On: There’s a 30-year old dead Rabbit in Seven Sisters...

[devilbunny]

DECT still has its uses. I've encouraged more than a few people to buy multi-handset base units that have Bluetooth built in for elderly parents (mine is Panasonic; they call it Link2Cell). Leave cell phone in kitchen (or wherever base is) to charge, carry a DECT handset on you at all times. If you fall and break a hip, you're never without a phone. It can make and receive calls from two different cellphones.

[stavros → devilbunny]

Hm, I don't understand, why not just carry the cell phone directly?

[devilbunny → stavros]

Eventually, you will have to charge it.

[stavros → devilbunny]

Do elderly people find that hard? My parents haven't had any trouble with it.

[devilbunny → stavros]

The point is that if you are frail, you should always have a phone on you no matter how short the distance is.

[stavros → devilbunny]

But you also need to charge the DECT phone.

[HocusLocus → stavros]

Obvious: Go ahead, state me!

[stavros → HocusLocus]

How about I stare something equally obvious: If you have to charge the DECT phone, then it has no advantage over the mobile, which brings me to my original question, why not just give them a mobile?

Is that line of reasoning obvious enough to follow, or do I need to explain further?

[devilbunny → stavros]

Because you only need to carry the DECT phone while the mobile is charging. And they're usually good for a week or more on one charge.

The point is: how do you ensure that you always have a phone on you?

[stavros → devilbunny]

Ah, I see, I thought the mobile would need to persistently be next to the DECT base. What's basically a long-range Bluetooth headset makes sense, thanks.

[devilbunny → stavros]

Needs to be next to the DECT base only if you want to use the cordless handset on the mobile line. So yes, go about your day with mobile, then when you charge at night, leave it next to the base and carry the DECT around the house.

It is precisely a long-distance Bluetooth headset in phone form factor. The multi-handset, single-base units are very good.