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Is Magic Jack a Better Option Than Your Land Line Phone?

You have seen the commercials. The claim is that the Magic Jack can replace your home phone for less than fifty bucks a year. But does it really work, or is it a scam? And what is the catch? Let’s take a closer look.

Magic Jack is a small computer device which uses USB by routing your telephone calls through your personal computer. The concept is nothing new, but so far similar technologies cost a lot more than the often advertised twenty dollars per year.

Pros:

 

This portable USB device allows people to take their telephone line with them, making it very portable and convenient.

You get a free incoming telephone number.

You also receive a voicemail that sends the messages to your email account.

Unlimited calling to Canada and the USA.

Elevator music for the other party when you place them on hold.

Of course, price: only $20.00 to $50.00 per year

Cons:

Not able to port your number, not yet anyway

Your computer must be turned on for the device to work

Some people have said the software is somewhat annoying. When a calls comes in a window pops up. This can be frustrating if someone else is using the PC.

You need a fast computer or the voice quality can be poor. However, even when using a modem, the sound quality is comparable to a mobile phone, although not as clear as a land line.

The caller ID feature is incompatible with many headsets.

You have no way to adjust the voicemail pickups.

There are some service issues such as no busy signals. You simply hear a dial tone if the line is busy.

Our Bottom Line:

There are certainly other options with more features. VOIP companies like Broadvoice and Vonage may be able to offer a more reliable service and additional features. But if price is the deciding factor for you, you have to give Magic jack some serious consideration. You do sacrifice some perks like voicemail flexibility and no busy signals, but you must decide which features are most important to you. It is definitely not a scam. As far as value, the Magic Jack delivers and can not be ignored as a viable option for phone service.