After years of happily using my vintage, pre 2005, Nokia mobile `phone I took a quantum leap and bought a fairly sophisticated smart `phone.
It is very useful but it does not fart.
Am I missing out on something?

I frequently look at my smart phone - a Samsung Galaxy S4, since you ask - and wonder how I managed my life before.

(Mind you, I have had similar feelings at various stages of my life concerning, inter alia, the fax machine, the photocopier, the PC, the laptop PC, wireless broadband etc. etc., so the sensation isn't new to me).

I use it for phone calls far more than my land line, which is virtually redundant now it is on the no-call list. It has a calendar that keeps me in touch with all my appointments (mirrored on my desktop and laptop), especially now that dentists, doctors etc. tend to send a text-message reminder. It tells me how best to navigate from A to B, albeit in a faintly ridiculous mechanical voice. It can find any digital radio station in the world, and feed it through the earphones. And it takes photographs.

One thing I don't have, however, is one single "game". I watch with interest all the people on the train with their heads bowed over the screen, thumbs a-flicking. The lad on my left is playing some kind of car racing game, the housewife-with-shopping-bag on my right is into Candy Crush, or one of its bright-pastel variations. It does worry me a little, where this addiction might lead us all. But then I think, sod it, and go back to listening to Tune-in Radio...

I don’t ava a mobile or smartphone doover of any sort! I get along perfectly well wiffout that rubbish!

So does that make a dinosaur or wot?

If it does, well ima very appy little sauropod!

Very funny article, but with some serious observations on our society's obsession with instantaneous communication.

I wonder what would happen if the relevant satellites blew up and/or the millions of mobile phone repeater towers stopped working or were destroyed. I think the human race would just adapt. I know its hard to fathom, but somehow the world survived without mobile phones up until about 20 yrs ago.

Hi there old dinosaur, wots up?

I do have a mobile, the kids insisted I carry. I think it was one of their old ones. I think it is an insult to my mechanical ability, that they think I need one when driving my 34 year old Triumph. For the kids on here, that is a sports car, not a motorbike.

This miniaturization is a pain, the numbers are so small, I can only get them with a fingernail, so I don't ring out much.

My daughter complained I never answered her calls, then found the thing was on silent. Damn.

I recently found out how to open a message, but I can't read them without my glasses, so don't bother much, that damn miniaturization again. I think I have worked out how to delete them too, now that has to be good.

I think there is a camera in there somewhere, but I'm damned if I can see a door to get it out, but then, if I can see the thing, why would I need a photo of it?

So I do have one, but try to ignore it. I think the kids are learning I go for long drives in my car, to get the hell away from people, not to talk to them between black spots.

Oh & No I AM NOT a cranky old man.

I grew up in a place and time where our phone was a wooden box with a winder on the side connected to a party line. The connection to our neighbours was generally there during those times they were in the house but the link to the outside world relied on a manually operated exchange with relatively limited operating hours. Our physical link to the outside world relied on a number of low set bridges which were frequently covered by flood waters for days at a time during summer.

I've had a few occasions to use mobile phones to call emergency services, on one of those ocasions a persons condition was deteriating quickly after a near drowning.

There are those who spend far to much time checking and responding to the trivia that instant communications enables but that does not take away from the many benefits that same communication provides.

The world got by without any of humanities developments for far longer than anynof those developments existed. Most of our developments have had good and bad sides to them.

I don't always keep my phone on me or check every message as soon as it arrives but I very much value the features my phone (and other devices) have. I love having a contacts list and calender that are up to date across multiole devices and relatively safetly stored independant of those devices. I love the convenience of having a reading library with me almost all the time. I love the range of tools that mobile connectivity and so called smart devices brings to my life. I could and have got by without any of that, that does not mean that with a little care not to let the devices dominate my time that those same devices don't bring a lot of benefit to me.

R0bert

We had the fibre optic cable cut a couple of times north of Cairns in less than a year. It was close to mayhem for over a couple of days each time. No shopping because the Eftpos went offline. Those who had cash were alright, the others well...stiff!

Most of my business is done from my smart phone. A Samsung Galaxy Note two. It's as big as small note book.

I send all delivery info, invoices, operational advices from it. I receive invoices, memos and customer directions and orders. It accesses my bank accounts and accounting system.

I reconcile my bank account via my phone daily. It allows me to work out my wages, taxes, superannuation and gst payments.
I receive phone bills, marina bills, rates and all my business bills via my phone.
I pay all my bills via my phone.

I complete my accounting functions, work schedules, administration and correspondence via my phone in about two hours every day.

It stores and plays my music. I have neat external speakers. It can be hands free and it allows me the time to lounge on the deck of my yacht and drink rum all day either berthed, in the bay or off the coast.

It can even help me weather forecast and navigate my yacht.

I read my magazines and newspapers on it.

I love my smart phone. But the thing I enjoy most is seeing the faces of the young people when they see me use my phone. The functions I use dwarf their mere social media options and selfies.

I only use email and texting. I have no face book nor twitter and while I have a camera and video I rarely use them.

I never download or watch movies. My life is way too interesting and busy doing things in the time I've saved by having a smart phone.

It allows me to access all the modern technological developments and I'm looking forward to the newer flexible models.

I'm only 61 and reckon I'll eventually replace my phone with a chip imbedded in my brain that will allow me to access the internet and do all the things I now do with my Samsung and more. By the time I'm 100 ... well I'm looking forward to the next 40 years.

I bought my first computer when I was 41.

I have maybe 20 apps but none fart or play games. Sounds like to me wasters to me.

I have a portable dock with usb ports (that is becoming old tech now) and a mini keyboard. I find that useful for writing poetry, short stories and a novel.

I do have a lap top but use it sparingly. It is my tv. I could probably access tv on my phone but at this stage it is proving a step too far.

On a yacht power is an issue. I have a solar powered charger and access to 3 x 120 amp, 12 volt batteries.

Jeez when I get my 'chip' I'll supply all the electrical charge I'll need.

My phone has 8gig internet wireless access each month and $500 'free' calls. It costs approx. $75 a month. The phone is on a plan and I can renew/update the phone it every two years.