George Shirley wrote:
> I'm in the process of getting rid of the landline, moving to MagicJack,
> works good for only $19.95 a year versus $60 a month for AT&T.

Before you waste the money on the Magic Jack, I suggest that you check out
the various forums and articles that have sprung up with unsatisfied customers.

Be aware that they "astroturf". That's hiring professional reports to post
messages on local mailing lists, bulletin boards, etc, with homey, friendly,
"look what I found" messages, which are just advertisements.

One journalist as he called himself did that on a local mailing list, and
when I asked him some details told me to look at their website. I asked what
his experience was and he told me the truth, they paid him to write the
article, and he never really used the thing, nor was it used in this country.

If you want to save money, there really are good VoIP companies out there,
which have low volume plans (unlimited incoming calls and 500 minutes a
month to anywhere in the US) for under $15, I can recommend the one I use
if you ask in email.

Be aware that no matter what you buy, it requires a stable Internet connection
with decent throughput. If you buy something like a MagicJack, which plugs
into your computer, it requires that the computer be on all the time you
want to receive or make phone calls, and as it pops a "telephone" on the
screen, you may have trouble using it for other things while you or
someone else is "on the phone".

The company I use has several options. I use both a "box" which lets me
connect telephones in my home, and a "softphone" which runs on my laptop,
so I can make calls if my laptop and I go out as long as I can find an
Internet connection. I can even call my own number and reach my home.

Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM