Yes, it works through a computer, which must be on to make and receive calls. If a call comes in and the computer is off, it will go into voicemail, or calls can be forwarded to another non magic jack phone
I think another selling feature for Magic Jack would be to add a rock solid answering machine. With my trial, I found that some calls were rock solid and others were crap. If Magic Jack had a reliable answering machine, I think I could over look the bad calls for 20 bucks a year, but there were incoming calls that were missed, and if I had not been using my friends as testers, I would have never known about the calls.
If MJ had a good answering machine, you could turn your laptop off and know that you can return the calls later. (They do have voice mail, but it never worked for me)
Exactly. But all telephone systems are a compromise; even those that have duplicated facilities and/or backup and do do not depend on local electricity to operate. We have one basic land line phone in this house that is in a good category. It hardly ever in some 50+ years (45 of them with the same telephone number) has ever failed.
But as traditional system with 24 hour battery back up at the Central office, further backed up by a generator its basic cost is about $200 per year. And within the house if the power fails our cordless phone and others with 'calling number display/hands free' features etc. fail! And we depend on the 'land line' for essential communications.
So the electrical supply either has to be very reliable, as it is here, and/or there is need to have a back-up power supply such as a $250 UPS that will last for maybe an hour or two. Or a generator ($1000+ or so?).
Magic Jack clearly does not comply. It is completely dependent on your how good is your internet connection and that your PC is 'on' and properly booted etc.
Also there are also places in this world where the inter-net is not reliable or erratic and in some places is monitored by government agencies to filter out or record the number and destination/source of calls. So while your email message may get through in a few minutes, there is no guarantee that you could 'talk' second by second over that same connection.
We have tried VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone systems. And found that voice quality and reliability is highly variable even when 'extra' software to offset problems was found and imported.
In other words it depends on the inter-net. Maybe late at night (depending on your time zone) when the inter-net loading may be light, VOIP works perfectly.Trying the same connection the following morning; it may be an hour before a reliable connection can be established or used. By which time the market has changed and that stock buying/ selling opportunity has been missed?
We have, especially in North America become so used, following WWII, to universal, highly reliable and good quality land telephone and cell (mobile) phone connections and the interconnection of all those 'voice' systems. So should we expect anything new to be of equal quality and reliability?
Not necessarily so! IMHO Magic Jack does not meet criteria; it is more of a 'gimmick' or 'add on' device, something that you can plug in to an existing PC as 'an interesting extra'.
But for twenty bucks what do you expect?
It's rather like booking into 'The Ritz Hotel' which advertises "Good service" and "Clean Rooms" etc. and finding that despite the name it is a low cost hostel on a back street with a common toilet/bathroom down the hall on each floor!
An opinion anyway. Try it but don't depend on it.
Probably what they advertise, but if the quantity of advertising is any indication apparently a lot of people think you can take a pill to make your c*ck bigger, and buying tax sale property is an easy way to get rich.
Probably what they advertise, but if the quantity of advertising is any indication apparently a lot of people think you can take a pill to make your c*ck bigger, and buying tax sale property is an easy way to get rich.
"One *every* minute"... -----
- gpsman
So true gpsman..It's hard to believe enough folks buy into the crap they advertise on cable to even pay for the advertising let alone make money , but like you said , one is born every minute...LOL...
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