While not as convenient as owning an actual android phone, Your tracfone can be linked to your google voice, in a more seamless way than you think.

Tracfone contacts can be rigged so that you call through your google voice, (assuming you want the others to see your google vice number instead of tracfone number)

Also, you can also set it so that SMS can be sent using your tracfone using google voice. but this requires you first know the google voice equivalent number for your contact. This can be  easily configured by setting it so that google voice number is displayed for incoming sms). This number is not your google voice  number but the alternate number that google assignees to your caller, specifically for this purpose. (imho, google engineers have thought of everything... Smart bastards). once this is set, their alternate google voice/sms number can be obtained after you have Texted the person from your gmail or google voice. Once they respond,  It is seamless. Their actual number might be 555-1234 but to your tracfone it will show up as some different number, say 222-6666. You can save this in your contact and text to it. The other guy will see your google voice number.

Optionally, you can save tons of minutes by only using the tracfone as a proxy, when not near a laptop or smartphone.

If you have a laptop/smartphone, just log on to your gmail ... you can see missed calls, make calls via google voice (free) send receive text  (free), and send text for free too. All from the browser.

Just what deed will you be doing that might attract enough attention of a governmental agency and motivate them to spend the time and resources needed to trace you on that number?

Let's get real about this, can we?

My main phone number is easily found via google search, showing where I work, the people i've killed , etc lol

kidding, but u get the point

Can you not figure out the difference? Does it have to be spelled out?

To the best of my knowledge, Spitzer was caught by having given a credit card #, not his cell.  If I am wrong about this, maybe someone could let me know.

Tracphone - guys more than girls in my experience.

Advantages:
Impossible to trace you
Cheap

Disadvantages:
Buying airtime
Carry two phones
Shitty phones unless you want to spend more money.

Option 2, Google Voice - girls tend to like Google Voice in my experience.

Advantages:
Cool interface
Free
Use through your real phone

Disadvantages:
You have to register your real phone with Google to get it to work.  Potentially, your Google number can get traced back to your real phone ... and you.  Seems like if pressed, Google would rat you out.

Is there something I'm missing?  I'm interested in people's opinions on which route to go.

I use Tracphone and it hasnt failed me yet. I usually get a good signal and theyre cheap so re-upping for minutes isnt that bad. I only ever use it for hobbying so my minute usage is limited. Unless you are married or in a LTR having 2 phones is no big deal. I usually turn mine off when I dont use it and leave it in my glove compartment. I keep the charger in my car, too. Never tried the Google option but if you have to connect it to your regular phone that could prove to be more trouble than its worth. If you have a bad experience or want to change your number, you just throw your Tracphone away and get a new one. Problem solved.

I use GV because I found remembering minutes' expiration dates and having to buy minutes every other month or so to be too cumbersome.  Also in order for it to remain "anonymous" you have to pay for the phone and all the minutes with cash at a drugstore or Target.  You also have to activate your phone from a public computer at a place like a library.  Lots of steps/shopping trips for something that you may use a total of 2 hours per year.  Disposable cells are not impossible to trace.  Nothing stays private once LE gets involved (ever hear of a subpoena?).  So that advantage is inconsequential when you really need it.

I don't use SMS as I have push email installed on my mobile phone.  Most of the providers I deal with have smartphones as well.  So I don't miss the feature much.

If you have a problem with GV just unlink your mobile phone from GV and then close the entire Google account.  Then just open a new Google account and get a new GV number.  It's the same as throwing a disposable away and getting a new one or having Tracfone switch your mobile number.

Food for thought: if you ever use your real name/work info for hobbying, it doesn't really matter which option you use since your hobby phone number is then linked to your real information.

The verdict is use GV if you like convenience and saving money.  Use Tracfone if you want a minor added measure of security that won't come through for you if you find yourself in a serious situation while at the same time spending some more money and having to remember to keep your minutes up to date.

Elliot Spitzer thought.

I use a pay as you go. I purchased my current phone through tmobile. I have had a pay as you go through Cricket and Boost in the past.
Basically I went to tmobile picked out my pay as you go phone and went to the cashier I gave them a fake name and address. They dont even check your drivers license nor your social- because its a ZERO contract phone. Then will the bill is due I either go into the store or I go to a circle K. Circle K has a bill pay center- its a Kiosk where you can pay your  bills with cash. I pay cash every month.
My bill for unlimted txt and talk is $50 a month.

Benefits:
1.Untraceable
2. Not registered in your name.
3. Cheap-unlimited monthly plans.
4. good service
5. Pay in cash every month.

Hope this helps

In my day we gave a hooker a tin can and a piece of string and it worked just fine.

Vice could never trace you unless they found the string and cut it.  

That was OK because it was no-strings-attached sex anyways.

No I guess not, your too busy being a wise ass know it all as usual.

Don't know why we're reinventing the wheel here.

But one clarification re the Virgin Mobile phone.  It alerts me when minutes are getting low.  I can buy more on line or at Radio Shack, which is everywhere.  I"m sure you're right re LE's ability to trace you if you use your own computer to purchase minutes, but how realistic is that fear?  I mean, we're not talking about them  going after a terrorist cell or something.  They will pick the low-hangnig fruit and leave the rest, is my guess.

Didn't even have to give a fake name.  Told Radio Shack it was a cheapie for my daughter to use for emegencies only because she'd lost so many good phones, and I didn't want her (or my) info attached to it if she lost it again.

are manageable if you make sure to buy your "top-up" minutes at the store, and that the other concerns were not ones to get overly stressed about.  I think we agree.

I wish there was an option to moderate subjects as much as people. Fuck.

well i use it as its like a answering machine for me . i can have it on forward to any of the 2 cells i use..
your choice use it or not..

Indiana Provider

I have a client that only uses email to get a hold of me.like most phones now days you can email and recieve emails just like text messages and is a lot safer than carrying around 2 phones if your trying to be discrete!

He was sending wire payments to the agency who were using an offshore bank.  Homeland Security was monitoring transactions and found him.  They set up on the agency thinking it was a national security issue, realized it was an escort agency - not in their jurisdiction - and turned it over to the local cops.  Locals ultimately busted him.

The point is that you never know when you're going to run afoul of an acronym gov't agency.

j/k

hh

ASSCLOWN ALERT!

but you already know that don't you ? ;}

There does seem to be some discussion here I believe. So if you do not like talking about phones STFU and drink your bottle empty and wait for the next fucking thread. Geesh