Dedicated TXT device

**p.dath** · 9th June 2009, 18:44

I was wondering, why doesn't someone make a cheap deadicated TXTing device?

I look at a lot of "younger" people and they only use their phones for TXTing. So why not produce a device that does just that. Scrap the speaker, microphone, 3G, GPRS, email, Bluetooth, WiFi, colour screen, and all those extra bits that add to the cost, and make a $100 device that just meets this markets needs.

I'm sure there must be a good idea why some enterprising company hasn't jumped on this bandwagon.

**Laava** · 9th June 2009, 18:46

Good idea but the kids you talk of want all that other stuff regardless. So it would be a small market segment.

**Winston001** · 9th June 2009, 18:57

What I wonder is why doesn't a canny manufacturer make a plain old-fashioned phone?? With a decent range and large buttons. Sod bluetooth etc etc.

**YellowDog** · 9th June 2009, 18:59

A basic mobile phone is very cheap and all you need. You can pick up old phones on Trademe from $20.

Easiest and cheapest option is send TXT messages straight from you PC via the Internet.

**p.dath** · 9th June 2009, 19:06

Originally Posted by YellowDog

A basic mobile phone is very cheap and all you need. You can pick up old phones on Trademe from $20.

Easiest and cheapest option is send TXT messages straight from you PC via the Internet.

Not particularly portable ... and if you have to carry around a computer then it is not a cheap TXTing device.

**kevfromcoro** · 9th June 2009, 19:12

Originally Posted by YellowDog

...Easiest and cheapest option is send TXT messages straight from you PC via the Internet.

How do you do that??

**Spyke** · 9th June 2009, 19:15

I think I would buy 1, that way if it broke it wouldn't be expensive to replace.

could possibly have the retail price at like $50 that would be a huge profit still. they could have it so its 1 cent a txt or something.

**Ragingrob** · 9th June 2009, 19:15

My phone has a colour screen, video camera, bluetooth, whatever, and it cost $79 new from Vodafone lol... It'd be a waste of resources for them to make anything cheaper than that!

**wbks** · 9th June 2009, 19:18

Fuckthat... I like that I can go on the net, take pxts, call people when I'm in too much of a rush to txt, and get other peoples files without those vodacom bastards leaching off me

**Ixion** · 9th June 2009, 19:27

Originally Posted by Winston001

What I wonder is why doesn't a canny manufacturer make a plain old-fashioned phone?? With a decent range and large buttons. Sod bluetooth etc etc.

A lot more to the point is WTF the manufacturers can't get their shit together and come up with phones that aren't just a rehash of something from centuries ago.

Where' can I get a phone with a holographic projector ? Huh? Huh ? Why can't my phone be programmed to act as a remote for alarms and doors and such like ? Huh? Huh?

And have you tried to watch streaming video on a phone? It's just downright painful

And even the most basic stuff they do have is'nt properly interfaced. I can send a txt, and it has the date and time stamped on it, so I know when it was sent. But why in heaven's name are the geocoords not also stamped on the txt (optional setting of course for when you don't want them). Hell's bells it took them like twenty years just to get GPS in the things.

I get so pissed off with trying to work around luddite laziness.

PS . Why d' y' want large buttons? The whole point is to make them smaller. And when , in sweet Jesus' sake are they going to get voice activation and recognition working properly. Why the hell should I HAVE to press buttons. Just make the phone do what I tell it. Yes I know what they claim. I've tried it. It's crap.

Oh. And why can't the phone function as a small portable Xray machine. that would be really useful.

**YellowDog** · 9th June 2009, 19:27

Originally Posted by kevfromcoro

How do you do that??

Search Google for it. Lots of firms offer online TXT services.

BUT here is your cheap answer:

http://www.bulletin.net/product-txtwidget.html

**wbks** · 9th June 2009, 19:42

Originally Posted by Ixion

A lot more to the point is WTF the manufacturers can't get their shit together and come up with phones that aren't just a rehash of something from centuries ago.

Where' can I get a phone with a holographic projector ? Huh? Huh ? Why can't my phone be programmed to act as a remote for alarms and doors and such like ? Huh? Huh?

And have you tried to watch streaming video on a phone? It's just downright painful

And even the most basic stuff they do have is'nt properly interfaced. I can send a txt, and it has the date and time stamped on it, so I know when it was sent. But why in heaven's name are the geocoords not also stamped on the txt (optional setting of course for when you don't want them). Hell's bells it took them like twenty years just to get GPS in the things.

I get so pissed off with trying to work around luddite laziness.

PS . Why d' y' want large buttons? The whole point is to make them smaller. And when , in sweet Jesus' sake are they going to get voice activation and recognition working properly.Maybe it's just our funny kiwibird accent? Why the hell should I HAVE to press buttons. Just make the phone do what I tell it. Yes I know what they claim. I've tried it. It's crap.

Oh. And why can't the phone function as a small portable Xray machine. that would be really useful.

For bikers

**RantyDave** · 9th June 2009, 19:50

Originally Posted by p.dath

I was wondering, why doesn't someone make a cheap deadicated TXTing device?

Because if you run a telco a mobile phone is not a communications device, it's a revenue creating device. A phone that can't chew through minutes is going to create less revenue. A phone that can ... will. The other thing is that the telcos pay the device manufacturers a handy wee kickback - at least a couple of hundred bucks a pop and quite often more (this is why you sometimes get free mobiles). The only do this because (drum roll) they're intending to get the cash out of you later. You see where this leads, right?

Dave

**Winston001** · 9th June 2009, 20:15

Originally Posted by RantyDave

Because if you run a telco a mobile phone is not a communications device, it's a revenue creating device. A phone that can't chew through minutes is going to create less revenue. A phone that can ... will.....

Agreed. But from what I see of my children they never make or receive calls, nor do their friends. Everything is text. Of course they don't have much money and $10/month is what they spend.