| Author | Thread |
|
|
03/01/2010 01:26:26 PM · #1 |
Has or does anyone use one of these? Seems almost too good to be true...
ETA: THIS THING
Message edited by author 2010-03-01 13:27:29. |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 01:35:04 PM · #2 |
I have been using this for last 4-5 months, my friend has been using it longer without any problems. This is one of those things that even though sounds like too good to be true, is actually great!
Only problem is that you need to have a computer/laptop connected to internet on all the time to be able to use it as regular phone, when you are home.
ETA : When you are not home, you can turn off your system and you get voicemails in your email - so that actually works out better than home phone, or it is so small that you can carry it with you on a trip and still be connected.
Message edited by author 2010-03-01 13:36:51. |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 01:51:57 PM · #3 |
The Technology Reporter for the Wall Street Journal recently did a review of the MagicJack and gave it a good review.
Here is the link (if it isn't behind a password page) |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 01:52:18 PM · #4 |
| I recall reading some reviews of "as seen on TV" products, and this was the only one that they said lived up to it's claims. Conusmer Reports review of Magic Jack |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 03:37:13 PM · #5 |
| Dam, I might have to look closer in to this :) |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 03:42:11 PM · #6 |
| I got two of them. One I use for business. I canceled my $150/month worth of Verizon landlines a year or so ago and never looked back. $69.95 for 5 years of MagicJack. Quality suffers from bandwidth issues on occasion but did I mention I am not paying $150/mo. phone bill?? |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 03:44:09 PM · #7 |
Something funny is going on with their marketing. I have seen MagicJack in the past for $39.95/year on TV and in Radio Shack for the past 2 years.
This morning (03/01/2010) when I was getting ready for work, I noticed an Infomercial on the MagicJack. They said it's regularly $69.95 and now your can get it for only $3.33 a month....which is the price they have been selling it for all along.
I saw a demo of one in person and it seems to work as well as Vonage or any other IP phone. It is as good as your internet connection. I had DSL and Vonage a while ago and it was so bad it felt like I was talking to someone on the moon. I would hear myself echo back to me after 1 or 2 seconds...but it was free to talk. My wife made me cancel.
|
|
|
|
03/01/2010 03:50:24 PM · #8 |
While technically, the magicjack service is fairly effective, the company as a whole appears to be a little on the shady side. This article has plenty of links to the problems the company has had, including billing during free trials, EULA permitting them to monitor your calls, etc.
|
|
|
|
03/01/2010 05:26:34 PM · #9 |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 05:30:27 PM · #10 |
| I think you, and the guy who posted just before you should come up with your own and call it "Manic Jac" |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 05:34:47 PM · #11 |
can you install it directly into the usb on the modem?
|
|
|
|
03/01/2010 06:24:56 PM · #12 |
It installs onto any USB port on your PC (I tried it on a USB hub and had problems).
I see all the hubub about the company, but I had no issues with the free trial and I have been using 2 of them for well over a year and even if they went out of business tomorrow, I will have already saved a couple thousand dollars. ...did I mention I was paying Verizon $150/month??? ;-) |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 06:52:42 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
It installs onto any USB port on your PC (I tried it on a USB hub and had problems).
I see all the hubub about the company, but I had no issues with the free trial and I have been using 2 of them for well over a year and even if they went out of business tomorrow, I will have already saved a couple thousand dollars. ...did I mention I was paying Verizon $150/month??? ;-) |
I think you did mention that!!lol Thank you for the info. I sure as heck hope they don't go out of business any time soon.
|
|
|
|
03/01/2010 08:07:31 PM · #14 |
| my mom in FL has it and it bites barracuda butt imo, cuts out every time i talk to her and when it's working, i hear myself echoed. |
|
|
|
03/01/2010 08:26:08 PM · #15 |
My daughter is studying overseas and I happen to work in an office with a lot of international personnel so I asked around to see what they use. Evidently when the Magic Jack works, it's really great. Of the people I talked to, several have it, but admit that it breaks down or just does not work fairly often. I also heard stories about their customer service that didn't sound too fun to deal with.
