Vonage or Magic Jack

[Angel7422 0]

My husband and I are trying to decide whether to purchase Vonage or Magic Jack so we can send it to our family in Egypt. My husband hasn't seen his family in about 4 years and I thought that if we had a better way for him to talk to them more often it was lessen the degree of missing them. The calling card is getting to be too expensive because my husband has so many family members he would like to call and the calling card doesn't last long enough for him to have a good conversation with each of them. I saw some advertisements for Vonage on tv and heard of comments about Magic Jack and I'm at a dilemma as to which to choose. So I come to MENA to ask for your advice. Please vote in the above poll and post the reason for your choice. I don't do polls very often so please excuse if I dont do this poll correctly.

[ArubaDolphin 0]

Hi

I have callcentric.com

and i ordered online an unlocked voip adapter

they have packages for incoming separated from outgoing

and your computer doesn't need to be one i think that is the best thing it works like a regular phone

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Several people from MENA mentioned Magic Jack to me. Dont know much about it other than they said its great in price and works for them. Its something thats been on my mind too. I want a cheaper phone bill but still able to talk often with his family in Egypt. This is a good topic

[ArubaDolphin 0]

calls with callcentric are $.12 a minute to home phones $.11 to cell phone

I have a voip adapter outside the us with a designated us number which i pay $5.95 a month for

and a pay as you go account i pay $.02 cents a minute to calls to the us

My husband has my us number in his favorites in t-mobile cell phone

so calls he receives from me are free for him and i pay $.02 a minute

or i ask him to call me back and its for him free and for me free since with the 5.95 its unlimited incoming free

Next to that we already got more adapters for my mom and aunts and in network calling are free.

[Henia 11]

Throu recommendation given here by some of the VJ ladies, I ordered a Magic Jack, which arrived before Xmas ... it costed $40 plus shipping. yearly $20 fee was included with the special. I have a 734 area code now, so I can call my mum and vice versa. I personally, feel it a product worth buying. There is no customer service, you have to have your PC on at all times and little difficult to install but for the price it is well worth it. O yes, also in the Terms it says there is a limit to your unlimited calling ... from reading all the reviews the limit lays somewhere between 3-5 hours of calls daily ... so LOL I am no where near that!

Edited January 14, 2009 by Henia

[Tunisia216 2]

I have used and like them both, but I guess the real difference for some people is whether or not your over seas relatives have a computer at home.

Both Magic Jack and Vonage require an internet connection, BUT Vonage does not need a computer, where as Magic Jack needs a computer to operate.

I have some family in Tunisia using Vonage because they do not have a home computer. The price as well as having no idea how to work it. So the Vonage works for them because getting internet at home was fast/ cheap / easy and the Vonage can plug right into it.

But for those who have a computer and are computer savvy enough to install it, I think that Magic Jack is a better option. Over all it's a lot cheaper than Vonage. You are going to pay monthly $25 at least with Vonage and Magic Jack it's just $20 a year.

The quality with both is GREAT. It just really depends on your personal situation ; the relatives, if they have a computer, if they can use the computer well enough to install the Magic Jack program, and what you want to spend monthly / yearly on the service.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Ash * Habibati

[Muh and me 18]

In 2007 before Kamal got here, his brother is from San Deigo, brought in Vonage for them. It works good. We've had no problems with it. And its like dialing CA for us and doesn't cost us anything to call morocco. His brother pays $25. a month for it..

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I think I'm going to go with magic jack. Annie recommended it.

[Nothing1234 2]

Aww Liv...ur the sweetest!

Magic Jack is the best and most affordable if you are a "yapper" like myself and our family. We are constantly talking w/ Egypt. I am thinking now to send one to my friend from Egypt who just moved to Austria (because i can't get her over our families home to yap anymore..) We are spending TOOO much money texting and on phone cards. I'd prefer talking w/ her and her family! I miss her alot

[Aymsgirl 0]

I just bought Magic Jack on Sunday and received it yesterday. We tested it out with our cell at home and so far no problems. My husband will be taking it to EG to call home next week while he is there.

[amal 4]

Magic jack all the way (if u have internet connection) It ROCKS! 20 bux a year for unlimited calling to ur fim-fam over seas...with reception that sounds like they're in the same room....It's been a total god send to us! Saved us literally THOUSANDS of dollars already!

[nunyab 0]

got a question about MJ so i was looking at getting it can they move it from computer to computer and then what happens if they use it to call someplace other than the u.s.? say like England will that cause international rates or is there a block?

[Nothing1234 2]

got a question about MJ so i was looking at getting it can they move it from computer to computer and then what happens if they use it to call someplace other than the u.s.? say like England will that cause international rates or is there a block?

You can only call the US and Canada thats it. And its all included for that price.

[Badrs Love 0]

I've tried both. We have Vonage at the house in Morocco and I tried to setup MJ at his aunt's house. I couldn't get MJ to work there. I don't know if it was becuase her connection was slower than dirt or a defective MJ. So family just comes over to Badr's house to borrow the Vonage phone. I loved it during the visa filing process because I could go online and download all of our conversations for the interview. It came in really handy.

[Angel7422 0]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, it is a big help to know everyones opinion. My husband wants to try MJ because its cheaper but me I'm just looking for something thats good in price and will work with our family's (in Egypt) computer and internet connection. With the way the economy is now and work hours being cut we would like something thats price conscious. I have heard some good things about Vonage but $25/mth is a bit much to pay on top of our own bills. Another thing I wonder is if their computer would be sufficient enough to handle whichever product we choose whether it be Vonage or MJ.

Please keep the comments and voting coming.