Reaching the end of trial month--will I keep it?

[pitchie]

It should be noted that I'm on a Mac. My experience and opinion of MagicJack has gone downhill enough to feel that it confirms the adage "you get what you pay for." In fact, the price is BY FAR the best feature. But what good is that if you can't count on your landline phone anymore? Here are my findings:

No Caller ID. The Mac version of the softphone does not display NAMES, and neither does my caller ID-ready landline, with MagicJack connected directly to the Mac or through a powered USB hub.

No call waiting.

I get through when dialing from the outside or get a ringing sound when dialing out about 80% of the time.

No Voicemail indicator (like less rings or a stuttering dial tone or an indicator on the softphone).

I often have to unplug and replug the MagicJack.

Having to have your computer on all the time to not miss a PHONE call is bad. Does your fridge need to be on for your dishwasher to work?

Sound quality is OK most of the time, other times the person on the other end says it's bad, or I hear an echo on my end.

Bottom line: I don't trust this device, or the company. Maybe in another year? But your landline is supposed to be your rock solid safety net, and more reliable and better sounding than a cell phone. But whether you use this or something like Vonage (which I have and like), you do risk the loss of service in the event of a blackout, whereas a traditional landline will be there for you.

I can't tell you how tempting it is to just tell almost all my friends and work related callers to just call my cell, and then I'll use my MagicJack number for outgoing and international calls only. And I'm still tempted. (I'd save over $360 a year.) But it just isn't solid. And I feel funny paying for something that is so far from what it's advertised to be, no matter how cheap it is. Only by sending this back do I send the message that I'm unwilling to stick with this product, despite the great deal (which it isn't if it's flawed), until they truly deliver on the features that are either missing or intermittent.

The jury is still out, with days to go...

Rich

[gooney]

It should be noted that I'm on a Mac. My experience and opinion of MagicJack has gone downhill enough to feel that it confirms the adage "you get what you pay for." In fact, the price is BY FAR the best feature. But what good is that if you can't count on your landline phone anymore? Here are my findings:

No Caller ID. The Mac version of the softphone does not display NAMES, and neither does my caller ID-ready landline, with MagicJack connected directly to the Mac or through a powered USB hub.

No call waiting.

I get through when dialing from the outside or get a ringing sound when dialing out about 80% of the time.

No Voicemail indicator (like less rings or a stuttering dial tone or an indicator on the softphone).

I often have to unplug and replug the MagicJack.

Having to have your computer on all the time to not miss a PHONE call is bad. Does your fridge need to be on for your dishwasher to work?

Sound quality is OK most of the time, other times the person on the other end says it's bad, or I hear an echo on my end.

Bottom line: I don't trust this device, or the company. Maybe in another year? But your landline is supposed to be your rock solid safety net, and more reliable and better sounding than a cell phone. But whether you use this or something like Vonage (which I have and like), you do risk the loss of service in the event of a blackout, whereas a traditional landline will be there for you.

I can't tell you how tempting it is to just tell almost all my friends and work related callers to just call my cell, and then I'll use my MagicJack number for outgoing and international calls only. And I'm still tempted. (I'd save over $360 a year.) But it just isn't solid. And I feel funny paying for something that is so far from what it's advertised to be, no matter how cheap it is. Only by sending this back do I send the message that I'm unwilling to stick with this product, despite the great deal (which it isn't if it's flawed), until they truly deliver on the features that are either missing or intermittent.

The jury is still out, with days to go...

Rich

Save the drama and take it back.

[LikeMagic]

I now feel real good I don't have a MAC

If your MJ number is in area code 206, I'll buy it from you

[AsparagusBear]

I have been using the MagicJack for about 6 weeks now on a late 2006 24" intel iMac and really have had no issues with it.

By no means expect it to replace my landline at this time, but for being able to make calls to anywhere in USA and Canada for $20 a year... you cannot beat it. This thing has already saved me over $80 in long distance charges so it has more than made up for some of the temporary issues that are affecting it.

The MagicJack has plenty of room for improvements and I know that all issues will be solved... dare I say... Soon!

[pitchie]

Well yeah, I guess if my landline was very cheap and had no long distance, a SECOND landline would make sense. But Vonage is pretty inexpensive, though not compared to MagicJack of course, but unlimited local and long distance is included. Staying with the regular local carrier (Verizon) and dropping long distance was still not worth it because when you add Caller ID for eight bucks a month you're getting close to the Vonage package.

