Google Voice makes MJ obsolete, with announcement 2wks. ago?

[dz20854]

I tried out the new, ground-breaking changes to Google Voice-- all free:

1. A softphone.
2. You can call any type of phone in the US or Canada, from your computer.
3. If you keep Google Chat running in the background, your computer will ring when people call you from their computer or from any type of phone in the US or Canada, and you can answer the call from your computer.

Doesn't this make MJ obsolete?

Now all I have to figure out is how to allow the softphone on Google Voice to be accessed through my whole house wiring (without landline service, like MJ works now).

Redpepper-- since Google Voice DOES have a softphone, I think you can program an interface. The softphone located in Google Gmail Chat is used for initiating outbound calling, and a popup in Gmail Chat is used for answering inbound calls. The potential market for such a program should eventually be much greater than the market for your existing product for MJ, since Google Voice is free.

To get the softphone from Google Voice:

1. Go to http://www.google.com/chat/voice/ and click "install voice and video chat".
2. Go to http://www.google.com/ and at the top, select "more", then select "even more", then scroll down on the bottom right and select "voice (new)". Register a Google Voice telephone number.
3. Go to http://www.google.com/ and at the top, select "Gmail". Add someone you email to your "contacts" list, and include their telephone number and save. Then, open "chat" from the menu on the left, and that contact's name will appear under the heading "call phone". Click on the green icon of a phone (located to the left of "call phone"), and the softphone will open on the bottom right of the screen. You can call your contact, or anyone else, using this softphone.

I placed and received calls to and from my contact, who uses a regular home phone, and it worked great! Once set up, I can do this using any computer, so long as I have downloaded the small "install voice and video chat" program to that computer.

[Davidchsw]

Only being able to use a softphone means magicjack still has an advantage over Google voice. I have and use Google voice. I want to speak into a phone, not my computer.

David

[tsmith]

And that's why MJ (and similar products) is not obsolete. A lot of people won't/can't/refuse to/ be tied to a PC while talking on the "phone". I can see call centers, notebook users, netbook users, others who are away from home or the office, etc., using GV on a regular basis. Home? Other types of businesses? Not so much.

[telltom]

i use Google voice with an ATA. GV is not reliable for me. Some days i can't call out. MJ works every time on a thin client.

[sabresfan]

Google Voice is great but also has it's problems. There are time when certain features will not work or there is a delay when talking to the other person. For free GV is awesome but MJ has given me better sounding calls than GV. One day I wonder if Google will pullout of the voip market if Uncle Sam imposes his will on them and they have to begin offering 911 and other goodies.

[Diggs]

Google Voice competes more with magicTalk than magicJack. All 5 phones in my house powered by MJ running on a thin client is no comparison to a soft phone on a PC somewhere.

[premudriy]

Also, and most importantly, GoogleVoice will be free only in 2010, i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay for Google Voice to call even in the US and Canada.

Skype had the same deal. I remember the days when I could call to any phone in the US for free from Skype. Then all the fun ended and now it's not free. The same thing will be with GoogleVoice. It is just marketing and it's (service) free now in order to lure more people into using it.

So, Google Voice will not be a competition for MagicJack, just wait 3 more months and the fuss will be over. lol.

[Davidchsw]

Where have you seen that Google Voice will change to a fee based system in 2011?

[premudriy]

Where have you seen that Google Voice will change to a fee based system in 2011?

When you first use Google Voice you have to agree to the terms and that's where it says it. Here is a picture of it:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Watch, the next year they will make it fee based just like Skype did years ago.

[nailgunner]

Not to split hairs, Premudriy, but "free in 2010", doesn't necessarily mean "free ONLY in 2010" as you stated AND highlighted in your first post. It's possible, but not certain. They could be testing it on a year by year basis.

[premudriy]

Not to split hairs, Premudriy, but "free in 2010", doesn't necessarily mean "free ONLY in 2010" as you stated AND highlighted in your first post. It's possible, but not certain. They could be testing it on a year by year basis.

Yes, that's right. There's uncertainty. It doesn't state that "It is Free. Period!" either. Nevertheless, *something* (common sense? past experiences with "free" things?) is telling me that it's going to be just like it always is in this world, i.e. they will charge money after a while and fun stuff always ends.


Furthermore, the fact that they actually stated "...in 2010" at least once makes it more likely that it will not be free. Why? Keep reading, please.