I never got one. Instead I use Skype. Yes, we have to be at the PC to use it but it has never not worked when we needed it. It's free to talk PC to PC anywhere, with or without video, handles conference calls. and it's also pretty inexpensive to buy minutes to talk PC to any phone. |
|
|
|
03/02/2010 02:11:42 AM · #16 |
| If anybody else is interested in talking to friends and what not overseas, there is also google voice. As far as I know, you still have to sign up and wait for an invite, but it's been the cheapest rate I can find to call New Zealand cell phones from the states. You can use the service with any US phone, landline or cell. I'm a fan. Rates to elsewhere are very competitive if not the best as well (obviously I didn't check into all of them but they looked reasonable). |
|
|
|
03/02/2010 09:11:49 PM · #17 |
So then what else is there out there? I'm not really interested in the PC to PC or PC to Landline- I'd like to have a phone for the house and not just our cell phones, but trying to cut costs for things has been a real challenge. Our phone through verizon is like an extra $30 a month. So I ask again- what else is out there- reliable, but cheaper than going through a standard phone company like verizon- sprint- at&t or vonage.
|
|
|
|
03/02/2010 09:22:47 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by LaMas:
So then what else is there out there? I'm not really interested in the PC to PC or PC to Landline- I'd like to have a phone for the house and not just our cell phones, but trying to cut costs for things has been a real challenge. Our phone through verizon is like an extra $30 a month. So I ask again- what else is out there- reliable, but cheaper than going through a standard phone company like verizon- sprint- at&t or vonage. |
There should be lots of other VOIP options out there, depending upon where you live. There are here in Colorado, anyway. An acquaintance of mine has two separate VOIP lines; one that is incoming only and one that is outgoing. Apparently that setup was the cheapest available for him.
Unfortunately, I can't give you provider names, but I would say that a generic search for VOIP providers might prove useful. Also look into some of the internet providers, who may offer VOIP in addition to their normal service for a nominal fee. |
|
|
|
03/02/2010 09:56:27 PM · #19 |
A Useful Review
I have magic jack, and find it to work very well. I don't use it as an on-all-the-time phone, so the need to have a computer powered up and online is no issue. I use it for very specific sorts of calls (like calling into lengthy telecon meetings from home, when I would not want to burn my cell minutes). But one could buy a dirt-cheap pc that is solely dedicated for it, and still come out ahead over paying for a landline.
The vmail feature is pretty sweet: whenever a vmail is left, an audio file of the message is emailed to you, in addition to being able to call in to check vmail from anywhere, without needing the pc/magicjack on and active.
Sound quality has been good for me, and the price is right. For my purposes, it really suits me. I don't have and don't want and don't need a primary landline, and use my cell as my "only" phone. I use mine on an intel mac, and it works great. |
|
|
|
03/02/2010 10:59:16 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by TonyT:
...I had DSL and Vonage a while ago and it was so bad it felt like I was talking to someone on the moon. I would hear myself echo back to me after 1 or 2 seconds...but it was free to talk. My wife made me cancel. |
Weird, I had vonage for quite a few years and even used it while stationed in Okinawa and very rarely had an issue with it. The few times I had an echo it was usually fixed by hanging up and calling back. I liked that I didn't have to have my computer on...or even have a computer, since it hooks straight thru modem (I had mine actually going thru a router)...and could make and receive calls any time, really made my wife and daughter happy.
My mother-in-law wanted me to switch to magic jack but I already had all the equipment and only a little time till I was home for good and wouldn't need it, and since I was on the cheapest plan it wasn't that big of a savings.
|
|
|
|
03/03/2010 03:45:09 AM · #21 |
Originally posted by LaMas:
So then what else is there out there? I'm not really interested in the PC to PC or PC to Landline- I'd like to have a phone for the house and not just our cell phones, but trying to cut costs for things has been a real challenge. Our phone through verizon is like an extra $30 a month. So I ask again- what else is out there- reliable, but cheaper than going through a standard phone company like verizon- sprint- at&t or vonage. |
MagicJack is like a $20 initial investment (for a year I think). You have cell phones, so get the MJ and try it for awhile - you have little or nothing really to lose and you can ditch that expensive landline. Like I said, I have already saved a couple thousand bucks with MJ.
Here's one thing I should have mentioned though - for business, I have a googlevoice number - that routes to both my cell and the office MJ line at the same time. I can answer either one or let it go to Googlevoice mail (which not only stores the audio, it transcribes it and emails it to my Outlook and texts it to my cell. The translations are a little off (and often funny), but good enough to get the message.
I just noticed I have a few GV invites, so I'll reserve one for you, LaMas, if you want it (PM me your email address). The other two I'll post in another thread in the next day or so. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Prints! -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/25/2024 08:59:17 AM EDT.
