My Mobile History

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a mobile phone. I'm not a heavy user and never have been. I've sent probably two or three texts and hardly ever receive any calls. I remember very well how in the early 1990's, the mobile phone began to emerge as a must-have executive toy, much like the laptop did. I recall my manager at work getting one and seeing it forever in his hand and placed in front of him at team meetings. It was a status symbol, much like a badge of rank. Marketing people did a similar thing with laptops. They simply had to have one and it would be carried everywhere - to lunch, to meetings and to exhibitions. But seldom were they ever used - or even charged come to that - I know that from experience.
Back then of course, phones were relatively bulky but soon began to get smaller and being in one of the UK's largest companies at the time, we were amongst the first recipients, our mobile contract anxious to sell us the latest models. I remember quite well my first mobile phone. Back then there were only two networks and coverage was by no means anywhere near 100%. It wasn't even 50%. If you got a signal, you were lucky. I joined a network that wasn't truly digital. It was called CellNet and run at the time by BT. I had an analogue mobile phone. I recall it well, a Bosch with a flip open microphone and antenna you pulled out. It was smart and spoke 'Star Trek' every time I used it. How sad I was then to have left it on top of my car and driven off only for it to fall onto the road behind me and under the wheels of a truck. It was a short union sadly, and I miss my first phone deeply. Nothing since has managed to come close to its appeal.
Nowadays of course, mobile phones are akin to mini computers. The phone element of the device has been pushed to oneside making room for HD video, games and 10 mega pixel photography. How amazing it is that in just a few years, these devices have been transformed. Yet despite my fascination with these devices, I am not under their influence unlike much of the population it seems. I can happily be apart from my phone and though it goes with me when I leave the house, I would only ever think of using it in an emergency. I must frustrate my mobile network provider enormously. I have the same number I had way back then, insisting I keep it for use on my pay as you go tariff. It's one of the original numbers and I'm more attached to it than the phone. Yet it's seldom ever used. The love affair with the mobile phone never really took off, and probably never will. I'd much prefer a pager. I used to have one at work years ago and still have a couple knocking round the house. I preferred them as you could respond as soon as it was convenient rather than feeling compelled to answer there and then. It didn't cause you to swerve across the road as you fumbled to answer it. You could simply read the message on the display when you reached your destination or pulled over. But those days are gone, sadly.