Buying slightly outdated technology can save a lot of $
I am a Palm Addict. I received my first Palm Pilot back in 1998 as a gift, and I used that sucker for everything from grocery lists to recording the serial #s of my many software applications (every time I get a new computer I momentarily panick when I have to install software, then relax when I remember all my codes are in the same place). When my Palm broke, I got another one, then a Handspring Visor (remember those?), and so on. My entire life for the last 12 years is searchable on my Palm Desktop, and I have no intention of reinventing the wheel with a newfangled OS.
You can imagine I reached a crisis moment when my Palm Tungsten E quit working a few months ago and I discovered Palm no longer makes standalone handhelds. I was forced willy-nilly into the world of smartphones, and it was a giant PITA. For starters, Palm partners with Verizon Wireless, my carrier, for a few months every couple of years (it’s like dating; for Palm, Spring is the steady long-term boyfriend, and when they have a relationship crisis, Palm has a fling with Verizon). I fell into a donut hole between the Verizon Palm Centro and the Pre.
My immediate instinct was to hold out for the Pre. Who isn’t drawn to the newest gadget? In September, it was being hailed as visionary. However, my research indicated it was going to be expensive, probably costing $200-$300. I started thinking that maybe going with something tried, true and inexpensive wasn’t such a bad idea. Meanwhile, I was able to find one of the few remaining Palm Centros in stock at a Verizon Wireless store in Virginia. With a 2-year contract, the Centro was free. And three months later, I am really happy I got it. I had to get a replacement phone early on when the speaker stopped working, but I received the new phone by mail within two days. It was definitely a positive experience.
