Fee-free local and long distance service-no monthly charges!
not rich, into finding great deals online, budget conscious, reliant on my phone, doing careful research, Every day computer user, impressed with this product, practical
show all »
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
NOV
17
2007
Ooma is a sleek device with a sophisticated design that is easy to set-up and use to provide unlimited local and long distance service through a broadband internet connection. By simply connecting the Ooma device to your broadband modem and a regular (wired or wireless) telephone, you may make all the local and long distance (within US) calls you want and not pay another dime - no monthly (or even yearly) phone bills ever again!
Ooma, in many ways, is a game changing/revolutionary device when it comes to telecommunications from the home. How so? Think about it, no monthly or yearly bills from a phone company (Ma Bell or VOIP), and to top it off, no taxes and fees on those fees!
You might ask, if the maker of Ooma doesn't charge a monthly service, how do they make money? Well, the catch is, they sell the Ooma device for $399 until January 1, 2007 when the introductory offer expires and the price goes back up to the regular price of $599. There is also an optional companion device called a Scout that is sold for $39.99 which enables you to take advantage of the second phone line capability of your Ooma device.
After doing the math, the high price isn't so bad. How much are your phone bills for 1 year? Most people spend over $200 and many spend more than $500 or even $600 a year (for those unlimited long distance plans with voicemail and caller ID). I figure for 2 phone lines and unlimited local and long distance service, I will break even in less than one year's time when compared to conventional (copper-wire) phone service with two lines (in my case this would be AT&T). When compared to traditional VOIP service (like Vonage), I will break even with Ooma a little over one year. After the breaking even point, I will start saving money monthly, potentially adding up to hundreds of dollars a year (and possibly as much as and potentially more than $600 a year).
I've had Ooma for almost two months now and must say it has exceeded my typically high expectations. Call clarity is excellent (as I understand it, Ooma uses advanced algorithm in their software to offer superior call quality). Prior to my purchase of the device, I tried the VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) service Lingo, a competitor to the larger VOIP service Vonage, and before that, had Comcast's now discontinued digital phone service. I had nothing but trouble with Lingo, going through 3 levels of technical support, spending literally hours and hours on my cellphone eating up valuable minutes, to no avail.
So what do you get out of the box? When we received the package, Ooma came in very cool black cubed boxes. They remind me of the type of packaging those iPhones and other high-end products come in; yes, extravagent and a bit over the top comes to mind, but very befitting of the sophisticated design of the Ooma device. The packaging aside, the Ooma device is wedged shape like what used to be a high-end answering machine. The way it's shaped and the physical quality is almost like a modern piece of art. The few buttons there are, are large and "sculpted" as part of Ooma device; there are no broken lines to ruin the aesthetics. The companion device, called the Scout, is the size of a very small answering machine. There design for both Ooma and the Scout are simple, there's volume control, a dimmer switch for the online indicator, the phone line and voicemail buttons.
How does Ooma work? Over the summer, Ooma the company sent out 1500 Ooma boxes all over the country. These beta testers connected these Ooma boxes to their conventional telephone line and form the basis for the Ooma VOIP network. Simply put, Ooma uses a peer-to-peer model. Instead of routing your calls to some central telephone switch or telecom server, it is routed through the internet via your broadband connection to another Ooma box near the destination of your call. Your phone call then is routed via the conventional phone line (that is connected to the Ooma box) to your destination number. Each new Ooma may be (but isn't required) to connect to a conventional phone line, but those that do add to the Ooma network. Those that do, have a backup line (in case either their broadband connection goes down or the power goes down).
What else is so cool about Ooma? What sets Ooma apart from traditional phone and VOIP phone is no monthly bills, but what sets Ooma apart from the PC based voip-like services such as skype is, you can connect a regular phone or wireless phone to it. We have a 5.8ghz 3 handset phone system connected to it and later on added a 4 handset Dect phone system to the scout unit.
Need to make international calls? Very inexpensive international rates are available for literally pennies a minute (on a pre-paid basis).
I just learned, by visiting the Ooma website, right now they are offering free shipping in addition to the introductory discounted price.
Finally, the feeling of freedom from the monthly phone bill and unlimited phone calls is priceless. Also Ooma has promised they have plans for additional features in the future. I can't wait to see what innovative functionality awaits!
Last edited on Nov 26, 2007
- Palo Alto, CA is recommended by berova
Comments about berova’s Review
