| <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in | | | | major disadvantages to their use, was the area of |
| } A:link { so-language: zxx } --> | | | | coverage that was available. Often, coverage was |
| When bagphones and carphones were created nearly | | | | limited to a very small area, and once you were |
| 20 years ago, no one could have imagined how far | | | | outside that area, users incurred roaming charges. |
| technology has come in the years in between. In just | | | | Users were also charged by the number of calls they |
| two decades, the portable phone has been | | | | made each month, which got very pricey very quickly |
| transformed from a bulky apparatus that had to be | | | | for many people. Now days though, both of those |
| plugged in to receive power, to an incredibly small | | | | problems have been fixed. Cell phone providers have |
| hand-held device that can hold a charge for several | | | | come up with various monthly plans which enable |
| days without needing to be plugged in. The newest | | | | people to opt in and out of various types of coverage |
| smartphone phones, which rely on 3G wireless internet | | | | for affordable prices. Additionally, 3G wireless internet |
| technology, are a world apart from older technology | | | | coverage has made network coverage larger and |
| for so many reasons. As portable phones have | | | | stronger, so there are fewer dropped calls and |
| evolved over the years, the reasons people use them | | | | moments when people are unable to get internet |
| has evolved rapidly as well. | | | | access. All of those things will only get better in the |
| | | | | near future, when 4G becomes the standard for |
| Twenty years ago, people who had bagphones and | | | | cellphone and internet connections. |
| carphones used them solely to call other people. It was | | | | |
| like having a home phone in your car, and the main | | | | As this new technology takes hold, people will be able |
| benefit was that you could call people from outside | | | | to navigate the internet faster from wherever they are |
| your home without having to find a payphone. A | | | | across the country. This summer, 4G networks will be |
| decade later, cellphones had become equipped with a | | | | rolled out in many of the major cities in America, |
| new technology called "text messaging," which allowed | | | | including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San |
| users to quickly send short messages to other | | | | Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Denver, Kansas |
| cellphone users, thereby eliminating the need to call | | | | City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, |
| them. A decade after that, cellphone usage has | | | | Pittsburgh, Miami and Salt Lake City. Soon, inhabitants |
| continued to evolve. Yes, text messaging is still | | | | of those great cities will be able to use their |
| incredibly popular, but as wireless internet technology | | | | smartphones and computers to surf the internet with |
| has evolved, people have begun using their phones to | | | | incredible ease and speed. Gone are the days where |
| communicate over the internet rather than through | | | | you have to pull over to use a payphone or go inside |
| traditional cellphone call minutes. | | | | and wait for your dial-up internet connection to finally |
| | | | | allow you to check your email. Technology just keeps |
| In the days of bagphones and carphones, one of the | | | | getting better, so make sure you keep up with it. |