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General Categories => Geekapalooza => Topic started by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 12:35:10 PM

Title: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 12:35:10 PM
Copied from an email to my family:

www.magicjack.com

Ok, I need to go work as a salesperson for these people, because I think this thing is amazing.  I just bought one at Radio Shack, and brought it to work and plugged it in and voila, I have a Louisville number.  So if you call me at home from now on, call (number retracted but any of you can have it if you want it or if you're on facebook).  It'll be local if you have a Louisville #, too.

It's a little thing that you plug into your computer and it does VOIP (voice over internet protocol) to give you home phone service.  Unlimited calling, including unlimited long distance, and calling to Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.  You can take it with you anywhere you go, and as long as you have internet, you have your phone.  You can even take it out of the country and call back into the US for free.

It's $40 for the thing and the first year of service, and $20/year after that.

How amazing is that?

I bought mine at radio shack because I didn't want to wait to get it from the internet
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Dry then Catch on April 13, 2009, 01:14:38 PM
Quote from: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 12:35:10 PM
Copied from an email to my family:

www.magicjack.com

Ok, I need to go work as a salesperson for these people, because I think this thing is amazing.  I just bought one at Radio Shack, and brought it to work and plugged it in and voila, I have a Louisville number.  So if you call me at home from now on, call (number retracted but any of you can have it if you want it or if you're on facebook).  It'll be local if you have a Louisville #, too.

It's a little thing that you plug into your computer and it does VOIP (voice over internet protocol) to give you home phone service.  Unlimited calling, including unlimited long distance, and calling to Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.  You can take it with you anywhere you go, and as long as you have internet, you have your phone.  You can even take it out of the country and call back into the US for free.

It's $40 for the thing and the first year of service, and $20/year after that.

How amazing is that?

I bought mine at radio shack because I didn't want to wait to get it from the internet

so it doesn't really replace a cell phone as it does a landline?  I hear are issues  when you are using the internet at the same time. 
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: pumpkineye on April 13, 2009, 01:29:33 PM
my mother has this, and sometimes there is a really annoying echo when talking on it.  She loves it though.
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 01:49:49 PM
It'd be a little awkward carrying around a computer to use this instead of a cell phone.  If you're wanting to go all Zach Morris, though, throw a laptop in a briefcase and away you go!
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 02:31:04 PM
I guess this thing is ad supported, which some people don't like, but I really don't care, unless it totally bogs down my machine.

I will report back.
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 03:39:31 PM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Sentiment/Cons

Sounds a lot like you get what you pay for, which is fine by me, especially since I intentionally went and bought this at a store vs online (they don't have my credit card info).
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Dry then Catch on April 13, 2009, 06:33:16 PM
Quote from: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 03:39:31 PM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Sentiment/Cons

Sounds a lot like you get what you pay for, which is fine by me, especially since I intentionally went and bought this at a store vs online (they don't have my credit card info).


have you seen the infomercial?  you can potentially save thousands a year on your phone bill and take the vacation of your dreams
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 06:54:21 PM
Quote from: This Bears Repeating on April 13, 2009, 06:33:16 PM
Quote from: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 03:39:31 PM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Sentiment/Cons

Sounds a lot like you get what you pay for, which is fine by me, especially since I intentionally went and bought this at a store vs online (they don't have my credit card info).


have you seen the infomercial?  you can potentially save thousands a year on your phone bill and take the vacation of your dreams
Damn it.  I wish I'd been paying for home phone service all this time.  Instead, this is kind of a wash for me.  I'm actually just trying to avoid bumping up my cell plan again.

So far, the thing works and I can't tell that it slows down my connection or anything while I'm on it.  This may not be true if you're trying to download something more than junto and facebook, though.
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: ReBurn on April 14, 2009, 09:52:31 AM
Quote from: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 06:54:21 PM
Quote from: This Bears Repeating on April 13, 2009, 06:33:16 PM
Quote from: Jessie on April 13, 2009, 03:39:31 PM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Sentiment/Cons

Sounds a lot like you get what you pay for, which is fine by me, especially since I intentionally went and bought this at a store vs online (they don't have my credit card info).


have you seen the infomercial?  you can potentially save thousands a year on your phone bill and take the vacation of your dreams
Damn it.  I wish I'd been paying for home phone service all this time.  Instead, this is kind of a wash for me.  I'm actually just trying to avoid bumping up my cell plan again.

So far, the thing works and I can't tell that it slows down my connection or anything while I'm on it.  This may not be true if you're trying to download something more than junto and facebook, though.
Don't forget people.com.
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Jessie on April 14, 2009, 10:02:13 AM
I used the phone last night and it's a little tinny sounding and not perfectly clear, but it works.
Title: Re: I feel like an overzealous religious nutbag over here because of a gadget
Post by: Dry then Catch on April 14, 2009, 11:32:00 AM
Quote from: Jessie on April 14, 2009, 10:02:13 AM
I used the phone last night and it's a little tinny sounding and not perfectly clear, but it works.

much like your (blank)