Magic Jack is advertised as a cheap alternative to the conventional telephone, where, for only $20 a year, you can make unlimited local and long distance phone calls in Canada and the United States. It is a USB supported peripheral which allows users to communicate using VoIP (voice over internet protocol). All you need is the Magic Jack USB device and an ordinary telephone handset, and within minutes, you can start making calls using Magic Jack. A comprehensive review shows whether it is as good a deal as it seems.

Taking into consideration its offer price as compared to the cost of using a conventional telephone and service provider, Magic Jack seems too good to be true. But such is the power of the internet and VoIP, that unlimited calling, anywhere around the country can realistically be achieved for only twenty dollars a year. They offer exactly what they claim to offer, and at the price that they claim to do it. Installation is easy. It takes two minutes, and there is no need to do anything other than plug in the small USB device. All the necessary software required to operate the device is installed automatically, and within minutes, Magic Jack is up and running. Connect a handset to the device, and you're ready to make calls. After installation, a virtual phone pops up on your computer screen. You can use this phone to dial numbers, save numbers etc. It even keeps track of numbers dialed and received. Even more impressive are the voicemail, caller id, emergency dialing and 411 features, which allows you to look up phone numbers online free of charge.

You can either dial using this virtual phone on your computer, or the telephone handset. If you don't want to use the telephone handset, it works just like other VoIP devices using the computer microphone and speakers. Audio quality with the Magic Jack is good. Voice clarity is considerably high throughout the duration of the conversation, and there were no major problems while either sending or receiving calls. Only the usual hiss or static as is expected with such technologies. Even cellular technology can't compare with landlines with respect to voice clarity, but for such new technology, conversations made over the internet are remarkably clear and reliable. This device can achieve such a good quality of audio due to their proprietary telephony network provided by the YMAX corporation, who do an excellent job maintaining this network and expanding it continuously.

Nonetheless, for all its plus points, Magic Jack and their revolutionary technology is not without its bugs and problems. Despite a sparkling review from PC Mag and other critics, complaints are slowly rising regarding its dialing features. More than the actual device, more complaints regarding poor tech support and insufficient phone lines are hampering the spread of this product and are forcing critics to rethink their opinions on what, in my opinion, an excellent piece of technology and a great way to cut down my phone bills without compromising on anything else.