What is a Magic Jack?

One of the bills I complain about quite frequently is my phone bill. I have even more recently included “I Will Resolve My Phone Situation” on my 2010 To Do List, meaning I will either change plans, get a different phone or figure out how to communicate with my friends and family via morse code in order to lower my phone expenses.

Could the Magic Jack be an answer to #2 on my To Do List? In case you’re wondering, the Magic Jack is a small device you plug a phone into and then connect it to your computer and you can make phone calls. The cost of the Magic Jack is around $40.00 at Best Buy, which includes service for a year, and then it’s $20.00 per year after that.

The only issue I can see with this device is that you have to have an internet connection (not dial up obviously), and I would assume if your computer isn’t on or connected, you won’t get any phone calls. No big deal, to me.

To confuse us even more, I read today that Magic Jack has a device for cell phones now as well. This Magic Jack connects your internet to your cell phone, enabling cell phone calls without using any of your minutes. This one I’m not sure about as there’s a good chance that cell phone carriers are not going to be happy about this.

So, my question is: Is it worth trying out? Or is it just another expense (albeit a small one) that I’ll end up cutting from the budget anyway? How important is it that I be able to use a phone other than my cell phone at home? Obviously given the options I would not go back to a regular phone company for a landline and instead would try the Magic Jack. A landline costs at least $20 a month vs. the Magic Jack at $20 per year. No question which is the better choice.

I have included a video of a news piece that I found on Youtube. It gives you a better idea how it works. I’d also be interested in hearing from anyone that has tried the Magic Jack.

Let me know what you think!