After a week of traveling, installing dozens of iPhone Apps and learning the ins and outs of sending email, writing notes and browsing the web on the iPhone, I returned it to The Apple Store for a full refund.

Before I head down for the return, I bought a Straight Talk Razor via Walmart.com and paid for Next Day shipping. I clicked to activate and Port Existing Number and after about an hour my iPhone lost the number. The automatic activation failed and I spend a very long time with a Straight Talk CSR who eventually clicked the right buttons.

I’ve gone back 12 years in technology to a polyphonic clamshell but it’s durable, practical and working on Verizon’s network for only $30/mo.

That’s right, calls to 411 are free. 1000 texts and 1000 minutes for $30 plus 30MB of data transfer. When I turned on Bluetooth my Mac synced all my contacts for me. Thanks.

The iPhone, though used to “keep in touch” limits my life experience. I’ll never have to ask for directions again. Keeping a journal in a moleskin is a lot more real than struggling to type on a touch keyboard when the return key, the M and the space bar are so close. I’m going back twelve years until Verizon stops offering phones that are missing functionality.

straight talk moto box

Costs:

My Verizon plan; 400 minutes + text + tax = $55-60/month

My iPhone AT&T plan; 900 min + iphone + text + tax = $125/month

My Verizon network Straight-Talk plan 1000 min, 1000 texts +sales tax – $32/mo.

What’s missing is the ability to post on facebook, look up info on a website and reply to emails while at work… but I think I’ll survive. Especially since I own an iPod Touch and enough folks leave their network open that it doesn’t take long in just about any urban/suburban setting to pick up a signal. Each month I am saving $100 which means before one year, I’ll save up for a new Macbook. Since I’m being an old fart, they should still call them Powerbooks. ‘Cause ‘macbook’ sounds that other word for “happy” if you know what I mean.