Dargo
Like a bad penny...
As most who know me are aware, I pretty well call things as I see them. If something is bad, I'll express my view about it being bad. I know some people who are so brand loyal that they refuse to complain about something because they fear what someone thinks of them for owning that brand. (What comes to mind first is several people I know who own off brand tractors they bought cheap and now are having rather severe problems with them. They seem reluctant to mention the problems for fear of others saying "I told you so" or something like that) I also feel that I express my views on something if it has served me well, regardless of anyone else's perception. (What comes to mind here is certain Taurus firearms. I've had extremely good experiences with Taurus and am not in the least to tell others how much I like an "off brand" firearm)
Clearly, from the thread title, the following comments are about Magic Jack telephone service. For those who may have never heard of Magic Jack, they are little 'dongles' that either plug into a USB port or, in the case of Magic Jack Plus, into your internet router and provide you with local and long distance (US, Canada and the US Virgin Islands) calls for an extremely low price. I've used Magic Jack for over 5 years now; the last year being with the Plus dongles that are just plugged into my router.
Although I've seen several comments speaking very negatively about the product and their service on the internet, I have nothing bad to say about them. The only two things I feel are different and should be mentioned in their advertising is that you must always dial the area code with the number (which is the way I've programmed numbers into my cell phone for years now) and their caller ID only shows the telephone number of who is calling you as opposed to showing the number and name of who is calling. Other than that, I cannot tell any difference from using Magic Jack versus using a landline. All calls are perfectly clear and, in five years of using them, I've never had a single call dropped. Further, it was no problem at all to have my phone numbers ported to Magic Jack. To be honest, I haven't even thought about having Magic Jack for my home phone number in almost a year and am only now writing this 'review' because I had a friend ask me about Magic Jack.
When I moved to Magic Jack from my land line, the setup and transfer of phone numbers was simple. All I did was plug in the Magic Jack to my computer, used my computer (only needed for initial setup - Windows and Mac computers work) to request having my existing phone numbers ported to each device (you need a Magic Jack for each line), put them back in the box and waited about a week until I received an email confirming that the numbers were ported. I then plugged them in at router and connected my phone line going to 'the outside world' into the Magic Jack and forgot about them.
To give you a cost comparison, the land line to my house and my "kid's phone" land line had been costing me almost $30 a month for each line and I had no long distance available to either line. I forgot what the initial cost for the Magic Jack device was. I think the one dependent on your computer is $29.95 and the Plus, that only needs a cat 5 cable from your router to work, is something like $39.95. That price includes a full year of service. When you signup, you have an option to get another 5 years for $99.75. Therefore, when you look at a five year average, Magic Jack costs me about as much per year as what I was paying per month for my landlines and gives me free long distance to boot. So, IMHO, I give Magic Jack two thumbs up.
Now, since I gave my opinion, my personal disclaimer:
This is to serve as disclaimer for the received information, and or
materials, but does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of
either myself, my company, my friends, my dog, or fish; don't quote me on
that; don't quote me on anything; all rights reserved; you may not
distribute and you may not make a profit from it; subject to change without
notice; some items may be slightly enlarged to show detail; any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, is unintentional and purely coincidental;
do not remove this tag under penalty of law; hand wash only, tumble dry on
low heat; do not bend, fold, mutilate, or spindle; your mileage may vary; no
substitutions allowed; for a limited time only; this offer void where
prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted; caveat emptor; product is
provided "as is" without any warranties; user assumes full responsibility;
an equal opportunity employer; no shoes, no shirt, no service; quantities
are limited, while supplies last; if any defects are discovered, do not
attempt to fix them yourself, but return to an authorized service center;
read at your own risk; parental advisory - explicit lyrics; text may contain
explicit materials which some may find objectionable, parental guidance is
advised; keep away from sunlight; keep away from pets and small children;
limit one-per-family please; no money down; no purchase necessary; you need
not be present to win; some assembly required; batteries not included;
instructions are included; action figures sold separately; no preservatives
added; slippery when wet; safety goggles may be required during use; sealed
for your protection, do not use if safety seal is broken; dangerous up to
two miles; call before you dig; not liable for damages arising from use or
misuse, improper maintenance or abuse; for external use only; if rash,
irritation, redness, or swelling develops, discontinue use; use only with
proper ventilation; avoid extreme temperatures and store in a cool dry
place; keep away from open flames; avoid contact with eyes and skin and do
not inhale fumes; do not puncture, incinerate, or store above 120 degrees
Fahrenheit; do not place near a flammable or magnetic source; smoking is
strictly prohibited; best safeguard is abstinence; no salt added; no
artificial color or flavoring added; if ingested, do not induct vomiting,
consult physician; ribbed for your pleasure; possible penalties for early
withdrawal; allow four to six weeks for delivery; must be 18 or older to
enter; does not cover misuse, accident, lightning, flood, or other acts of
God; electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, sonic boom vibrations,
are not covered; do not expose to excessive heat; do not tilt shake or turn
upside during use; keep out of reach of children; no warranties expressed or
implied; improper use may result in serious bodily injury or death; do not
take with other medications; may cause drowsiness or excitability in some
children; avoid operating heavy machinery after exposure; please attach
photo; unleaded fuel only; not responsible for lost or stolen items; proof
of insurance is required; possible electric shock; warning, high voltage;
use at your own risk; no trespassing; you have the right to remain silent;
ear protection required; void if seal is broken; not for use if you are
pregnant or have a heart condition or hypertension; warning, misuse or
overuse may cause permanent blindness; be sure to wash hands after contact;
by reading you accept the responsibility of promptly destroying all materials to
ensure that they do not become available to others as per the Gramm Leach Bliley Act;
no animals were used in the production of this item; some parts may have
been assembled or compiled by deaf, blind, or mentally challenged persons;
other restrictions may apply. Thank you very much, please watch your step.