Ok, first some background: the uncertainty exists because GV hopes to make enough money from international calls to cover the costs of free US&Canada calling, but they don't know if it will be so.

So, if it would be more like that GV will be free next year, than they would rather not mention "...in 2010" at all because this can steer away many potential users. Why: due to short duration of free service a lot of people will not get at GV number and tell all their friends they can be reached by that number. Many users simply will not consider GV number to be reliable/long term.

This is a smart (but not necessarily good for consumers) economical/capitalistic strategy by Google: People will sign up for GV and get "attached/addicted/dependent" on the service because there's "hope/feeling" of long term stimulus (i.e. it's being free) to this project. People will give their own GV number to their friends and it will mean a lot to many people and be considered more or less reliable/long term way of communication. This way a lot people will get dependent on this server to the point that when Google will start applying fees, many people will conform and agree to pay some fee. Some people will still leave the service, but a lot more will stay. After all, because they don't mention "2010" on the main GV page, not that many people know about it. But they mention it only one in that agreement, so that later, when time comes, Google will be able to say "we mentioned it".

So, now you can see why Google would rather not mention "...in 2010" at all if there's more chance that service will more likely succeed at being free: because mentioning it makes less people becoming attached/dependent/relying on service in the long run.


Now, you might want to ask "Assuming the service will be free, why would Google want people to become dependent on the service? What's in it for them?" Ok, google does some targeted advertising and our calls though GV are being transcribed and information from the calls is being used for targeted advertising.


To conclude:
#1) Google wants more people to sign up.
#2) If there would be more chance that service will be free, then Google would rather not mention "... in 2010" at all because of #1 above.
#3) Therefore, because of #2, mentioning of "2010" means that probability of service being free is not that great and Google stated it in order to prepare an "easy escape" for when the surprise time comes.
#4) Also, the "2010" is mentioned only once is because of #1 above as well as probability of#3.

[nailgunner]

Good Lord. All I'm saying is that free in 2010, doesn't mean only free in 2010. You can interpret it anyway you want. It doesn't mean that they WILL start to charge in 2011 as you stated. And no, it doesn't mean that they won't. You are assuming they will, I'm assuming nothing. You must be related to Amigo Boy who hangs out at DSL Reports.

[premudriy]

Good Lord. All I'm saying is that free in 2010, doesn't mean only free in 2010. You can interpret it anyway you want. It doesn't mean that they WILL start to charge in 2011 as you stated. And no, it doesn't mean that they won't. You are assuming they will, I'm assuming nothing. You must be related to Amigo Boy who hangs out at DSL Reports.

The last sentence: lol

Nailgunner, I just wrote my opinion and my economical analysis of the situation and probable (but not 100%) prediction. That's all. I'm not trying to impound my option on anyone and I'm not saying that it's 100% what's going to happen: that is just my opinion (though there are reasons for it, which are explained in my post) and my 2 cents to let others know of such possible outcome.

*If* Google keeps it free, I'll be glad because guess what... I'm using it too.

[nailgunner]

Also, and most importantly, GoogleVoice will be free only in 2010, i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay for Google Voice to call even in the US and Canada.

Skype had the same deal. I remember the days when I could call to any phone in the US for free from Skype. Then all the fun ended and now it's not free. The same thing will be with GoogleVoice. It is just marketing and it's (service) free now in order to lure more people into using it.

So, Google Voice will not be a competition for MagicJack, just wait 3 more months and the fuss will be over. lol.

Which is why you said in your ORIGINAL post it will be free only in 2010, and i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay. If that's an OPINION, then I totally misread you. My sincere apologies. Of course when I was in school, opinion was usually preceded by the word might, not will. But things have changed in the last few years.[/b]

[premudriy]

Also, and most importantly, GoogleVoice will be free only in 2010, i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay for Google Voice to call even in the US and Canada.

Skype had the same deal. I remember the days when I could call to any phone in the US for free from Skype. Then all the fun ended and now it's not free. The same thing will be with GoogleVoice. It is just marketing and it's (service) free now in order to lure more people into using it.

So, Google Voice will not be a competition for MagicJack, just wait 3 more months and the fuss will be over. lol.

Which is why you said in your ORIGINAL post it will be free only in 2010, and i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay. If that's an OPINION, then I totally misread you. My sincere apologies. [/b]

lol. Ok, ok, my fault, you win I should have wrote "will probably/possibly have to pay". Though I still see GV becoming non-free as a great probability.


