Pants Full of Unix

List Price: $299.99
Our Price: $99.99 (when purchased with service plan)
You Save: $200.00 (67%)
Special Offers: $200.00
Price After Special Offers: $-100.01

Amazon's price on the Sony Ericsson T61{0,6} phone.

My employer's cell phone policy recently changed for those in IT. It used to be that, if we didn't have a cell phone of your own (or didn't want them to use it), they'd issue us a cell phone on a (Verizon) regular-old-cell (that is, not GSM/GPRS/whatever) plan because they needed to contact us in emergencies (we're a 24/7 business). Any minutes on the bill that were for personal calls were supposed to be tallied at the end of the month (they send me a photocopy of Verizon's bill) and deducted from my paycheck at 25 cents a minute.

The new addition is that, instead of taking that option, I can have them list a personal cell phone, for which they'll reimburse me $40 a month.

I haven't gotten a cell phone for myself because I didn't want to do so until it could reliably replace a landline. Cell phones still mostly suck, especially where I live. (I'm in a bit of a signal well in a Philadelphia suburb. Very few people's cell phones will get reception inside my apartment. Among those that don't is my company-issued Verizon phone. D'oh.)

So, last week, I ordered $39.99/month service from AT&T (my SO's phone with AT&T service is the only one I've seen work reliably in my apartment). I got a T616 phone (which can use a Bluetooth headset and, if I'd paid for GPRS service–which I'm not right now, could be used for data service from a laptop via Bluetooth… I'm not getting that right now since I don't have a laptop that could do that) the first day they were on a full (down to $0 from $200) rebate through AT&T (they still are, if you're interested).

Now, if I'd known that Amazon would give me a cool $100 for this same transaction, I might have been able to ignore the whole software patents thing long enough to actually order from there. Amazon's even includes a Bluetooth headset (my deal doesn't) free, though it's not the one I want. (I want the Sony Ericsson HBH-35.)