Intended for topical applications only. Internal ingestion may result in permanent impotence.
Clearly, from the thread title, the following comments are about Magic Jack telephone service. For those who may have never heard of Magic Jack, they are little 'dongles' that either plug into a USB port or, in the case of Magic Jack Plus, into your internet router and provide you with local and long distance (US, Canada and the US Virgin Islands) calls for an extremely low price. I've used Magic Jack for over 5 years now; the last year being with the Plus dongles that are just plugged into my router.
Although I've seen several comments speaking very negatively about the product and their service on the internet, I have nothing bad to say about them. The only two things I feel are different and should be mentioned in their advertising is that you must always dial the area code with the number (which is the way I've programmed numbers into my cell phone for years now) and their caller ID only shows the telephone number of who is calling you as opposed to showing the number and name of who is calling. Other than that, I cannot tell any difference from using Magic Jack versus using a landline. All calls are perfectly clear and, in five years of using them, I've never had a single call dropped. Further, it was no problem at all to have my phone numbers ported to Magic Jack. To be honest, I haven't even thought about having Magic Jack for my home phone number in almost a year and am only now writing this 'review' because I had a friend ask me about Magic Jack.
When I moved to Magic Jack from my land line, the setup and transfer of phone numbers was simple. All I did was plug in the Magic Jack to my computer, used my computer (only needed for initial setup - Windows and Mac computers work) to request having my existing phone numbers ported to each device (you need a Magic Jack for each line), put them back in the box and waited about a week until I received an email confirming that the numbers were ported. I then plugged them in at router and connected my phone line going to 'the outside world' into the Magic Jack and forgot about them.
To give you a cost comparison, the land line to my house and my "kid's phone" land line had been costing me almost $30 a month for each line and I had no long distance available to either line. I forgot what the initial cost for the Magic Jack device was. I think the one dependent on your computer is $29.95 and the Plus, that only needs a cat 5 cable from your router to work, is something like $39.95. That price includes a full year of service. When you signup, you have an option to get another 5 years for $99.75. Therefore, when you look at a five year average, Magic Jack costs me about as much per year as what I was paying per month for my landlines and gives me free long distance to boot. So, IMHO, I give Magic Jack two thumbs up.
Now, since I gave my opinion, my personal disclaimer:
This is to serve as disclaimer for the received information, and or
materials, but does not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of
either myself, my company, my friends, my dog, or fish; don't quote me on
that; don't quote me on anything; all rights reserved; you may not
distribute and you may not make a profit from it; subject to change without
notice; some items may be slightly enlarged to show detail; any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, is unintentional and purely coincidental;
do not remove this tag under penalty of law; hand wash only, tumble dry on
low heat; do not bend, fold, mutilate, or spindle; your mileage may vary; no
substitutions allowed; for a limited time only; this offer void where
prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted; caveat emptor; product is
provided "as is" without any warranties; user assumes full responsibility;
an equal opportunity employer; no shoes, no shirt, no service; quantities
are limited, while supplies last; if any defects are discovered, do not
attempt to fix them yourself, but return to an authorized service center;
read at your own risk; parental advisory - explicit lyrics; text may contain
explicit materials which some may find objectionable, parental guidance is
advised; keep away from sunlight; keep away from pets and small children;
limit one-per-family please; no money down; no purchase necessary; you need
not be present to win; some assembly required; batteries not included;
instructions are included; action figures sold separately; no preservatives
added; slippery when wet; safety goggles may be required during use; sealed
for your protection, do not use if safety seal is broken; dangerous up to
two miles; call before you dig; not liable for damages arising from use or
misuse, improper maintenance or abuse; for external use only; if rash,
irritation, redness, or swelling develops, discontinue use; use only with
proper ventilation; avoid extreme temperatures and store in a cool dry
place; keep away from open flames; avoid contact with eyes and skin and do
not inhale fumes; do not puncture, incinerate, or store above 120 degrees
Fahrenheit; do not place near a flammable or magnetic source; smoking is
strictly prohibited; best safeguard is abstinence; no salt added; no
artificial color or flavoring added; if ingested, do not induct vomiting,
consult physician; ribbed for your pleasure; possible penalties for early
withdrawal; allow four to six weeks for delivery; must be 18 or older to
enter; does not cover misuse, accident, lightning, flood, or other acts of
God; electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, sonic boom vibrations,
are not covered; do not expose to excessive heat; do not tilt shake or turn
upside during use; keep out of reach of children; no warranties expressed or
implied; improper use may result in serious bodily injury or death; do not
take with other medications; may cause drowsiness or excitability in some
children; avoid operating heavy machinery after exposure; please attach
photo; unleaded fuel only; not responsible for lost or stolen items; proof
of insurance is required; possible electric shock; warning, high voltage;
use at your own risk; no trespassing; you have the right to remain silent;
ear protection required; void if seal is broken; not for use if you are
pregnant or have a heart condition or hypertension; warning, misuse or
overuse may cause permanent blindness; be sure to wash hands after contact;
by reading you accept the responsibility of promptly destroying all materials to
ensure that they do not become available to others as per the Gramm Leach Bliley Act;
no animals were used in the production of this item; some parts may have
been assembled or compiled by deaf, blind, or mentally challenged persons;
other restrictions may apply. Thank you very much, please watch your step.
Intended for topical applications only. Internal ingestion may result in permanent impotence.
