Magic Jack Review

I received the Magic Jack on October 16, to do a review on. What you are about to read is solely my opinion. The fact I received the item to review does not reflect this review and/or my opinion in anyway.

What is Magic Jack?

Magic Jack is a VOIP (Voice over IP) phone service that allows you to make free local and long distance phone calls to anywhere in the United States, and Canada for 19.95 a year.

Can I use Magic Jack with Webtv?

No. In order to use Magic Jack you need a Computer running windows XP , windows vista, or a intel-based Apple MAC. An available USB port, as well as high speed internet.

How will I know when a call is coming in?

When you receive a call with Magic Jack a small box with pop up on your computer showing you of an incoming call. Your house phone will also ring. You will have the option to Accept the call or ignore the call. You can find a FAQ section for the Magic Jack on their website.

As soon as I received the Magic Jack, I set it all up on my computer. The set up was pretty easy I had no problem with installing the Magic Jack on to my computer. I was really excited to test it all out, since we do not have a home phone I thought this would be a great alternative.

The first person I called was my sister. It felt great knowing I could talk to my sister as long as I wanted and not have to worry about a huge long distance bill, or running out of minutes. As soon as my sister answered I asked her how the call quality was, she said it was good. However, it would break up every so often. I later found out it was because I did not have the volume on the headset turned up so I was fading in and out. This was user error not product error.

Later in the evening, I called my dad and talked to him for a while. He had no idea what the Magic Jack was, so I explained it to him, that it was a USB device that you hook to your computer and it allows you to make and receive calls like a normal land line phone and it does not have a monthly bill. I do not think he understood at first because he kept asking me questions, but I was happy to answer them. I think that was the first time I talked to my dad without him saying, “What was that I lost you”. Our cell phones do not pick up that great in our home. So having a home phone again is nice.

I have had no issues with the Magic Jack.

Pros- I love the fact it has a soft phone it makes seeing who is calling very easy, plus you do not have to worry about a regular phone breaking. I found the control panel of the Magic Jack to be very user friendly. I myself had no problems. I like the option of using a USB headset or a phone. I also like how you can take it with you if you go on a trip, as long as you have access to high-speed internet your phone will work.

Cons- To switch from headset to phone I had to unplug the Magic Jack, instead of just switching it in the menu settings. This was not too big of an issue, but it did take me a minute to figure out what I had to do. Also, you have to dial the area code while calling out for local calls. I am not a big fan of that, but again not too big of an issue. (Update: The softphone was having a glitch. When trying to switch to telephone from the headset it was not dialing properly on the telephone. I had to unplug the magic jack. I tested again today and I did not have to unplug the Magic Jack. So I am assuming it was a glitch.)

My over all experience with the Magic Jack was rather good. I believe it is well worth what you pay for it. I have never before used a VOIP phone service and I was very pleased with the sound quality on both my phone and my head set.

You can purchase the Magic Jack at most retailers for 39.95$ included with this price is a free year of service. You can purchase addition years for 19.95. Or you can go directly to the Magic Jack website and try the Magic Jack for 30 days free.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post, however I did receive the Magic Jack for review purposes. This did not reflect my personal opinion of the Magic Jack in anyway.