Dumb question for Web phone users...

"Bob Smith" <[email protected]> kindly wrote:

>
>"Jane" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
><snipped>
>
>> Thanks, Bob.
>>
>> I just came from Sprint.com where I signed into my account and found I
>> could select ringers, add them to my 'folder' then upload them to my
>> phone. However, they cost. Color me stupid, but this was a shock.
>> I realize it's a small amount of money but I've been online 15 years
>> and I cannot believe anyone is charging for a short little sound file!
>
>Well, someone did spend the time to put them together, and then there are
>the royalties which have to be paid.

I don't mean to sound argumentative (such a stupid thing really but
for the sale of argument does someone really want/expect a royalty
for the sound of a fart, a baby crying, or whatever? Forget the clips
of real songs -- in that case I can see charging for a royalty, but
not $1.50 or $2.50 -- not when buying the entire song costs 99 cents!

>> I cannot see "paying for a ringer" as anything but a dime-and-nickel
>> ripoff. It's the principle that grates.
>
>See above.

I believe my point stands. Paying for a ringer when you're already
paying for a phone and a plan, is like buying a $500 jacuzzi then
having the seller charge you $2.00 for the 5-cent rubber ducky that
sits on the ledge. Can't you throw in the damn duck for krissakes?

>> I realize the sites have to pay for downloading bandwidth and all, but
>> I can make .mp3 files myself on my computer without taxing anyone's
>> resources. There should be a way for me to upload my own ringers,
>> imnsho, especially since this is basically a $400 phone. I think I've
>> paid enough -- even after rebates -- to have earned the ringers I want
>> for free. Jeeeze!
>
>Whether you spent $400 or $100 is a moot point Jane ...

No, it's not moot at all. I've already paid for the phone, of which
ringing is a feature on it. For the money I paid for the phone and the
plan, they should give you a few nice ringers to download for free,
even if they wanted to continue to charge for the song clips. [Or they
could have just included nice ringers on the phone itself, rather than
putting the worst ones on so that people would be moved to buy a
decent one or two.]

> There is no direct
>way to load up those mp3s or polymorphic ringers from your computer to your
>phone. You need some software to do that, and SnapMedia offers one of the
>products that can do it.

That's valuable information. Thank you.

Jane

---

› See More: Dumb question for Web phone users...

Somewhere around Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:17:02 GMT, Jane was brave enough
to write:


>
>But thanks to everyone for their help and advice. Looks like I'll have
>to live with the 8100 or the VM4500's price.
>
Why not go with the RL2500, it is the same phone as the VM4500 less
the blue color and camera.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tnpnr@mind+spring.com
remove the +

"Jane" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Bob Smith" <[email protected]> kindly wrote:
>
> >
> >"Jane" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> ><snipped>
> >
> >> Thanks, Bob.
> >>
> >> I just came from Sprint.com where I signed into my account and found I
> >> could select ringers, add them to my 'folder' then upload them to my
> >> phone. However, they cost. Color me stupid, but this was a shock.
> >> I realize it's a small amount of money but I've been online 15 years
> >> and I cannot believe anyone is charging for a short little sound file!
> >
> >Well, someone did spend the time to put them together, and then there are
> >the royalties which have to be paid.
>
> I don't mean to sound argumentative (such a stupid thing really but
> for the sale of argument does someone really want/expect a royalty
> for the sound of a fart, a baby crying, or whatever? Forget the clips
> of real songs -- in that case I can see charging for a royalty, but
> not $1.50 or $2.50 -- not when buying the entire song costs 99 cents!

Well, the cost of the entire song might cost $0.99, but there's a middle man
here, with SPCS having to store them on their server, advertise them etc.
>
> >> I cannot see "paying for a ringer" as anything but a dime-and-nickel
> >> ripoff. It's the principle that grates.
> >
> >See above.
>
> I believe my point stands. Paying for a ringer when you're already
> paying for a phone and a plan, is like buying a $500 jacuzzi then
> having the seller charge you $2.00 for the 5-cent rubber ducky that
> sits on the ledge. Can't you throw in the damn duck for krissakes?

I don't want to argue this any further, but you want something for nothing
....

> >> I realize the sites have to pay for downloading bandwidth and all, but
> >> I can make .mp3 files myself on my computer without taxing anyone's
> >> resources. There should be a way for me to upload my own ringers,
> >> imnsho, especially since this is basically a $400 phone. I think I've
> >> paid enough -- even after rebates -- to have earned the ringers I want
> >> for free. Jeeeze!