Whoever said they're even happier they're not on a Mac...well I wouldn't switch from a Mac for anything, let alone one buggy USB jack. (I haven't had a virus in 20 years, for starters. Well there was that one floppy disc...) But I think it's because Mac support has just been added that's part of the reason for my issues. My softphone for example doesn't even have the phone book of the PC counterpart, and tech support had no knowledge of any difference.

Still, the thought of being able to travel with a little landline phone...

[Darkman90808]

pitchie... your last comment says it all, at least for me. It may be my imagination, or maybe I'm just getting numb, but my MJ (both of them) seem to be working much better lately. But even with some of the issues, I *love* my MJ (both of them) because:

1.) I can take them with me
2.) I've had wa-a-a-a-y more than $90 worth of fun. Heck, just Stewarts, CallerID Spoofer is worth the price of admission.
3.) I never would have gotten a Grand Central account or even known about it
4.) It's almost as convenient as my cell phone and far less expensive.
5.) I love tinkering, which is why I spend too much time in this forum. I'm not the least bit technical but at least my MJ lets me pretend.

Those are the big reasons; there are probably a lot more if I put my thinking cap on. But mostly, I like the idea of being able to take it with me.

[LikeMagic]

... Whoever said they're even happier they're not on a Mac...well I wouldn't switch from a Mac for anything, let alone one buggy USB jack. (I haven't had a virus in 20 years, for starters. Well there was that one floppy disc...) But I think it's because Mac support has just been added that's part of the reason for my issues. My softphone for example doesn't even have the phone book of the PC counterpart, and tech support had no knowledge of any difference.

Still, the thought of being able to travel with a little landline phone...

Well, I like challenges. If everything is too perfect I wouldn't learn a thing

[pitchie]

I'm pretty much decided: I wrote Magic Jack and they emailed back the return information I needed. I agree that this thing is kind of 'fun,' and that includes telling people how it works and how little it costs. But it DOESN'T work. Call waiting has worked only once (a moment ago), Caller ID with NAME doesn't work (that's a dealbreaker right there), often the connection itself doesn't work (no dial tone, no ringing, oh this sounds weird, let me call you back, etc.). A landline should be a stable, in-case-of-emergency connection. With this you need electricity AND Internet to work. Which would be fine if this product was as reliable as my electric or Web connection. Bottom line: I do agree, this is a neat little thing, mostly because of the price. Acceptable for someone on a tight budget, using it as a secondary line, and tolerant of the flaws. But if it doesn't deliver as promised AND you feel you need to hold onto your existing landline and mobile phone to be safe, what's the use? Am I really gonna give my friends a SECOND home number in addition to my mobile? Nothing about MagicJack is nearly as impressive as its price, which isn't impressive if IT DOESN'T WORK AS ADVERTISED. Sound quality is good, reliability is not. International long distance kind of works and is dirt cheap, but so is Vonage. I have to keep unplugging and replugging it. I have to run the computer all day if I don't want to miss a call. I feel I should send it back and try it again in a year. I don't need to be tethered to my landline to the point of wanting to carry one around with me, or traveling and asking friends if I can install the jack and the software in their computer while I'm there. You get what you pay for, my friend. If anyone (especially Mac users) is having an opposite experience let me know. And I really want to hear that you're getting what's advertised, not that you happily put up with this nonsense because it's cheap.



Rich

[Darkman90808]

So why do you keep investing emotional energy into the thing by continuing to post your grievances here? Be done with it already. I can't imagine that anyone really cares past your original rant.

[LikeMagic]

It's ok. At least he put it in the right group

[pitchie]

Wow, you ARE a dark man! And to think I work with an musician named Mark Dann. I could just as easily ask why you're putting the energy into responding to me. But instead, I'd like to ask what are Stewarts, CallerID Spoofer, or a Grand Central account?

You really think it's almost as convenient as a cell phone? Sure, a laptop with a MagicJack sticking out of it and plus a landline phone fit just as well in my shirt pocket, now that you mention it.

I guess I elaborated on my original rant to see if anyone, particularly a Mac user but really anyone, could convince me otherwise. Like someone who might have pointed out what I just discovered: the 30-day trial applies only to the first time. So if I think I might want to try this thing in the future maybe I should just keep it now, knowing if I try it again it's mine for good anyway. Yeah I agree, this is a lot of energy to spend over $40. If I traveled a lot, especially with a laptop, this would be a no-brainer. But at home it's competing with my Vonage service which is rock solid and delivers as advertised.

I did realize recently how much important my landline is: in one month I see I had about 400 outgoing PLUS 400 incoming minutes. I had no idea.

If anyone knows of a phone model that displays Caller ID with MagicJack I'd love to know about it.