P.S.:

Of course when I was in school, opinion was usually preceded by the word might, not will. But things have changed in the last few years.

But my opinion in this case is also bet of some sort. Imagine people launching a rocket. Will one guy say "it might fly" and the other "it might not fly"? I think they would be saying 1st:"it will fly" 2nd:"no, it won't fly".

[nailgunner]

Also, and most importantly, GoogleVoice will be free only in 2010, i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay for Google Voice to call even in the US and Canada.

Skype had the same deal. I remember the days when I could call to any phone in the US for free from Skype. Then all the fun ended and now it's not free. The same thing will be with GoogleVoice. It is just marketing and it's (service) free now in order to lure more people into using it.

So, Google Voice will not be a competition for MagicJack, just wait 3 more months and the fuss will be over. lol.

Which is why you said in your ORIGINAL post it will be free only in 2010, and i.e 3 months down the road you will have to pay. If that's an OPINION, then I totally misread you. My sincere apologies. [/b]

lol. Ok, ok, my fault, you win I should have wrote "will probably/possibly have to pay". Though I still see GV becoming non-free as a great probability.


P.S.:

Of course when I was in school, opinion was usually preceded by the word might, not will. But things have changed in the last few years.

But my opinion in this case is also bet of some sort. Imagine people launching a rocket. Will one guy say "it might fly" and the other "it might not fly"? I think they would be saying 1st:"it will fly" 2nd:"no, it won't fly".

Not trying to win anything. Davidchsw asked where does it say they will change to a fee based system in 2011 and your response was that they say they are free in 2010. So yes, you can make all the guess you want for 2011, but Google, the one who counts, has said nothing about 2011, to answer Davidcshw.

[speaker2112]

I tried out the new, ground-breaking changes to Google Voice-- all free:

1. A softphone.
2. You can call any type of phone in the US or Canada, from your computer.
3. If you keep Google Chat running in the background, your computer will ring when people call you from their computer or from any type of phone in the US or Canada, and you can answer the call from your computer.

Doesn't this make MJ obsolete?

Now all I have to figure out is how to allow the softphone on Google Voice to be accessed through my whole house wiring (without landline service, like MJ works now).

Redpepper-- since Google Voice DOES have a softphone, I think you can program an interface. The softphone located in Google Gmail Chat is used for initiating outbound calling, and a popup in Gmail Chat is used for answering inbound calls. The potential market for such a program should eventually be much greater than the market for your existing product for MJ, since Google Voice is free.

To get the softphone from Google Voice:

1. Go to http://www.google.com/chat/voice/ and click "install voice and video chat".
2. Go to http://www.google.com/ and at the top, select "more", then select "even more", then scroll down on the bottom right and select "voice (new)". Register a Google Voice telephone number.
3. Go to http://www.google.com/ and at the top, select "Gmail". Add someone you email to your "contacts" list, and include their telephone number and save. Then, open "chat" from the menu on the left, and that contact's name will appear under the heading "call phone". Click on the green icon of a phone (located to the left of "call phone"), and the softphone will open on the bottom right of the screen. You can call your contact, or anyone else, using this softphone.

I placed and received calls to and from my contact, who uses a regular home phone, and it worked great! Once set up, I can do this using any computer, so long as I have downloaded the small "install voice and video chat" program to that computer.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Google Voice require a working phone number which you associate with the service, IN ADDITION to the number which you register through Google in order to place calls?

I have a Google Voice phone number but as far as I can tell I'm only able to make outgoing calls by selecting a contact and choosing "call" which initiates a call-back to my non-Google number first and then connects me with the party I've called. It's only a free call because it hasn't been technically initiated from my non-Google phone number, but from Google, which essentially places two calls, one to me and one to the party I'm calling and then conferences them together.

Unless I'm missing something, this is how Google Voice allows outgoing calling which is completely different from MagicJack in that MJ provides an actually independent number which does not require any additional existing numbers in order to place calls.

If it's possible to place outgoing calls via Google voice for free without involving another existing non-Google phone number, I'd really like to know how.

[VaHam]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Google Voice require a working phone number which you associate with the service, IN ADDITION to the number which you register through Google in order to place calls?

I have a Google Voice phone number but as far as I can tell I'm only able to make outgoing calls by selecting a contact and choosing "call" which initiates a call-back to my non-Google number first and then connects me with the party I've called. It's only a free call because it hasn't been technically initiated from my non-Google phone number, but from Google, which essentially places two calls, one to me and one to the party I'm calling and then conferences them together.

