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The days of traditional landlines are long gone.
It’s a little mind boggling to think about how much things have changed in the telephone world. Some food for thought…
When I started college 20+ years ago:
- I didn’t have a cell phone. No one did. I mean, think about that for a minute. I couldn’t make calls on my way to class, at the grocery store, or in my car (not that I had a car, but that’s beside the point). I had a telephone in my dorm room, and that’s where I made 100% of my calls.
- Unlimited long distance? Yeah, right. Back in those days, we paid about $.25/minute for long distance calls. A 20 minute phone call to my mom would cost $5. That’s about $20/week for 4 calls home, or $80/month. And that didn’t include the monthly charge for the phone line itself, plus all the other associated fees and taxes. Back then, phone calls were always made with one eye on the clock. And when you factor in my fondness for long distance boyfriends in those days, even when I was being conscientious about the time (which I wasn’t always)…well, it wasn’t unusual for me to receive monthly phone bills of $200 or more. (Sorry, Mom and Dad.)
- And get this. Anything more than a dial tone was an upgrade. Call waiting was optional. Caller ID didn’t exist. Remember Star 69? For about $.50, you could find out the last number to dial your phone. Talk about a life changing invention!
Fast forward two decades…and I don’t even have a landline anymore. It took a while for my husband to convince me, but we finally took the all-cellular plunge about 5 or 6 years ago. For the most part, it was a great decision. But every now and then, I do miss some aspects of having a landline – specifically, consistent call quality and the ability to use a traditional telephone, which I always found to be more comfortable and ergonomic than a flat, hard cell phone.
magicJack is a great compromise for people like me – people who want the quality and comfort of a landline, with the convenience and affordability of today’s cell phone plans. This holiday season, magicJack is bringing you a variety of budget phone options that work at home, in the office, or on the go with mobile devices.
magicJackGO is a home phone replacement service that provides free local & long distance phone calls to mobile phones and landlines in the US and Canada. All you need is high–speed Internet and any landline phone. magicJackGO also offers free international calling to any other magicJack number.
The updated magicJackGO device provides crystal-clear voice service over an existing broadband Internet connection. A year of unlimited local and long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada comes with the ultra-low device price of $59.95*. Then the same great service is only $35*/year – less than $3 per month. magicApp is a free over-the-top companion app for almost any iOS or Android device, ideal for saving mobile minutes and gives users one number that rings on GO devices and mobiles.
The magicJack family is most proud of having recently received the 2013 Frost and Sullivan award for the Best Consumer VOIP Service, scoring at the very top in all five measured categories, including Overall Quality, Ease of Use, Billing Practices, Value, and Pricing.
At under $60, magicJack is a great holiday gift idea for:
- Students – A great way to use WiFi to overcome those common dorm room mobile “dead zones.”
- International Callers – Free calling to all magicJack numbers, competitive international
rates, and free dialing to the U.S. and Canada from anywhere in the world. - Small Business Owners – Get more flexibility outside the office by taking a business line on the go using the magicApp. Plus create a customized telephone number for your business!
Set-up is easy and only takes a few minutes:
How To Activate GO Final from magicJack on Vimeo.
All you need is a phone and a high-speed internet connection! Your magicJackGO purchase includes a free year of service ($35/year thereafter) and can be used with magicApp, the free companion mobile app for iOS and Android, which is being downloaded millions of times per year on smartphones, computers, tablets, and iOS devices.
For more information or to purchase a device, visit magicJack online. magicJack is also sold in over 25,000 retail stores!
BONUS: Later this month, magicJack will be hosting a giveaway here. One reader will win a magicJackGO unit, which includes a free year of service ($35/year thereafter) and can be used with magicApp. Check back for details!
P.S. For more great gift ideas, be sure to check out my 2014 Holiday Gift Guide!