Haven’t posted (or done) an HDR in a while, this one seemed alright. I especially liked that I processed it through plugins only – Photomatix, Lightroom, and ColourEfex Pro… no Photoshop.
This week I was supposed to get an iPhone. I had been wanting one for a while as the “photographers” phone of choice. Big pretty screen, built in camera, applications to post and do stuff to images that you take. The ability to carry around a portfolio was a strong compulsion to my own self-justification; “if I can show my work, and get a job, it’ll pay for itself!”
Mel knows this and decided it’d make a good Christmas present this year. So when Bell announced they’d launch the iPhone last week I was online ordering one up right away.
See, what you may not know (what I didn’t know) is that you can’t order a new phone for an existing account online. You’d think that with me logged onto my account and clicking a “buy” button they’d think ‘this guy’s buying himself a new phone to replace the old one.’ Nope. They figure you want a new account (that’d make 3 – one for work, one for home, and one for iPhone).
I went through a bit of an ordeal over the phone, trying to let them LET me keep my phone, pay whatever ridiculous difference the upgrade is vs. a new activation [read: $750] and the reps were helpful, for the most part, they really were. But all this time on hold (about 2.5 hours) really made me THINK about what the heck I was doing. Waiting around to pay a lot – pretty much a percentage of a new computer, or camera, both of which are getting a bit out of date for me – PLUS trying, desperately, to LET them have me increase my monthly bill… double it really.
I realized how fucking crazy I was.
I hardly use my phone now. Sure, maybe I’d use a smart-phone more, but not as a phone, and all things in perspective my camera body is 4 years old and my PC just about the same… so screw it. I took advantage of what was, apparently, my only option: sending the phone back, contract cancelled, money refunded.
Sure, I may not have an iPhone this week. But I’m not out about a grand a year in data plan fees and I’m certainly not down a $750 device. I’ll manage fine without one. Surprisingly, it was the time spent on hold with Bell that lead me to this epiphany – so thank you Bell, your immobility in letting me keep the phone shipped to me ultimately let me exonerate myself of any need or desire of the purchase.
A sobering experience.