Unless I'm missing something, this is how Google Voice allows outgoing calling which is completely different from MagicJack in that MJ provides an actually independent number which does not require any additional existing numbers in order to place calls.

If it's possible to place outgoing calls via Google voice for free without involving another existing non-Google phone number, I'd really like to know how.

Yes that is true but there are several different places you can obtain a free incoming only DID (phone number). So you can just sign up with ipkall, sipgate etc. and get a free incoming phone number and then point GV to that.

If you run something like the Incredible PBX (free also) it comes with a means to do the GV magic transparent to the user so you just pick up your phone and dial as usual.

[mj777]

as the op wrote; you do it through the google chat in gmail. once a gmail account is associated with a google voice account, in gv, under settings, google chat will appear in the iist of forwarding phones. if you check that off, and go into gmail and open the chat you will see 'place call' as on option. that will bring up a softphone from which you can call out using your google vocie number only and will ring when someone calls the number. this is not an ata solution, like using sipsorcery and another phone number, it is softphone only, but it does work.

[Darkman90808]

Google will pullout of the voip market

Although I love Google Voice, they have a history of starting a something and then pulling support.

Personally, I would love to see GV offer a tiered level of service not unlike Yahoo email. I gladly pay the $19.99 annual fee for Yahoo's premium service and would do the same for premium GV features like the ability to send/receive faxes.

I think there's huge potential, but I'm not sure it fits into the Google business model, so we may never see it come to market.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

dz20854, your post is tremendously helpful. Question: can you speak into the average laptop? I don't know how to make a call from my mJ softphone. I can't get a dialtone or hear one and don't know what I might be doing wrong, if someone could explain. dz20854, do you know that your thread has to be put on zoom %75 to read, as if someone messed with it?

VaHam, the three firms you listed by name, can they be easily found, and what do you call the group of companies that provide the free DID's, which I assume means digital id's. Then there's the PBX one.

mj777, you are saying you can make outgoing calls with the first method stated, but for incoming you will need a DID as VaHam discussed?

Everyone, I intend to try this. Maybe I will keep mJ. About the GV problems mentioned, I won't use it for all calls unless I discover it never gives me any problem. Also, I will want to be able to fax somehow. Anyone can chime in with your comments.

[VaHam]

VaHam, the three firms you listed by name, can they be easily found, and what do you call the group of companies that provide the free DID's, which I assume means digital id's. Then there's the PBX one.

Google is your friend http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/DID+ ... +Providers

[Darkman90808]

Question: can you speak into the average laptop?

Skype is great for doing this with a laptop or Netbook. Built in camera and microphone make for a great, free experience. A friend of mine uses Netbook his to talk and walk around the garage showing off his RC planes.

I've been really amazed at the quality. With this. Recently had a Skype chat with my sister doing exactly the same thing. She was on her laptop and I plugged a web cam into my desktop 'confuser'. FWIW

[Darkman90808]

Also, I will want to be able to fax somehow.

I think I mentioned this in a previous post, but there are lots of free and inexpensive fax services available. I recently used PamFax with Skype out of necessity, but I wasn't happy about it.

The last test I did using MJ to fax a document went well, but that was only a single page. I used PamFax to send a 34 page fax. It worked but their billing process stinks on ice.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

^Yes, but I mean speak into a laptop without a webcam since I don't have one.

[Darkman90808]

^Yes, but I mean speak into a laptop without a webcam since I don't have one.

You don't need a webcam. Just use the built in microphone. Or, you can also get a cheap web cam which will suffice. You will, however, need a USB port to plug it in to.

OT, but Skype really worked much better than I expected. The first time I really saw it put to the test was during a conference at a local university and a professor from San Francisco did an hour presentation via Skype on a large screen in an auditorium.

The IT person was admittedly nervous but the whole thing went flawlessly.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

To use Skype, the other person must also have it, right?

[Darkman90808]

To use Skype, the other person must also have it, right?

Only if you want to talk for free...

Okay, I'm back. Ironically, I was on the phone when I crafted my response. You can use Skype to make calls to a conventional phone number at something around 2.1 cents per minute plus tax, license, and dealer prep. You can also get their monthly service, which I think is still somewhere around $3.60 a month for unlimited (caveat emptor) calls.