Visit the sites I listed. You might find something free that you like.

> >Whether you spent $400 or $100 is a moot point Jane ...
>
> No, it's not moot at all. I've already paid for the phone, of which
> ringing is a feature on it. For the money I paid for the phone and the
> plan, they should give you a few nice ringers to download for free,
> even if they wanted to continue to charge for the song clips. [Or they
> could have just included nice ringers on the phone itself, rather than
> putting the worst ones on so that people would be moved to buy a
> decent one or two.]
>

Those that you don't like are provided at no charge. If you want something
different, you need to pay for them, either from SPCS's site, Yahoo's site,
or somewhere else ...

> > There is no direct
> >way to load up those mp3s or polymorphic ringers from your computer to
your
> >phone. You need some software to do that, and SnapMedia offers one of the
> >products that can do it.
>
> That's valuable information. Thank you.
>
> Jane
>
Bob

"Bob Smith" <[email protected]> kindly wrote:

[big snip]

>>Jane said:
>> I believe my point stands. Paying for a ringer when you're already
>> paying for a phone and a plan, is like buying a $500 jacuzzi then
>> having the seller charge you $2.00 for the 5-cent rubber ducky that
>> sits on the ledge. Can't you throw in the damn duck for krissakes?
>
>I don't want to argue this any further, but you want something for nothing

No, I don't and I resent that characterization. I paid over $400 for
the phone [with a two year service plan]. I'll get some money back in
rebates, but the phone will still be $250+...then I pay $75/month for
the plan itself. Telling me I want "something for nothing" then is
ridiculous when all I want are some decent ringtones for all that
investment -- [NOT EVEN SONGS] -- to come with my $400 phone!

Christ!

Anyway I found how to make and upload my own ringtones for free. There
is always a way when someone is charging something that should be
free, because people will always find a way to do it themselves in
that case. [And again, I'm not talking about the ringtones that are
song clips where artists are owed money, but I contend that even those
are way overpriced at $1.50-$2.50. iTunes and the like have a much
larger site than Sprint and as many if not far more hits, and they
charge $0.99 cents per song -- for the whole song. A ringtone (where
royalties or licensing needs to be paid at all) should be something
akin to a dime to still turn a profit.]

Jane

w.g. <bowling@the_10.pin> kindly wrote:

>Somewhere around Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:17:02 GMT, Jane was brave enough
>to write:
>
>
>>
>>But thanks to everyone for their help and advice. Looks like I'll have
>>to live with the 8100 or the VM4500's price.
>>
>Why not go with the RL2500, it is the same phone as the VM4500 less
>the blue color and camera.

I looked at the RL2500 but I can't remember what it is I didn't like
about it.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>tnpnr@mind+spring.com
>remove the +

w.g. <bowling@the_10.pin> kindly wrote:

>Somewhere around Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:17:02 GMT, Jane was brave enough
>to write:
>
>
>>
>>But thanks to everyone for their help and advice. Looks like I'll have
>>to live with the 8100 or the VM4500's price.
>>
>Why not go with the RL2500, it is the same phone as the VM4500 less
>the blue color and camera.

The keypad didn't seem to light as well as the 4500. It looked more
like the 8100. Nice phone though.

Anyway, I got the 4500 and am happy with it aside from the
lousy-sounding ringtones it comes with. A small but irritating thing
(which I'm in the process of rectifying).

Jane

[email protected] <Jane> wrote:

> Anyway I found how to make and upload my own ringtones for free.

Share?

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

Steven J Sobol <[email protected]> kindly wrote:

>[email protected] <Jane> wrote:
>
>> Anyway I found how to make and upload my own ringtones for free.
>
>Share?

Happily:

http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/sho...threadid=11225

Your phone will need to be Vision-enabled for the last step. (The
sound file ultimately gets uploaded to a link that gets text-messaged
to your phone. In the last step you go to the text-messaged link and
download the ringer [you've created] to your phone.)

I did this process by using a wav file on my computer (and following
their instructions) and it worked great.

The site hosting all this is run by Sprint users -for- Sprint users,
and is not affiliated with Sprint. The people running it request a
donation, but it is not mandatory. (However, this is the kind of site
you *want* to donate to!)

If all you want to do is personalize your phone and you are not
presently Vision-enabled, you may consider getting Vision for just one
month. Then use the above steps to create all the ringers you want and
take Vision off your plan again when the month expires...

