The totally off-topic thread

[Shelf]

Doesn't have to be an o/s artist.

Vote 1 - Warwick Capper and 'Jacko' greatest hits at half time!

 

[Rallo]

If they want to keep recycling acts then what about Angry Anderson and the Batmobile that was nearly as good as Meatloaf

 

[erkpod]

Is Peter Garrett doing anything after September?

 

[mono88]

Is Peter Garrett doing anything after September?

Yes, there was a long interview with Peter in the Sept 2013 edition of The Beast magazine. He did raise the remote but not immediate possibility of the "Oils" playing.
Not sure how to link website but it is
thebeast.com.au

 

[robd]

Is Peter Garrett doing anything after September?

Can't recall Midnight Oil doing the GF. Kids would be looking at me pretty weirdly dancing in the style of the day to their music. Ahhhh, good times

 

[Simo]

There's no such thing as a "free" phone.

I always buy a phone outright, then buy a contract-less sim-only plan that suits the amount of calls/messages/data I need. Over the life of the contract say 12 or 24months, I'm always much better off than if I was locked in to a plan with a phone.

I sometimes buy my handsets just depends on the phone I want at the time.

If I don't get a phone my plan has a rebate of $30 per month.

So if the handset is $720 or more I get it on the plan if it is free or i pay it outright if under $720.

 

[beardoc]

Of course, some people are happy to roll with those punches or value otherwise, but it's just a demonstration of the need to generally just weigh up your options, and taking a plan with a "free" phone (so to speak, yes it is not really free) is not a bad option all of the time.

I've been taking the Nexus 4 option - AUD$328 delivered and unlocked then on a cheap contractless SIM card works out way cheaper for me. Of course, everyone else's mileage will vary.

 

[erkpod]

The Dancing Ladies of Carlingford were in fine form tonight. They are even doing new dances.

 

[JohnK]

There's no such thing as a "free" phone.

I need a phone as the current Samsung Galaxy has had it.

So if we break this down $40 a month for 24 months = $960 including a phone and $450 worth of calls/text a month.

Can I buy a phone, and a contract-less phone plan for less than that cost?

I am currently on a $29 plan (out of contract) with $450 worth of phone calls. If I buy a Samsung Galaxy S2, S3 or S4 in Thailand I do not think I can get it cheaper than $600 outright. So over 2 years it is going to cost $1,320 with current phone plan.

So what do you recommend I do?

 

[markis10]

I need a phone as the current Samsung Galaxy has had it.

So if we break this down $40 a month for 24 months = $960 including a phone and $450 worth of calls/text a month.

Can I buy a phone, and a contract-less phone plan for less than that cost?

I am currently on a $29 plan (out of contract) with $450 worth of phone calls. If I buy a Samsung Galaxy S2, S3 or S4 in Thailand I do not think I can get it cheaper than $600 outright. So over 2 years it is going to cost $1,320 with current phone plan.

So what do you recommend I do?

Whats does $450 of calls mean, 10 minutes at $45 a minute or 100 minutes at $4.50 a minute? What do use the phone for ?

The Woolies mobile is not bad value at $29 for a month and a half including 5Gb of data and $500 of calls , not sure why your looking at Thailand for a Galaxy, Kogan has a S3 for $419, S2 for $329 and my phone, a galaxy S duos for $189.

 

[JohnK]

Whats does $450 of calls mean, 10 minutes at $45 a minute or 100 minutes at $4.50 a minute? What do use the phone for ?

I am guessing ~400 minutes. Call mum multiples times/day.

The Woolies mobile is not bad value at $29 for a month and a half including 5Gb of data and $500 of calls , not sure why your looking at Thailand for a Galaxy, Kogan has a S3 for $419, S2 for $329 and my phone, a galaxy S duos for $189.

Isnt Thailand supposed to be cheaper?

What network does Woolworths use?

 

[Simo]

I am guessing ~400 minutes. Call mum multiples times/day.


Isnt Thailand supposed to be cheaper?

What network does Woolworths use?

Woolworth's use Optus network

 

[JohnK]

Woolworth's use Optus network

So the same cruddy network I am on now?

 

[SeatBackForward]

I am guessing ~400 minutes. Call mum multiples times/day.


Isnt Thailand supposed to be cheaper?

What network does Woolworths use?

Places like Pantip Plaza, Sim Lim Square, Low Yat Plaza or Golden Computer market aren't the bargains they used to be. The internet has levelled out the playing field a lot recently.

I've been to just about all the above in the past six months, each time I come back empty handed because I can get what I want delivered to my home for cheaper than from those stores.

I'll give you a more detailed response tomorrow..but as Markis pointed out $400 worth of calls is a meaningless figure. Cap plans are misleading.

What network does your mother use to call you? Is she the person you are most likely to call? If your regular callers are all on the same network you can get considerable savings.

 

[JohnK]

What network does your mother use to call you? Is she the person you are most likely to call? If your regular callers are all on the same network you can get considerable savings.

Optus landline included in internet bundle.

All the calls are from my mobile. If someone calls from home then I reject the call and call back.

 

[JessicaTam]

Timely news with all the chat about phone plans.

Nokia is selling it's handset business to Microsoft

From the SMH:

Microsoft will buy Nokia's phone business and license its patents for 5.44 billion euros ($8 billion), making its boldest foray yet into mobile devices and bringing executive Stephen Elop back into the fold.
​

 

[JohnK]

I had better hurry up and book otherwise I will get burned again.

Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today.

Too late it is tomorrow already....

 

[SeatBackForward]

Optus landline included in internet bundle.

All the calls are from my mobile. If someone calls from home then I reject the call and call back.

Ok so your home line bundle doesn't include any phone call, or rather, is charging you for them. Are you getting free calls from your mobile to home? or its included in that vague $450 worth of calls you get each month? Consider a service provider like amaysim (amaysim SIM card - Simple mobile plans, low rates. It's your call.), They use the Optus network and for $40 a month you get pretty much unlimited SMS and calls to anyone in Australia., thats probably better value than you get on your "cap" plan. Particularly if you do use your phone for calls and SMS a lot.

I'm with them (I'm not happy with they way they charge for internet usage however), on their $20 a month plan, I generally only use my mobile to ring/sms my wife, and shes with them too, so all thats free for me. Otherwise the main use of my phone is for data - to use the internet, and I get about 1GB a month on the $20 a month plan, and so far over a year of use, I've not had a single bill over $20 yet.

You may even want to consider if at home you'd be better off ditching the bundle, getting just internet through your "phone" line and then using mobile phones for all your calls - these days its a perfectly feasible option.

 

[medhead]

Can I have a rant about this afl BS of cheering the national anthem. It's the national anthem, not a performance!!! At least the rugby crowds used to be refined enough to not cheer, but its even creeping in there.

Optus landline included in internet bundle.

All the calls are from my mobile. If someone calls from home then I reject the call and call back.

I know it's probably not for you but I'm on a home line bundle with 2 mobiles on a single bill from Telstra. All calls between phones on the same bill are free. I don't need to reject calls and then call back because no matter what it's free. My phone does at least $1200 of phone calls a month - they bill the calls and then rebate them. This works extremely well for me as 95% of my calls are free and 4% are tax deductible.

As I said maybe not for you but surely Optus has a similar product.

 

[erkpod]

Peeps be stupid.

Peeps be cleaning up the mess they created.

Peeps be thinking of a better Instagram user name.

(Finally a win for the men & women in blue - hope the sentence is decent!)