Technology is advancing at an alarming rate. Products go up on shelves, but before that item is purchased it becomes obsolete. The transition from pagers to cell phones is a good example of how fast technology has evolved to improve everyday living. Pagers and cell phones, at one point in time, were fierce competitors because of the similar qualities.
The use of pagers goes back as far as the mid 80's, and it was a useful tool to communicate with someone who wasn't at home or near a phone. If there someone that needs to be paged, it took someone calling his or her pager number and leaving a phone number to refer back to. Pages take a little while before it is received. Once the page is received, the pager will display the phone number of who sent the page, along with the time and date. Unfortunately, there is no direct contact with which you want to speak to because he or she will have to call back. The location of the individual doesn't matter, for pages can be received from anywhere. Pagers can only receive messages; however, the new 2-way pagers are able to send messages, but mainly pager can't send messages. .
Cell phone were introduced around the early 90's and was very convenient because it first was about the size of a masonry brick, bulky. There are very few people who have belts strong enough to hold such an oversized object. Cell phones are used the same as house phones, but require wireless service the make and receive calls; therefore, individuals can make a take out order from their company elevator. .
Professionals and individuals use both pagers and cell phones to communicate also to improve the everyday life. An emergency room physician, who is on call, might use a pager if her or she has a patient that desperately needing medical attention. A stockbroker, on a beach in Hawaii, can make the finishing touches on his or her business transaction in New York; now, this is accomplished by the use of a cell phone.
