BK (and Oliver),
>FOMA (as the 3G service is called here) isn't all that popular.
>People do not consume it "at addiction-level" because nobody
>can see the point of it.
As coverage expands, the usage will go up.
http://foma.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/catalog/service_area/index.html
That is one of the negative points about FOMA right now and is changing rapidly as DoCoMo expands their coverage.
>Coverage is only in Tokyo, the handsets are in the order of a
>thousand dollars, and there isn't really much you could do with
>FOMA that you couldn't do with the other cellphone services.
Not true. They are much cheaper these days.
With FOMA, you can browse the internet while talking. Can't do that on the slower PHS phones AFAIK.
>PHS for example has got 64kbps and 128kbps is about to be launched
>or has been launched, so why 3G ?
There is a big difference in what you can do at the higher speed of 3G.
>Sure, there are some FOMA phones that have a camera built-in and
>you can do video telephony, but most people who have used it say
>that it is cool for a giggle once or twice but after that seems
>pretty useless.
I would tend to agree.
However, there are some folks who really like it.
On long train rides, the FOMA phones give you something to do such as browsing the internet.
For example, I ride into Tokyo for a business meeting on Monday nights. The train ride takes about 90 minutes each way. I can browse the net, do banking, catch up on news and do some short Emails. The one handed operation of my phone allows me to do this standing up or sitting down. Very convenient use of my time.
>Yes, all mobile phones on sale in Japan have some colour by now,
>but most of them have colour background or a colour flashing antenna,
>but not necessarily a colour display.
Not true.
Most phones have color displays these days.
>My phone for example has orange or green backlight, but monochrome
display and I bought it new only last May.
Things have changed!
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/p_s/products/index.html
It seems, at least for DoCoMo, all of their new 503 series phones have color displays.
My personal model is the Sony SO503iS
>I bought it because it was the only one that didn't look like
>a toy. What do you need a colour display for on a phone anyway ?
Lot's of reasons come to mind.
Ease of use. Mine has very convenient color icons that make it easy to see if the number is a work cell or home cell for example.
When in iMode, it makes it easier to choose the navigation buttons/links.
Color makes it easier to tell when you are in edit mode or not.
And while I don't do it, some love the games that you can play.
Others have a photo album in their phone as well.
>Or there are those where the entire phone starts flashing in
>different colours depending on who is calling.
Granted there are some gimmicks out there, but some are very useful.
On my phone, I have a iMode "I" on the back of it. When at a meeting, I turn everything off so as to not interrupt. If I get a call, my "I" blinks purple. For Email, Blue. You can change the color to your personal tastes from a selection of 7 colors.
>Most of the oh-so advanced features of those phones are designed for
>teenagers to be able to show-off.
True -- there are those types of phones out there as well.
>User friendliness is a foreign word. My Sanyo came with three books
>of instructions and one of them has almost 800 pages of instructions.
>Even the Sanyo support people can't cope with the many features their
>phones have got.
Come on BK, that was a personal selection.
Some phones are easy and some are not -- that's a personal choice.
Check out the Sony or NEC models. Very easy to use and convenient.
Of course, the AU, and J-Phone have different offerings than DoCoMo. I stayed with DoCoMo for the discount (been a customer for over five years) and for the coverage.
That's another reason that I went with cell vice PHS. Cell provides the best coverage. For me that was very important based on where I go. DoCoMo also provides a dual cell/PHS phone system call Docimo (Pronounced: Do Che Mo). But the cost was a bit high for my needs right now.
>It has got so many features in its UI that most of the time you
>can't even replicate something you have done before.
I have not problems with mine! :-o :-)
>And despite all the sophisticated software in there it doesn't
>have a SPACE character even not when in Roman character input mode.
Uh, mine has a space. Use it all the time.
>And you get plenty of SPAM on these phones from telephone clubs
>that want to entice you to call an anonymous switchboard where
>you are connected to under age teens who are eager to earn a
>little extra by becoming a mistress of a probably married salary
>man who could be their father or even grandfather.
Uh, haven't got any yet. But then I am new to iMode so I have that to look forward to! :-(
BTW, I am very careful whom I give out my cell Email address to.
We shall see. Ask me in 6 months, right!
>That is one of the reasons why these phones are so popular with
>teenage girls. For many girls those phones are a tool to generate
>extra pocket money without their parents knowing what is going on.
There you go stereo typing Japanese girls. Granted this does happen. Some may choose to do this. But not, "Many" as you state!
Anyhow, this activity was done with beepers before cell phones came into vogue. So now at least the girls don't hang around the phone booths.
BTW, if you haven't figured out which girls are available and which aren't by now, you must be blind. It's pretty easy to tell if you've been here for a while.
>Japanese TV has done a survey asking teenage girls on the street or
>at school what they think of it, and most of them reacted very positive
>and said it was cool and they would do it in an instant if some guy
>asked them. They even stated a price and that was on national television.
So like, you believe everything that you see on TV?
Sure they have shows like this. All countries do. Are they accurate? Believe what you will...
BTW, when I was in Germany, I remember trying to complete a flight plan while some German babe was demonstrating how to strip for her husband. Right on TV during the day. Very distracting as it was a beautiful brass bed... ;-)
>Oh, yes, one more thing about the new FOMA phones with built-in video.
>They had to be designed such that they constantly beep when video is on
>in order to ensure that no women are molested without their knowing that
>they or more precisely their underwear is being caught on video for
>example while in a crowded train.
Yeah, stuff like this does happen. They have some perverts over here as well as the rest of the world.
However, all Japanese aren't perverts and use their phones in this manner!
Ever hit record on an answering machine? You get a beep every 15 seconds. Why is that? Does that mean it's to prevent perverts from recording things? I don't think so.
>So, if you hear those wonderful tales about the Japanese consumer
>paradise, may I suggest you ask someone who has been living in
>Japan to give you some background on it because as they say: Not
>all that shines is gold.
True. But you can say that about most anyplace in the world.
Anyhow, much of what you experience depends largely on where you shop.
BTW, I saw an interesting shoe store in Akihabara...go figure.
>Also it may be of interest to you that phones in Japan have a
>lifetime of a few months only, they are therefore not designed
>to last.
Not true.
My last one, a Panasonic model, lasted 5 years.
I have numerous friends who have the same cell phone for years.
>It's all very cheap - almost like throwaway items and in a way
>they are.
Depends on the model...as with anything.
>And until recently changing to a new phone meant a new phone
>number unless one wanted to send in the old phone and wait
>a week (being without a phone).
Not true at all.
I looked at upgrading my phone a few years ago, and then about every year since then. Always, I would be able to have the same number (if I used the same cell phone company), and I could switch right there in the office.
BTW, I had a friend who kept destroying his cell phones through a variety of methods. One of which was as running over the phone with his van. It had fallen out of his pocket and he didn't know it.
In a three year period (1997-1999), he must have gone through 3-4 phones. Each time his phone number was the same. He would take the remnants of his old phone to the store, and get a new one. In some cases, they could even suck out the data and put into the new one.
>Speaking of arrogant Westerners ... you ain't seen nothing yet.
Get used to it. Other countries are similar as well. Although I must say, the Japanese are pretty good at it! :-)
Sushi
_________________________________________________________________
Talk Stocks with Smart Investors -- http://www.ragingbull.com
Click Below for Brokerage Specials for Raging Bull Users
http://www.ragingbull.com/tradingcenter
-- This is the Newtontalk mailinglist - http://www.newtontalk.net To unsubscribe or manage: visit the above link or mailto:newtontalk-request_at_newtontalk.net?Subject=unsubscribe
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Feb 01 2002 - 16:02:11 EST