[Hidden-tech] magicjack phone thingy

[B. Kimo Lee]

Hi HT,

I kind of like this MagicJack thingy, but then, I liked SunRocket,  
too, before they went out of business... :-(  At least with  
SunRocket, you didn't need your computer, just their little "gizmo"  
box, which you could take anywhere with you and plug into a cable or  
dsl modem.

I've been using Skype Pro with a SkypeIn phone number and SkypeOut  
unlimited to numbers in the US and Canada, and I like it fine. Sound  
quality varies, but mostly it's seems fine -- I'm still testing.  
Video has it's pluses and minuses, i.e., poor lighting yields a poor  
image, but you can turn off the video. Haven't given up my business  
land line just yet, though. But I'm tempted. If it works well 90% of  
the time, and saves me $, I can be pretty happy. So far, so good.

If I have to bring my MacBook AND my telephone with me to use the  
MagicJack, why not just use Skype? Total comes out to about $90/year.

Best,
Kimo


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On Jan 7, 2008, at 11:15 AM, Charles Wilber wrote:

>    ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
>    ** You too can help the group
>    ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
> Hi, Tom. I have not had any direct experience with this device but  
> I would caution anyone who is considering using it as a primary  
> telephone line to read the fine print very carefully. The device  
> appears to be yet another implementation of "Voice over Internet  
> Protocol" (VoIP) and, if so, will be subject to the same technical  
> and business model problems others such as Vonage have encountered.  
> Vonage, as you might already know, has been losing money since the  
> company first announced itself to the public and has been embroiled  
> in patent infringement litigation that could well drive it into  
> bankruptcy.
>
> As a veteran of almost 20 years in telecommunications I have become  
> extremely skeptical of anything that appears to be another "free  
> lunch." Invariably, there are hidden costs either immediately or  
> somewhere down the line. These costs might be in the form of hidden  
> or additional fees. They might also be in the form of  
> unsatisfactory performance or reliability.
>
> The advertising web site throws up some red flags. It claims that  
> the voice quality is excellent "because you are talking on your  
> phone, not on your computer." However, your phone is plugged  
> directly into a USB device which is then plugged directly into your  
> computer. That seems misleading to me.
>
> Be careful before signing any long-term agreements or releasing any  
> credit card information!
>
> Charlie Wilber
> Manresa Information Systems
> Email: telemerge at gmail.com
>
> On Jan 5, 2008 1:44 PM, Tom / Reelife Productions  
> <tomadams at gmail.com> wrote:
>   ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
>   ** You too can help the group
>   ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
>
> hello,
> does anyone have experience with the little gizmo magicjack.com?  
> Seems too good to be true.  I also see that they have a mac version  
> in beta...wondering if anyone on a mac can share their experience  
> using it... if it does what is says it does, it seems like a no  
> brainer for $20/yr.
>
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Tom Adams
> Director/Owner
> Reelife Documentary Productions
> "cool digital audio/video stuff...not boring or dumb"
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 413.575.9707
> Williamsburg, MA, USA
> www.reelifeproductions.com
> www.youtube.com/reelife
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> producer, drummer, writer, photographer links:
> http://web.mac.com/reelifeproductions/iWeb/TomAdams_Portal
>
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