I was looking for an alternative Vonage because vonage is full of shizznit. So I decided to give the magicJack a try as a Vonage alternative.
MagicJack "...a computer peripheral that provides internet-based telephone service (VoIP) to the United States and Canada..."
F E A T U R E S ..&.. S P E C I F I C A T I O N S: (2009)
- Cost: $39.99 to start (Includes 1st year of service). $19.99/year after 1st year.
- Stores: Office Depot, Best Buy, magicJack.com, and more.
- Compatibility: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Intel Mac.
- Services Included: Local & Long Distance, Phone #, Caller ID, Voice Mail, Call Waiting.
- Recognition: PC Magazine, LA Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, New York TImes.
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Yeah Yeah, Whatever... Does the thing work? ....YES.
I purchased the magicJack from Office Depot for $40. Took it home; I opened it; plugged it into my computer's USB port and it automatically installed the magicJack software...
After the software installed I was required to register my particular magicjack... the registration process is full of attempts to "upgrade" services; I declined them all.
At the end of the registration, magicjack issued a phone number... gave me the option to choose an area code. If you live in a "major" city you will more than likely be able to use the area code of your city... no idea about area codes for small back water towns but the product does allow you to choose ANY area code from a list of available "Major City" area codes.
Registration ends with a confirmation email being sent to the email address that you provide. Once I confirmed the email message my magicJack was supposed to be "Ready to Call"...
BUT I did run in to a problem with my "Ready to call" status... Initially I could not make or receive calls... error turned out to be my fault: My computer's date was wrong, showing 2007 even though it was 2009 ...so the magicJack Network was remotely blocking the software from functioning properly. The magicJack service has a yearly "subscription" fee ($19.99 - was included in the $40 purchase from Office Depot) ...In layman's terms the magicJack software on my computer was telling the magicJack Network that my service/registration was either expired or had not started ...based on my computer system date. Once the date on my computer system was corrected, the error was corrected.
BUT I ran in to another problem: I have Norton anti-virus and the the magicJack does require that the software installed on your computer be allowed to connect to a magicJack network... allowing software on your computer to connect with external servers & networks can be harmful if the server / network has malicious intentions ...so of course Norton initially blocked the magicJack software installed on my computer from connecting to the magicJack Network... Norton popped up a window that basically said "The following program has tried to remotely connect to another network, the attempt was blocked, do you want to allow the connection? The Risk is low. It is Recommended that you allow the connection" I allowed the connection.
Once I corrected the wrong date and allowed the magicJack software to connect with magicJack network I was able to make and receive calls... "Ready to Call".
The damned thing works ...just like vonage except without the monthly vonage bills. I have placed & received long distance & local calls to both cell phones and home phones.
As you may know, Craigslist requires phone verification before making some postings. The Craigslist phone verification system would NOT accept/verify my old VONAGE phone number... BUT I tested the magicJack for Craigslist Phone Verification; It worked. For now, Craigslist WILL ALLOW a phone verification from a magicJack phone. Same for Google Phone Verification, I tested both the Craigslist and Google phone verication systems using a magicJack phone on 8/20/2009 and both allowed phone verification from a phone operating off of the magicJack Network. So, YES... magicJack is accepted by the Craigslist phone verification system ...and Google for now. Please don't use your magicJack phone to scam, pimp, and prostitute on craigslist - you'll only fcuk it up for the rest of us who don't scam, pimp, and prostitute on craigslist. Last time I checked (2008), the Vonage network was blocked from a few phone verification systems.
I got an incoming call from a cell phone to my magicJack number... the conversation with the person who was using a cell phone lasted just over an hour ...her cell phone's battery eventually died; my magicJack cordless phone outlasted her cell phone.
*** My Rating for the magicJack: 4/5 ...damned thing works ***
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What's Bad with magicJack:
- No option to uninstall software.
- Computer MUST be on to make or answer phone calls... the magicJack pulls power from your computer via usb therefore if your computer is off - the magicJack shuts down, forwarding all incoming calls to voicemail. With Vonage, your computer does NOT have to be on to make or receive calls. If you receive a call to your magicJack number when your computer is off magicJack will send the call directly to voice mail ...OR... you may configure the calls coming in to the magicJack number to be forwarded to another phone whenever the computer is off.
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Gotta a Girlfriend? Check her call log for "Sweet Daddy".
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