obsolescence

I seem to be going through a period of change in my life. Not a fundamental change in my thoughts and beliefs, thankfully, but I seem to be seeing some transition right now. Like the purchase of the new car, the transient coming and going of the beloved puppy, and now this. I bought a new cell phone over the weekend. Ok, I know it's really a mobile phone because no one really has a cell phone anymore, but who's gonna stop using the word cell and mobile interchangeably now? The terminology is totally diluted. My new phone is the Samsung a950, pictured to the left. Isn't it snazzy?

Those of you who know me, know that I have had the same phone for more years than I care to count. In fact, it's only the second cell phone I've ever had. Crazy, I'm sure most people think. Most people probably change phones more often than they change their toothbrush. Not me man, I stick to what works. I had the sturdy, compact and dependable Motorola StarTAC.

Laugh if you want, that sh!t was tyte! Still difficult to find a similar phone with the slim form factor of the StarTAC and with the same slick efficiency and reliability. Sure, now Motorola makes the RAZR and SLVR and whatEVR... but I have issues with those phones, their designs don't appeal to me with the same classic and timeless features of the StarTAC. These new slim phones feature some design compromises that I think in time will make them worse for the wear, like the thin button-plates that aren't as ergonomically friendly as real buttons, and the issue with the malfunctioning hinges that caused a temporary halt of sales and recall of the RAZR phones. On the other hand the StarTAC has stood the test of time ... literally. Sure, it didn't have fancy ringtones, big color screens, or a digital camera. But it did what I really needed it to do. It made calls, and took calls. Period. I'm gonna miss that phone. It should go into a glass case and go on display in a museum somewhere. Why did I finally give in and get a new phone? Certainly not so that I can play MP3s or have a dorky '80s rock song for my ringtone. Not for the 1.3 megapixel camera, since I already have a 7 megapixel Sony camera -- though I'm sure it will sometimes be handy to have it with me all the time, like if I see something idiotic and just have to snap a photo of it. No, the reason I upgraded was so that I could use Bluetooth technology to pair up the phone to my Lexus and make full use of the handsfree phone and nav system integration. It seems like I am back into gadgets now, so we will see where this path of conspicuous consumption will take me. Stay tuned as I start to chat it up on the road next week with the new phone.