Windows Phone 7; however, shouldn’t I at least consider the cheaper multimedia phones? What happened to just using a phone to make a call? Plus I can’t help but ask myself, do I REALLY need all those features? Probably not…but let’s not spend too much time on that question.

I have spent so much time researching features, user ratings, professional reports, battery life, ease of use, cost, etc. in an attempt to make the perfect transition to modern day mobile technology that I am left overwhelmed with an ancient cell phone. I am too young to be so far behind this technology curve and we all know none of the technology is perfect. The one decision I have made is to stay connected to the “network”…Verizon. Maybe I will receive some sort of sign that will guide me to the perfect phone at the best price, such as Verizon running a promotion on the Droid and offering it for free. Its decision time for this Mom In Transition. I must decide whether I am fully committed to a modern mobile technology transition. There is only one question that remains..which phone will be the chosen one?