Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views. I really haven’t seen any of these issues especially 4 & 5. I do have a decently powered desktop and I let it run all the time. #3 – you may want opt out of marketing calls. #1 & #2 – haven’t had that complaint but the voice quality suffers if we were downloading something while on call. I might have to look for some bandwidth allocation software that will always ensure MagicJack gets its share.

2. When phone ring comes, youpick up, either of the party can’t hear voice of other end. Should redial again.

3. Multiple times- advertisement call comes.
4. Consumes too much memory and CPU.
5. Can’t hibernate my computer until majicjack process is killed form taskManager.

Thanks for visiting ShanKrila and taking the time to explain MagicJack so wonderfully! Your comment just added this post that much more informative and valuable. Much appreciated.

Here is my take as an engineer:

1. Majicjack must be plugged into a computer or other device which has internet access — preferably broadband. This could be your desktop computer, a notebook computer, or any device with a usb socket and internet access. The call is “free” only in the sense that you are already paying for the internet connection for “other reasons”.

2. Analog to digital signal conversion:
MajicJack passes your voice to the internet by translating your voice into a digital signal, which is divided up into micro packets which carry a destination code, just like an email, except instead of letters and printed words, the packets are the digital equivalent of sounds. It uses the telephone you plug into it both as a microphone and speaker.

3. MajiJack (Internet) to analog landlines:
When you are calling a landline number from MajicJack, the MajicJack center has to pass your call to a point close to the called number which has the ability to translate the digital signal packets back into an analog signal that is dumped into a local landline company before it will be heard on the receiving telephone as sounds – hopefully closely resembling the original voice input. This is a limiting factor on “MajicJack-to-landline” calls – contracting with a local provider for the digital to analog conversion, which presently only include the US and Canada. If your translation point is not close, then long distance chages might be incurred in completing the call. This is most likely to occur when an international caller when MajicJack calls a landline without MajicJack.

4. MajicJack (Internet) to MajicJack (internet):
This is MajicJack’s forte. Its all internet, and the internet connections could theoretically be anywhere in the world. Both the caller and the receiver must have MajicJack. In this case it is the MajicJacks on both ends which do the tranlating from sound to digital and back to sound.

5. Local vs. National vs. international calls:

Local calls: There is no real advntage in making local calls on MajicJack, and considerable chance for signal degredation and delay due to all analog to digital and back conversions, and passing signals through gateways and hubs. It can be done, however.

Long Distance National calls: This is where MajicJack should realy start to save money for long-distance calls. It is reasonably viable for MajicJack to landline calls because most landline users do not pay for calls received – only for calls initiated. However, calls from a landline to a MajicJack do not save anything in cost — and may cost more if the MajicJack number is not local to the receiver.

Long Distance International calls: Theoreticaly, this should be a no-hassle extension of Natianal long distance, For Canada, Europe, and some Middle east and Asian countries, with top-rate internet backbone and Internet service providers, it will probably work very well. But many countries have less-than-optimal internet backbone, and even less optimal Internet service providers. In such case one is likely to experience delays and droped packets because of the many poor gateways and hubs the electronics packets must pass through.

THE BOTTOM LINE: the service is cheap enough to try it out. Its best use is MajicJack to MajicJack. most peopel will find it best suited for MJ to MJ national long diatance calls, and a few may find it auitable for MJ to MJ international long distance.

but it has alot of dependancies.
1 u have to have a decent computer, no pentium 3 crap.
2 u have to have a decent dsl connection, if u use dial up it will work but call quality will suffer. bad quality of dsl will affect voice quality.
3 ur computer must be on for it to work, of you can relay on voice mail or number forwarding i just dont know how much cost is if ever there is any.

notice that all dependancies i mentioned is not only for majic jack itself but ALL VOIP SERVICES IN GENERAL, packet8, skype, vonage etc.

on the price comparison definitely it is cheaper, cheaper than any phone service or cheaper that any voip service out there as far as i know off.

quality wise it is great but of course with voip and the dependancies mentioned there are really times that it screws up not mainly due to majic jack itself but due to the dependencies mentioned. with any voip based services if u have low bandwith of course call quality is shit.

overall i am happy with the service. i use it to mainly call out i can call landlines and cellphones without the extra financial burden.

if it folds then ive already recouped everything i paid for due to it being that damm cheap. its really not my concern if they make it or not, if they are there or will fold, value for money im already satisfied.

in terms of setting it up, its that easy. jsut plag it and let it work on itself. it will self install so no issues on that end unlike other voips wherein u have a step by step isntall, alot of forms to fill up, credit card info to give etc. i just went to CC and bought one plugged it in at my pc then done.

im happy with the product and i am saddened that alot of people give bad feedback but of course each person has his or her own experiences. the mere fact that there are mixed reactions is a testament that this product is making waves and being great at what it does. there are alot of satisfied people mind you.

the dissatisfied ones are people who failed to recognized the dependencies. its like saying my car screws up because i placed diesel instead of gas. most cases of peopls having problems is either mis use or not kowing how to analyze situation properly.

with nay new technology people need to know how to use it the right way before it will work the right way before complaining tht it does not.