Ok so now California has the new law where you cannot talk on a cell phone without it being hands free. I have been using my speaker on my phone. My dealer sent me an email to install the hands free option where the calls come in via the car speakers and the stereo mutes when you make or receive calls/ My first 400E had this upgrade and at the time it was like $1200 which also included the MB phone. It was kind of cool and advanced for its time. It isn't cheap and with the special it is $393 so $100 off the normal price. I went to the telematics board and couldn't find my answer over there so I am hoping maybe someone here knows. Will this work with all phones? I have a Palm Treo 755 that I used for work and phone. I also have a company phone for clients I don't want to have my personal (Treo) number so I would want to use my Treo as it is my main phone for friends, family and special clients that call when they can't get me on the work cell. Not sure if I want to spend the money and might just get a Bluetooth as they are smaller now and more advanced then the old Motorola I had for my outdated Razor. Feed back?
Ok so now California has the new law where you cannot talk on a cell phone without it being hands free. I have been using my speaker on my phone. My dealer sent me an email to install the hands free option where the calls come in via the car speakers and the stereo mutes when you make or receive calls/ My first 400E had this upgrade and at the time it was like $1200 which also included the MB phone. It was kind of cool and advanced for its time. It isn't cheap and with the special it is $393 so $100 off the normal price. I went to the telematics board and couldn't find my answer over there so I am hoping maybe someone here knows. Will this work with all phones? I have a Palm Treo 755 that I used for work and phone. I also have a company phone for clients I don't want to have my personal (Treo) number so I would want to use my Treo as it is my main phone for friends, family and special clients that call when they can't get me on the work cell. Not sure if I want to spend the money and might just get a Bluetooth as they are smaller now and more advanced then the old Motorola I had for my outdated Razor. Feed back?
Hey, Debbi.
I would be surprised if it will work for any phone, but a quick call to the stealer will answer that question directly and properly. If not and considering how often phones die and models are replaced that makes it even more expensive. And as I recall you're thinking of getting a different car, so you'd lose that money, it certainly will do nothing for the trade-in value.
At some level it is a question of convenience and priorities. I like the convenience of a good bluetooth headset on many counts. Dial by name makes it quite easy and call clarity is excellent. Plus I can start a conversation before I get to the car (or end one after I get out) without a lot of fumbling around, rustling noises for my other party and the chance of disconnecting them in the process. And they don't hear as much background noise, either.
Final thought: I can think of lot of things I could do with $400 that would be more useful than something with that narrow a focus and without a concomitant benefit.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
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I second the blutooth especially Jawbone. The noise cancelling feature really works they're smaller than they used to be. And you're not stuck to the car to use it.
I know this doesn't pertain to all people, and my instants may be a rare case and opinion. With all the work I do in the Entertainment Industry (which I use a Blackberry 8800) and in the Legal Technology Field (which I use a Sprint flip phone) I have concluded that if I am in my car I am in a place of piece of mind. To me it is sorta like being at home for a short time. I used to talk and drive and read emails when they are received but about a year ago I decided to stop. I have found my self less stressed out and a lot better driver. Now no matter what I don't answer my phone in my car. I have concluded on any given trip I will spend 15 to 30 minutes driving. Its just me. Its like I work with computers all day, my laptop is used about once or twice a month. I refuse to pull it out at home unless I totally have to. Its just me, but I have found myself to be 100% more relaxed with these habits vs using the phone when I am driving.
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I lean more towards your way of thinking and most of the studies have shown that the handsfree option doesn't really reduce the chances of an accident while yakking away on the phone. (Since the law went into effect I've seen two near misses on the freeway from people who I'm guessing pulled over to talk and then spaced out how to pull back into traffic...since I rarely see cars stopped in the emergency lane with occupants that's why I guessed that.) The simple fact of the matter is that there are drivers who can multi-task with a greater degree of safety than some drivers who can't seem to even drive, period. But the stress factor should also be considered: even if you're good at multi-tasking, it does raise the stress level. Like you, I pretty much stay off the phone while driving.
In any event there are people for whom this convenience approaches necessity, probably to a good extent in Debbi's field. (When I practiced law it was a great way to rack up billable hours while driving...and my clients didn't have to wait two hours for me to return a call.) Given that, the question then becomes how to do it with the greatest degree of safety and convenience. I don't think by those two standards there is much difference between a quality BT headset and a dedicated connection in the car, so at that point cost becomes a potentially decisive factor.
One other thing in favor of a BT headset is you can pair it with more than one phone (albeit not at the same time, obviously) and absent a seamless BT interface in a car, you can't do that in the car and most likely not with the option Debbi's dealer is offering.
I am not selling anything, so my cellphone is for MINE emergencies not my customers or friends. Meaning my cellphone is off unless I expects some important call and only the closest family have its number.
If you are in sales and need to talk hours daily, you better spend that few hundreds bucks on integrated phone, or you''ll hear my honk.
I know this doesn't pertain to all people, and my instants may be a rare case and opinion. With all the work I do in the Entertainment Industry (which I use a Blackberry 8800) and in the Legal Technology Field (which I use a Sprint flip phone) I have concluded that if I am in my car I am in a place of piece of mind. To me it is sorta like being at home for a short time. I used to talk and drive and read emails when they are received but about a year ago I decided to stop. I have found my self less stressed out and a lot better driver. Now no matter what I don't answer my phone in my car. I have concluded on any given trip I will spend 15 to 30 minutes driving. Its just me. Its like I work with computers all day, my laptop is used about once or twice a month. I refuse to pull it out at home unless I totally have to. Its just me, but I have found myself to be 100% more relaxed with these habits vs using the phone when I am driving.
Thanks for seeing my view. My views were prompted from health concerns on stress related issues that could arise. Driving in its self is a stress ordeal. I realized that talking on the phone no matter what it was about increased a certain kind of anxiety related to driving. Once I relized that, I just stopped. My reasoning for not using my cell phone weather it be hands free, speaker or other wise is, no matter what that call your getting at the moment while driving you can always call them back. If its that important, wait till the call hits voice mail, press 1 button listen and determine if you must pull off the next exit to return the call and get back on the highway.
If your work needs you phone accessible at all times, then they need to provide you with the necessary instruments to make it a safe situation and less stress intensive. One of the most stressful fields is the Legal/Law field where time is of the most importance but even then one has to choose between a break while in their car for that 5 to 15 minute drive or being broken down over a stressful conversation while driving.
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