A short history of growden mobilia.

Here rests the chronology of my use of mobile wireless communication devices.

Over the last decade a lot has changed in the cell phone space and my usage history echoes those changes. From the old school Motorola Flip Phone to the ultra fun/hip Danger Hiptop… here is the story so far...

Motorola Flip Phone

flipphone
Originally uploaded by growden.

This takes me back... the infamous "CANTel" Motorola Flip Phone.

I got this phone back in 1994 so that my mother could get in touch with me as I travelled back and forth to York U. She had recently had a double lung transplant.

In the event anyone in my family needed to get in touch with me... the Flip Phone became my primary digits.

This was back in the day... when folks who had cell phones where snobs/ass-wipes... and you were a freak if you were talking on your cell on the TTC... but I was without choice in the matter.

I only had this puppy for about 6 months.

Once my mother left Toronto and returned home to Wiarton, this phone when b-bye.

Bell Pager (also by Motorola)

pager
Originally uploaded by growden.

In the summer of 1996 I needed a means of letting potential employers (and my SO at the time) track me down.

Mobile phones still held an odd social stigma... and I wanted no part.

The answer... the Bell Canada pre-paid pager.

I bought this pager and a year worth of unlimited service for less than $200.

Worked like a charm...

But once I found a job, I let my service lapse... and the pager found its way into my junk drawer.

Mobile Home Phone - Nokia 2190

ph_2190_phd
Originally uploaded by growden.

In 1998 I was working for the good folk at CCRW.

The organization had no office space for me at the time... so they sent me hone.

I needed a phone line for net access (this was prior to wide spread DSL availability or Cable internet services) and I also needed to be on the phone a lot.

Bell sold me a second line for my Gore Vale apartment. The repair/install dude arrived and informed me that it would take weeks (and a back-hoe) to bring a line in off Queen to my home. He suggested I look into a cell service.

I did some service/pricing comparisons and ended up signing on with Fido. I snagged the cheapest and most reliable phone they had... the Nokia 2190... aka "The Brick".

CCRW paid for the service while I was WFH and turned the plan (and #) over to me once we moved into new offices.

I'm still with Fido... and I still have that same #.

Voice Activated Goodness - Ericsson T18z

erics_t18
Originally uploaded by growden.

Although the Nokia 2190 served me well, it had long outlived its cell phone cachet.

In 1999, shortly after starting work at COL, I needed to upgrade my mobilia (to keep up with all the other dot-commies at the office).

Fido had been hyping the "voice activation" feature of the new Ericsson T18z.

It was sexy. It was tiny. It has crap-ass voice activation features.

I retired the T18z shortly after an unfortunate cat urine incident.

The paragon of cell phones – Nokia 5190

ph_5190_phd
Originally uploaded by growden.

Having previously had really good luck with the 2190, my t18z replacement was inevitably the PCS Nokia 5190. For many people, this series of cell phones defined a mobile communicaiton era. The 5190 wasn't just "a" mobile phone, it was "the" mobile phone of it's time.

The good folk at Nokia milked the 5100 series out for years (and I think they are still milking it on some carriers).

I even bought the 5100 Analog adapter that let me use this puppy outside the GTA. Attaching the device made the 5190 look like some sort of Star Trek hand weapon.

Too much of a good thing can... - Nokia 3190

ph_3390_prd
Originally uploaded by growden.

The 3100 & 3300 series were pretty much the same as the 5100 series of phones... with only a couple of minor changes... they were smaller... and they looked less like actual phones.

Still trusty and reliable, the 3190 put in its time.

I had lots of fun with phone covers and lighting scenarios. Cell phone antics ensued.

My middle name is... - Danger Hiptop

hiptop
Originally uploaded by growden.

By 2004 I was kinda sick of the Nokia phone OS.

It was time for a big change. I wanted something new... something with a camera... I wanted "danger".

Enter the Hiptop.

The good folk at Fido picked up Danger's new fancy mobile communication device... not just a phone... not just a PDA... both... wrapped in an odd retro-future case with a full QWERTY keyboard.

I totally fell for the Hiptop. I had to have one.

I ran my Hiptop into the ground... If only GPRS didn't suck, this could have finally fulfilled a long held mobile device dream of mine... alas... the dream is over.

Corporate whore - RIM Blackberry 6280

6280_blackberry
Originally uploaded by growden.

Having avoided the "digital leash" for years, in the fall of 2004 I was forced to give in and take on the Blackberry 6280.

In comparison to the Hiptop, the 6280 is a primitive device. Grey-scale... lousy WAP browser... convoluted contact list. Blah.

The upside, it syncs with Outlook tres well (if you are into that kinda thing).

All things old - Nokia 3100b

nokia_3100b
Originally uploaded by growden.

One morning I woke up to find my Cats chewing on the SIM card of my Hiptop.

It was already an awkward situation... carrying around a RIM and the HT.

I was in need of a new, small, cheap, phone... Fido delivered me the Nokia 3100b.

The thing that astounds me is... every time I get a new Nokia phone... it is smaller, ligher, cheaper, has longer battery life on shorter charge cycles and comes with more functions/options than I could possibly ever use.

Text This - LG 9100

LG 9100
Originally uploaded by growden.

KK's phone started to fall apart (she was using my old Nokia 3190 so I decided to purchase a new device and had off the 3100b.

The LG 9100 is a fancy little phone. Hidden under the screen is a fully QWERTY keyboard.

My 9100 isn't exactly "sanctioned" by my carrier but it still works like a charm.