Totally my cable/internet bill

[lukem]

Cell bill is $65. Landline $30. Cable interwebs $40. Those are the only electrons and electromagnetic radiation (for voice/data anyway) that I pay for. I really should drop the landline.

The other electrons i purchase for everything else cost me about $75 a month.

 

[legrandice]

we JUST got rid of cable a few weeks ago. The first week was rough..I am used to watching discovery and history all day while working. Now I download or watch on amazon prime for free. I am sure going to like saving the $80/mo.

Thinking of getting a roku....anyone have one?

 

[Dune]

You will HAVE to give me the name of your electric company, then I guess maybe if the electrons are just 'laying' there, they are free. If you want them to MOVE, it usually costs some money.

It was a joke. One definition of electricity is free electrons moving in a conductor.

 

[Dune]

Would DSL work? My son is convinced it is too slow for our needs.

 

[begreen]

What do they charge for just internet, no cable tv? What are your alternatives for just internet. Can you receive OTA from Boston with a strong antenna?

 

[nate379]

Direct TV with the semi-decent plan and DVR is $55/month

Internet all depends on location, some of you guys get some cheap internet it looks like. I have the cheapest plan which is 768k and it's $55/month.
When I lived in Idaho I had Time Warner cable, 3Mb for ~$30/month.

 

[Badfish740]

Would DSL work? My son is convinced it is too slow for our needs.

My DSL provider can do up to 10Mbps in my area (more than adequate for streaming HD movies) and can do up to 40Mbps in some areas. Right now we have 1.5Mbps because we don't really stream anything and it's the cheapest. Check with your provider-they likely have something to suit your needs.

What do they charge for just internet, no cable tv? What are your alternatives for just internet. Can you receive OTA from Boston with a strong antenna?

Around here Comcast is wise to that game. If you want internet only they jack the price to within $10 a month of the cheapest cable plan The whole bundling deal is such a scam-that's why I like dealing with Dish for my TV and the phone company for my DSL. The phone company doesn't care that I have internet only and no land line through them. I pay the same for internet with no phone as I would with phone.

 

[jharkin]

WOW. I pay $165 for all three services - cable (including HD, DVR and the HBO pack), 35MB internet and unlimited phone. This is Verizon.

Comcast keeps sending door to door salesmen to my house trying to convince me they can do better. I turn them away.

 

[lukem]

WOW. I pay $165 for all three services - cable (including HD, DVR and the HBO pack), 35MB internet and unlimited phone. This is Verizon.

Comcast keeps sending door to door salesmen to my house trying to convince me they can do better. I turn them away.

Every time I walk thru Sam's club they Direc TV guys asks me if I'd like to save $30/month. I just say "over the air" and walk on by without breaking stride.

 

[Badfish740]

Every time I walk thru Sam's club they Direc TV guys asks me if I'd like to save $30/month. I just say "over the air" and walk on by without breaking stride.

I could say that too if I could just get my hands on half a ton of dynamite-that could blow the top off of a 400' granite ridge right?

 

[lukem]

I could say that too if I could just get my hands on half a ton of dynamite-that could blow the top off of a 400' granite ridge right?

I know a guy who knows a guy, and that guy might be able to get you in touch with another guy who has what you are looking for...

 

[woodgeek]

The economics of cable TV are not sustainable to the 'hulu/netflix' generation. The companies know this, and are gouging a subset of their customers (those too tech unsavvy to change or those too wealthy to care) to stay afloat. We'll see how long they hang on.

On a similar but OT rant...Micrsoft has developed and tested a complete version of MS Office for iPad, but doesn't sell it. Sitting on a server in Redmond collecting dust. Why, cuz the number one thing keeping a lot of folks from ditching their 'computers' for iPads is Office. Period.

 

[Badfish740]

The economics of cable TV are not sustainable to the 'hulu/netflix' generation. The companies know this, and are gouging a subset of their customers (those too tech unsavvy to change or those too wealthy to care) to stay afloat. We'll see how long they hang on.

The problem is that televised sports are HUGE in this country and as long as the leagues collude with the cable/satellite providers, they've got us by the you-know-whats. Of course, the leagues could start offering stuff a'la carte too. I'd be the first to sign up if the NHL/NFL offered up every Devils/Giants game (home or away) via streaming.

On a similar but OT rant...Micrsoft has developed and tested a complete version of MS Office for iPad, but doesn't sell it. Sitting on a server in Redmond collecting dust. Why, cuz the number one thing keeping a lot of folks from ditching their 'computers' for iPads is Office. Period.

I dunno-I'm sitting in front of a 27" monitor right now, typing on a keyboard and using a mouse. At least my job in particular would be a huge PITA if I had to use a tablet with a touch screen all day.

 

[nate379]

I tried the Netflix/Hulu deal and it was too much of a headache for me. If I'm watching TV I'm in no mood to screw around with a computer/Internet plus wait for something to load.
I set whatever looks interesting to record on the DVR and I watch that. Or often the TV is just on for some noise. I leave it on a night sometimes, it helps me sleep.