Although talking to your laptop in a Starbucks might make you look a little schizophrenic, I think it should work.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

Putting together what speaker2112 and VaHam wrote above, could I not get GV and point it to my mJ number at least to make outbound calls displaying the GV number as my caller id appearance? Has anyone tried this? Then the only issues would be how long GV will be free and is magicTalk or Skype better? I have since sent two short faxes locally via mJ. Well, I also have to learn how to activate my laptop microphone.

[Darkman90808]

could I not get GV and point it to my mJ number at least to make outbound calls displaying the GV number as my caller id appearance?

Yes. That's the whole purpose of Google Voice - to have one number you can use for any number of phones. Use it to call out via your Magic Jack or have your Magic Jack forward to your GV number when someone calls you.

It's not that difficult. At some point you're going to have to do this for yourself. Google Voice is free. What's stopping you?

[jongasse]

Now all I have to figure out is how to allow the softphone on Google Voice to be accessed through my whole house wiring (without landline service, like MJ works now).

I have made a prototype for exactly this.

I, however, need more devices to test, and have posted here : http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/mj-l ... 10350.html

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

Darkman90808, what's delaying me is that I want to check some alternatives first which might enable me to ditch mJ entirely and all the angles if I don't. Some posters think Google is a sieve for personal information. I've been burned by one small telco so I'm being careful. Right now I'm examining Skype, but it's complicated. If anyone has any concerns about it, please advise. Then there might be one or two other possibilities before I decide. I hope you see this. Your last post ended page two as I have the count set.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

I finally did it and made my first call, to someone with caller id so they could confirm my GV number showed. The last step did not appear as dz20854 said, and I had to play to get to the result. Maybe they changed it, but I saw no way to access chat from GMail; the left option of "chats" does not produce what dz wrote, and I called a person I had not added to contacts. I would now like to know if and how I might send a fax via GV. All my mJ faxes have worked - short ones. Thanks to everyone for your help. Down with Google, however, which made it hard to register in GMail and very hard to get a GV number because of no available area codes. Suggestion: try the newest area code you can live with or one for a less populated area. I was up till 7:10am but didn't even finish. I had planned to do this the Fri. this site last went down but never got back to it until yesterday and was determined to get it done.

[Darkman90808]

I would now like to know if and how I might send a fax via GV.

To my knowledge, there's no way to send faxes with Google Voice. Some clever member of the forum may contradict me on this with a way to route through Sipgate or other provider, but Google Voice, by itself, does not.

I submitted it as a suggestion in one of their surveys but I doubt if we'll see it. FWIW, I have not found a good VoIP solution for sending faxes, although I'm sure they're available. I've used PamFax successfully with Skype but the interface stinks on ice and I probably have a $15 or more credit I'll never use.

It's probably more practical to use one of the free services that will fax an electronic document in MS Word or PDF format.

[Bartholomew Diogenes]

^Just to be clear, GV would call my fax machine and the destination number and conference them together, the two machines, but that would not work even if I hung around and manually pressed the start key while my machine was on speaker? If the GV connection is technically insufficient, I guess it won't work - is that what you mean? But I don't see a linking or procedural hurdle.

[msiam]

I have found that Voxox has a great set up. Their faxing doesn't seem to dwindle my money at all.. the calls from Voxox are 1c a minute.. Just download the danged thing and play with that..Faxing is easy as long as you have a way to make your documents into the type files they want.. Txt, pdf, tiff jpeg.. You are covered..And it works danged well.. For my incoming faxes, I use K7.net . Free numbers and as long as you use them at least once within 30 days ( Just call it or something) it stays with you, if, for some reason you don't use it in 30 days and you lose it, just get another one.. You can even point another number at it.. Since don't use my MJ number anymore, ( I have 2 of them) I just make one of them my permanent fax number, (Actually, that's very cheap to use on a Business card) and point it to the K7.net fax number. Faxing is "NO PROBLEM" for me..

[nailgunner]

I'm not positive, but it appears that GoogleVoice may now be free into the foreseeable future. It appears that they have dropped the "free through 2011" line in their cost topic:

http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin ... wer=115063

That was the first link when I googled "cost of google voice".

It was in this section that they had previously had the wording "in 2010" or "in 2011" when talking about it being free. I can't find anything official on it, but it looks possible.

[bitstopjoe]

And my dark side says it could also mean. "Ok you fools, after we ( Google) bought stock in OBi and sold a TON in the last few weeks, and made a TON of money,we are dropping free calls next week " In a George Soros voice of course...