Otherwise you'll need a USB cable/software to make ringer files.

Jane

In article <[email protected]>,
Jane ([email protected]) wrote:

> If all you want to do is personalize your phone and you are not
> presently Vision-enabled, you may consider getting Vision for just one
> month. Then use the above steps to create all the ringers you want and
> take Vision off your plan again when the month expires...
>
> Otherwise you'll need a USB cable/software to make ringer files.


I got my phone Vision enabled, but after once using it "a la carte"
found it too slow and too painfiul to use even on a PDA phone, but it
did only cost $1.15 for that month, so its there for emergencies. I have
a 802.11b laptop for when I need to be connected on the road. It's
incredible how many free "Hotspots" there are now. Some designed that
way, some set up with non-existant security, so you're in the lobby of
an office, and can get on the Internet, and then sometimes if there is
security, you ask the receptionist, who will tell you how to get onto
the Internet (i.e. Network name/password).

[email protected] <Jane> wrote:
> Steven J Sobol <[email protected]> kindly wrote:
>
>>[email protected] <Jane> wrote:
>>
>>> Anyway I found how to make and upload my own ringtones for free.
>>
>>Share?
>
> Happily:

I was hoping this would be a more generic solution, as I think I am more
interested in grabbing the occasional ringtone for my Verizon phone than my
wife is for her Sprint phone, but thanks for posting the link anyhow, it
ought to be useful for many others.

> http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/sho...threadid=11225
>
> Your phone will need to be Vision-enabled for the last step. (The
> sound file ultimately gets uploaded to a link that gets text-messaged
> to your phone. In the last step you go to the text-messaged link and
> download the ringer [you've created] to your phone.)
>
> I did this process by using a wav file on my computer (and following
> their instructions) and it worked great.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services
22674 Motnocab Road * Apple Valley, CA 92307-1950
Steve Sobol, Proprietor
888.480.4NET (4638) * 248.724.4NET * [email protected]

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O/Siris <robjvargas@sprîntpcs.côm> kindly wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>Jane ([email protected])Jane ([email protected]) says...
>>
>> Exactly. If I could get the phone I wanted, it would likely be free
>> after rebates. Instead it looks like I'll have to get a phone that
>> will cost me over a hundred bucks (*after* rebates) because it will
>> include options I don't want and won't use.
>>
>> Jane
>>
>
>???
>
>Hitachi, P300, $109.99 and then a $70 rebate available,
>making it just $39.99.
>
>Samsung VI660, $229.99, and $130 rebate, and so, too, the
>Sanyo 8100. Both *just* break under that $100 barrier.

Yes, I'm looking at the 8100 but I'm not crazy about the design (as I
just posted previously). You can't see the backlit keys well at all.

As for other brands, nothing but Sanyo for me b/c I already get zero
reception in my house with the Samsung I have. I hope the Sanyo will
change that.

>Although you've already decided against it, the Nokia works
>out to free.

But a free phone is no good if you can't talk on it. I don't want to
have to step out into the backyard to get reception anymore. From
everything I've gathered, Sanyo will increase my chances more than any
other brand, of improving my signal strength.

>And the LG1200, although recently discontinued, *retailed*
>for $99.99. An apparently decent (not sparkling, but
>decent) little flip phone without a browser. None of "that
>web stuff." Even in the week after being officially
>discontinued, it's listed in the top 5 among phones
>activated week to week.
>
>You've got a good point about wanting something "simpler."
>But I think it simply boils down to SPCS embracing the idea
>of "PCS" over and above simply "Cell Phone." Although I'd
>be among the first admit that we've not done so without
>some major discontinuities.

This may sound silly (or maybe not) but the phones themselves are
often enough of a reason to switch providers. That is, if the phones
are appealing people will want to stick with the provider.

If the "free phone" provided was a Sanyo flip phone that looked like
the VM4500 with the black rubberized face and blue backlight, 65k
color screen *without camera*, *without video* and *without Vision*
capability, (even without Speakerphone capability), you'd sell a
helluva lot of plans imho.

OR if the 8100 (as it is) *looked* like the 4500 (good backlit pad -
black & blue lighting), I'd buy it for $99.

OR if the 8100 (looking as it does with the poor backlit pad) were
FREE with rebates, I'd go ahead and suffer with it until something
better came along that was affordable.

All just my opinion of course. YMMV.

Jane