 

[Badfish740]

I tried the Netflix/Hulu deal and it was too much of a headache for me. If I'm watching TV I'm in no mood to screw around with a computer/Internet plus wait for something to load.
I set whatever looks interesting to record on the DVR and I watch that. Or often the TV is just on for some noise. I leave it on a night sometimes, it helps me sleep.

I looked into building a home theater PC to try to integrate everything. Then I realized that its all fun and games until your wife tries to use it or your kid is watching Sesame Street and Windows crashes Then it's all down hill from there...

 

[woodgeek]

The problem is that televised sports are HUGE in this country and as long as the leagues collude with the cable/satellite providers, they've got us by the you-know-whats. Of course, the leagues could start offering stuff a'la carte too. I'd be the first to sign up if the NHL/NFL offered up every Devils/Giants game (home or away) via streaming.

I dunno-I'm sitting in front of a 27" monitor right now, typing on a keyboard and using a mouse. At least my job in particular would be a huge PITA if I had to use a tablet with a touch screen all day.

Indeed. But there are a lot folks out there (who already own iPads) lugging around laptops and ultrabooks b/c there is no PadOffice. Including me.

 

[Danno77]

Indeed. But there are a lot folks out there (who already own iPads) lugging around laptops and ultrabooks b/c there is no PadOffice. Including me.

I downloaded "Numbers" and "Pages". Cost more than a lot of apps, but I've been pleased. Do they completely replace Excel and Word? They can. Are they better? Not really, IMHO. There is also a Powerpoint alternative named "Keynote", but I cant comment on it because I've never used it.

Paired with my bluetooth keyboard I find myself using Microsoft office far less often than previously. I highly recommend these apps if you have previously been unsatisfied with the free alternatives you've tried on the ipad. I find them to be highly compatible with files previously made and also they seem to transfer over to office fairly well, too.

The nice thing about apps is that they update regularly and you only have to buy once. If you want to buy Microsoft Office you have to buy the update/upgrade.

 

[woodgeek]

Thanks for the advice...but I collaborate at work with a lot of others...all of whom use Office...I need 100% compatibility. Ironic, since different versions of Office are not compatible, we all spend hundreds of dollars (at work) to get buggy software that doesn't interoperate compatibly! If it was just me, I'd do everything in LaTeX and emacs.

Back on-Topic....I have HBO on comcast, and can access HBO2Go on my computer BUT I can't get HBO2Go on Roku b/c comcast doesn't allow it!! Not a real problem, I just have to watch HBO real time (ugh), DVR shows (ugh) or use the crummy HBO on demand interface on Comcast. So I can Roku on demand everything, but not HBO shows that I have paid Comcast and HBO for. Grrr.

 

[Danno77]

I gave up on MS Office a long time ago, I actually prefer OpenOffice. I have ZERO compatibility issues using that with a predominately MSOffice staff. I actually have both MS Office and OpenOffice on the Work computer I'm using right now. Tech guy installed the MS version and handed it to me, I tried it for a little bit because it was Office 2010 and is the newest version that he assured me was so much better. It is better than 2007, but not enough to justify upgrading IMHO. Also definitely not better than OpenOffice, especially considering the cost. Now, if you need MS Access, then I have no argument. I haven't used that software in about 10 years, and I don't know of the current competitors.

 

[boatboy63]

You mentioned having a cell but not enough "G"s. Have you checked about a different service? If you have a landline phone added into this, check your cost. I went with MagicJack over a year ago and it costs me $29.95 a year. It works off cable internet. When I first called my cable company to have my phone service turned off with them, they asked what I was going to be paying for phone service. I told them and they told me that was the same price as theirs. I explained theirs was that much a month and mine was that for a year. She pretty much paused and said "......oh....". After that, she didn't try to sell me on it again.

Also for you guys wanting cheap internet, Google mifi. It costs $100 a year for internet and speed is about 1mb. It is unlimited and uses Verizon's data network and also acts as a wireless router.

 

[Dune]

You mentioned having a cell but not enough "G"s. Have you checked about a different service? If you have a landline phone added into this, check your cost. I went with MagicJack over a year ago and it costs me $29.95 a year. It works off cable internet. When I first called my cable company to have my phone service turned off with them, they asked what I was going to be paying for phone service. I told them and they told me that was the same price as theirs. I explained theirs was that much a month and mine was that for a year. She pretty much paused and said "......oh....". After that, she didn't try to sell me on it again.

Also for you guys wanting cheap internet, Google mifi. It costs $100 a year for internet and speed is about 1mb. It is unlimited and uses Verizon's data network and also acts as a wireless router.

Yeah, I have T-mobile. Not the bomb reception-wise, but it works for my family finances (4 phones).

Have a TV antenna dude coming next week to take some readings and try to sell me an antenna.

I am thinking verizon wireless internet $60/month (10 Mbs) (unless DSL would really work?)
Roku $8/month
Net flicks $16/month

Considering cancelling antenna appointment, who needs so much TV?