Are Landlines for the Old Fashioned?

(note: this post was written last week, but I added a couple of details this afternoon (9/22) and it changed the date of the post)

It looks as though many young people are relying on only a cell phone. According the the NYT article, 12% of Internet users don't have a landline phone.

This genuinely surprises me. Yes, landlines can be somewhat of a hassle, but they are generally inexpensive and, at least I think, can be much more reliable than cell phones.

I think that it's good to have two phone numbers...a cell phone is convenient for friends and family, maybe important people at work that you are in contact with very regularly too. But I don't want a call in the middle of the day to confirm a dentist appointment, give me updates on the lastest promotions at Neiman Marcus, and from a distant cousin calling to catch up. Those are things that I'd rather have waiting for me on an answering machine at home. I'll call back (if it's even necessary) when I've got the time. I have a lot going on during the day and don't want to be bombarded with every single issue possible during the hours I'm working.

Another thing that I don't understand is the reliability. Cell phone service, regardless of provider, goes in and out at times depending on things such as location and battery life. I don't want my world to come to an end because I forgot to charge my cell phone one night...there needs to be another way for people to get in contact with me if necessary. And if i lose my phone? I have no way to contact anyone.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/business/21count.html?ref=technology