Why I Need a Treo

[Zaine]

OK! Here's the deal:
I'm going to high school next year, and I don't have a cell phone. Even my mom thinks I need one. Thing is, she wants to give me some free pre-paid cell she can get with her plan. It is a plain and basic (read: boring and cheap) model, and I want more. I want a Treo 600 (which I can trade in for a 650 once it breaks...but that's another story). I see it like this: I am an overachiever. She knows it. I will be going to a big, busy high school that has all kinds of activities that I will of course take part in. I have this dream of a new beginning in high school (I'm very goal oriented...at times to the point of being obsessive about the future but, again, I digress) and I want to make sure everything goes perfectly so I can be announced valedictorian and head off to an ivy league. Anyway, the Treo 600 has a large role in that dream. First of all, the social aspect. I will be going to a pristigious private school whose students have biological "connections," if you will. By networking with my fellow students, I will be setting up a foundation for success later in life. Many people, when I was debating the decision of private vs. public school stressed the point of making the right connections. Now, onto organizational aspect. Anyone who knows me knows that I am the type to participate in activities, organizations, etc. that will further my chances for success and recognition. If I want to successfully juggle all of the activities I am bound to be a part in, I will need some way to keep track of things. That's where the Treo comes in. It will keep me on track of where I need to be at what time and for what reason, and eliminate "overbooking" myself (it has happened before). Furthermore, it will allow me, more importantly, to stay on top of academic tasks, take class notes, etc. I believe this will help me perform on a level that is satisfactory for both my mother and myself. One problem-- my mother thinks the Treo 600 is too much for me ("You're only 13!" Only for a few more weeks, mommy dearest). Frankly, I think she may be afraid of the technology. I told her some of the Treo's capabilities, and she managed to give me a way to do it without the Treo, or explain how I don't do it anyway. For example, I tell her it plays music. She says I don't listen to that much music anyway. I say it has internet capabilities. She says I have a laptop. I tell her it has a great organizer. She has the audacity to tell me to use a pen and paper! Then she goes on about how I don't care for the dog I wanted (FYI, I wanted a CAT or nothing at all-- SHE got the dog on her own), don't use the exercise equipment she bought me (1st of all she bought that thing for herself, and she doesn't use it either; secondly, the video game fitness program was indeed my idea, but I use it when it fits into my schedule, and it hasn't lately. I fully intend to resume the program once school is out for the summer), and that I don't do my chores without her telling me (if I had the Treo, I could set it to remind me to do chores... I should mention that later, not to mention she actually forgets to pay BILLS! Then she got upset b/c she had to pay $100 to get the phone cut back on. I can, of course, just go to my grandmother who is perfectly willing to buy it and pay the monthly bill, but I would prefer it if my mom were to at least pay part of the bill. 25% even! But she still refuses. So, what can I say/do to convince her that I do need a Treo 600? (I was thinking of putting together a PowerPoint presentation...) Thanks in advance for being the helpful posters I know you are! And thanks for your patience in reading this long post!

[chris]

I think success is in your future with or without a Treo 650. With that being said, I'd go with the PowerPoint presentation. :D

[kabeyun]

You sound admirably driven, remarkably articulate, future-focused, a little spoiled, and completely full of crap. And I mean that with love.

You sound like you could be a raging success without a $600 piece of electronics. My 65-year-old father, a successful medical professional with 2 homes, 3 cars and an co-op in Manhattan still organizes his entire life with a ledger, a file cabinet, and 3M sticky notes. To suggest that your Mom was audacious to tell her 13-year-old kid to do the same brings out some of your own audacity, no? How many 13-year-olds have a laptop, hm? I managed to graduate with honors from private high school, an ivy league university, and medical school without so much as a pager.

Marketers of modern communications technology have convinced people of two falsehoods: 1. connectivity gadgets make your life easier (before cell phones, when you were on vacation you were on friggin' vacation!), and therefore 2. you NEED them. Horsehockey! The only things you need are food, shelter, water, clothing, and a Mom who loves you enough to pay the bills, send you to school, get you a pet, buy you a laptop, and lateral you over to your Grandma who'll fill in the rest.

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic. You sound like a decent human being. Just a little naive and in need of a reality check. (What are public forums for, right?) Hey, I'm a gadget freak. I just don't buy into this whole "need" phenomenon. Be honest: what you want is not a freebie cell phone brick but a nifty, cutting-edge gadget that will get everyone oohing and aahing during recess. The rest is rationalization. I can smell it because I'm good at it myself.

You want to do yourself a long-term favor? Save money regularly and buy it yourself when you can afford it. Patience, discipline, and responsibility (not hi-res, bluetooth, and backlighting) are qualities valued by ivy league admissions boards. You'll appreciate it more, and meanwhile you'll have time to think about what your needs really are.

Now get out there and kick some valedictorian butt!

-K

[N1c0_DS]

I'm almost in the same ****uation, I am in grade 2 (high skool duh) and im saving for a 650 because my old bulky phone doesnt fit as well as my palm in a pocket. Plus i hate carrying a phone and a palm at the same time. So hello hello mister treo!

You can
-Note homeworks
-Do your homeworks with Docs to Go (office suite)
-Use it as a calculator
-Show pics
-Make presentations (power point, all the linkin' an' there ye go)
-Call people aswell
-Play during class (i do this a figgin' lot with my Z22, try SFCave)

[viper_2_4]

your only 13, starting highschool AND you have a laptop. You don't need a PDA, you can do it all on your laptop, it will just be less convienient. Use Outlook to keep you organized or something and connected.

I didn't get my first PDA till I was in first year university, and even then it was my dads hand me down Palm Pro, it did the job.

Wait till school starts, then re-analyze to see if you could actually benefit from one.