Anyone try MAgicjack?
 

http://www.magicjack.com/9/index.asp

It's a phone line that works thru the usb port on your cpu for very little money. They send you a USB adapter, you plug your telephone line in and voila, dial tone and new number.

Inlimited calling, caller ID, etc.... for less than 20bucks per year if you get the 59.99 package.

They say customers will eventually be allowed to keep their existing numbers.

I ordered one for the heck of it and will report back after I use it.

.02

I've had one for a couple months and have played with it a bit. Works well and you can't beat it for the money. Keep in mind that your computer has to be always on in order for it to function. Overall, pretty neat little toy.

I got one and liked it. It worked just as advertised.

I did send it back due to being unable to get a local number for it. The closet exchange they could provide me would have necessitated my family and friends down the street having to dial long distance to call me.

I already make my long distance calls on my cell phone at no additional charge, and without being able to get a local number for the Magic Jack, it really didn't provide a benefit for me.

If in the future they can provide me with a local exchange I'll try it again.

I just hooked it up yesterday for the first time and it's pretty cool.

Everyone I have spoken to say's it sound's like a normal phone.

You can't beat the cost.

My wife started working from home twice a week and the outgoing calls are on her dime, so this thing works out well.

Cool!

I had one for a few days and sent it back. Sometimes the calls were as clear as a wireline and other times you could hardly understand the person on the other end. Interesting enough, the caller on the other end said it was perfectly clear while what I was hearing was very unclear. I really think it comes down to your broadband connection. For some it works very well while others I have heard experiences similar to mine.

Like was noted before, you need to keep your computer on continuously if you want to receive calls.

I think I'd rather stick with vonage for $15 a month....it works perfectly....even with faxing. My dad's business went from 2 land lines at like $90+ a month to two-line vonage for $26ish a month. That's big savings per year!

And he got to keep his numbers.

I'm on the MagicJack now! I really like it. I was paying 100 a month for my cell phone then decided to ditch that and get DSL and a MagicJack. paying 40 a month for the Internet, but splitting that with my roommate. so its more like 20 a month for the internet, and the Magic Jack is paid up. I'm saving an extra $80 a month. its pretty fantastic.

Thanks to iwrock I have a junky old Compaq running in my closet, so the phone is on all the time, and I never worry about it going out when i turn off my computer. that coupled via the MagicJack to one of those 3 phone cordless phone setups I have phone through out my house.

Here is my phone closet!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/...e028fc.jpg?v=0

has anyone taken one outside the US? It would be nice for a travel land line and at customer sites.

I use mine exclusively for travel. Works well as long as you have a good net connection. I'll be taking it to Germany in a couple of weeks.

My Dads friend called me just after I got the MagicJack up, and he said he was using his at his vacation house in Mexico to call the US. said he loved it, but wanted to know what I did to get it on all the time. Told him to get a junky computer. He then invited me to join him in Mexico and setup the junky computer. LOL

I may be going fishing in November!

Thanks MagicJack.

Junky old laptops use less power and have a screen built into them in case you need to do on-location settings changes. :D I have an ancient laptop monitoring a remote UPS for me that powers our networking equipment and it only uses about 13 watts. Vs. like 50+ for an old PC. Way way smaller too.

I was thinking of that. but the only laptop i have has no hard drive, but i'm going to keep my eyes open for something like that.

ether way, its cheaper then my cellphone :dancefool

If it will boot from a memory stick, install winxp portable and use it. You can find a copy of that on your favorite torrent site.