(OT) Cellphone puzzler questions

[gary.foreman3]

I've had a basic Tracfone for a few years. It makes calls, texts, and can get basic internet service. It's just a simple phone without any bells and whistles. I can download pictures for a fee to use as wallpaper, or download ringtones also for a fee. I dont want a contract phone, because I dont make that many calls or send many texts. A $20 phone card will last me 2 or 3 months.

However I'm looking into getting a more advanced phone. The main reason is that it has a larger screen and full keyboard. Both of these are needed, since my eyesite is not the greatest and texting with the standard keypad is miserable. The other advantage is that it has a camera. Although I do have a regular digital camera, I do like the idea of having a camera phone, because I often want to take a picture and dont have my camera with me.

My question is this? If I take a picture with the camera, how do I get the picture onto my computer? The phone I'm looking at, is a LG501C, which is compatible with Tracfone. It says it has "Bluetooth Technology".... What does that do? Is that some sort of cable that connects to a computer for transferring photos? I dont see any sense having a phone camera if I cant get the pictures out of the phone and onto my computer.

(I've heard some people saying they can send pictures to friends who use Facebook, but I dont and wont use Facebook, so that leaves out that option).

Seems the young kids understand all of this cellphone stuff, but an old fart like myself is totally confused by it....

Thanks for all advice!

[Bill]

You can buy a USB cable which connects to the phone. I got one with a charger for the car, and a case for 9.99 + 3.00 S&H. I haven't tried that cable yet. I think Bluetooth is mostly for connecting to those "head/ear sets" you see people wearing, but some computers may have it too (probably not many). Good luck!

Bill

The phone I'm looking at, is a LG501C,

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, The phone will come with a manual.

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

what did the manufacturers site say when you looked up that phone?

[NotMe]

Some phones you can purchase a USB kit to interface with the computer. Other the charging cord (has a USB plug) does the same function. I'm playing with a BlueTooth enabled phone now that 'should' do the deed. So far I'm not doing well but I think that's a case of open user.

As to the other. We use pagepluscellular.com and I'm told you can get for a price the ability to send and receive data. I've not done that yet so I can say how well it works or the cost. We have two phones (prepaid) on the system and one cost $10 /120day and the other $25/120 days. (we don't talk that much)

[Lisa BB.]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I have the LG 800g. Triple minutes 4 life. I love it.

Look on you tube.

As for the LG501C, the buttons are small and so is the screen. I had one and got rid of it. The LG800g has a virutal QWERTY keyboard as well as other stuff u r looking for.

You get the pics off the phone and on to a PC by purchasing a cable that plugs into the phone. Then the PC sees the phone as another drive. You drag and drop to your PC.

The Tracfone manual is kinda lacking. Find out more here, tho you still have a Tracfone,

See this forum for help: Lisa

[HeyBub]

Unsolicited advice: Consider buying your 'phone - whatever one you choose - from a reliable Ebay seller. It will be as much as 90% less than the same phone bought from a network supplier. Batteries too.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I wish my phone (LG420G Tracfone) would do that. However, I can get pictures off it using Bluetooth.

[snip]

[gary.foreman3]

Please explain how you do that!!!!!

I dont understand anything about Blue Tooth, or even what it is.... Someone said that it works for those hands-free devices too, but what is it? Is it a cable, a connector, a software, or what??????

If I was 13 years old, I'd probably know all of this :) Seems that all the kids learn these days in school, is how to use a cellphone...........

[Fat-Dumb and Happy]

You can buy a USB blutooth dongle (mine was less than 10 bucks) and transfer files from your phone (including photo files) to your computer via bluetooth....or you can save your photos on the SD card and put that in your computer card reader,... or you can use a cable.

[gary.foreman3]

I'm sure it will, but that dont help me before the purchase. I wont buy it if I cant get the pictures out of it. I wont have a manual until I buy it.

[gary.foreman3]

Isn't that just a standard USB cable?

Thanks for all your useful help!!!!!

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

has anyone suggested that he can just email them to himself?

[micky]

That costs money., Although I have no idea how much.

[micky]

Bluetooth is the same as a cable without the cable. It's good for 3 or 4 feet iirc. Maybe more.

I bought both of these two almost exactly a year ago.

One worked and the other didnt' seem to, but since they were $1.80 and

2.15 I didn't mind much I didn't spend much time on the first one after the second one worked immediately. Just plug it in.

Now they are cheaper, under a dollar and under two dollars, including shipping, I think it was the one without the CD that worked. But if it was the other one, I still didn't need the CD with XP (or higher, I assume) All I did is plug it in to a USB jack. The computer sees it and installs it.

Smart guy. Facebook is run by people who didn't have faces, so now they use their membes' Sort of like zombies.

[micky]

I don't remember, but I think I just plugged in the bluetooth thing to the computer and brought up Power Desk 6. It's like Windows Explorer, but a lot better. You can use Explorer too instead. ... Maybe that won't work since Mark also has a trackphone (I don't) and he says his computer doesn't see the phone as another drive (as I was going to say)(, but he can still do it. So I don't know what he means and maybe he has to answer.

If you were 7 years old you'd know this. :-)

I don't think they learn that in school, but in NYC elementary schools they used to, and maybe still do, teach how to read the NYTimes while standing up on the subway. (The News and Post are tabloid formats)

[micky]

Well, some might say that standard means the big end to another identical big end.

Othes would say it's one of 4 possible standard cables, all ending with the big end.

You should get your phone before you get accessories, so you get ones that fit. . Some phones come with some accessories. Most come with AC chargers, and for my phone, the same cable from the charger to the phone also will go from the computer to the phone. But they are not all like that. I think eveyrone needs a car charger, which are no more than 5 dollars iirc on the web, including Amazon.

Plus my new smart phone with the camera and the big screen, I sometimes have to go into the shade to see what's on the screen. I bought some screen protectors for 2 dollars on Amazon. Don't get the perfectly clear iiuc. They are protection but won't help see things. Glare-resistant, I think you need, but otoh mirror type I think would keep me from seeing what's on the phone if I'm looking at an angle.

[George]

So going to lg.com and putting LG501C into the search box didn't produce a page with the manual, drivers and instructions?

[George]

LG has the complete manual, drivers and instructions on their site. Also I called them one time and spoke to someone in the US who spoke real English and who knew their products inside out.

[Keith]

I think your best bet with TracFone is to call their sales dept. The phones they sell in your area will depend on the carrier they use there. A lot of the replies here are fine in a generic way, but Tracfone likes to break the rules. My Samsung phone has a usb connection and bluetooth but provides no way to get a picture out of the phone and the same is true of my wife's LG phone.

When I first used TracFone their customer service was worse than dismal but they're top notch now, and their reps seem to have a lot of leeway (a sales rep might stay on a call with you when you're transferred to tech support, for instance). Since you have specific needs in a phone I suggest giving them a call to learn if they have a model that will work for you.