# Digital Phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418 "2000-03-10T20:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418/1 "2000-03-10T20:43:00Z")
This thread is related to the similar topic, but I am starting a new thread to keep both questions from being hijakced. The other thread is here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/006442.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/006442.html) OK. I have never heard of a digital phone, I initially thought the poor guy was mistakenly describing a pusle-dial phone, but apparently he isn’t. The phone descirbed sounds so poorly laid out and un-user-friendly, it is shocking that many have described it as a “new-fangled” technology. I’m familiar with digital cellular phones, but they operate identically to analog ones IME. Can someone explain who would opt for this technology (which sounds expensive) and what benefits (other than encumbering their employees) it is supposed to provide? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418/2 "2000-03-10T20:50:00Z")
Many PBX (private branch exchange) systems use digital signals instead of analog. This allows all sorts of sophisticated features but makes the line incompatible with analog modems. The fact that the phone in question was poorly designed is a whole different matter. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418/3 "2000-03-10T21:02:00Z")
Well, the new fangled Siemens phones that I referred to in that other thread aren’t really THAT bad for business phones. They’re actually kind of cool. The only thing that sucks is that you can’t use the line to plug an analog modem into, other then that our digital phone system here doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad as the OP described in that other thread. The advantages of these phones are that calls can be transferred, conference calls made, voice-mail, call-forwarding, caller-ID, and a bunch of other stuff I still haven’t figured out how to use. My favorite feature of these phones is that all you have to do to start a call is dial the digits and the speakerphone kicks in automatically. ---
**Author:** ![A\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@A\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_girl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418/4 "2000-03-10T21:32:00Z")
Can anything be done about improving the signal of a digital phone? I have that one-rate phone thingy, and I was going to use my cell phone as my main phone line and use the phone line in my apt for my computer… well the stupid cell phone won’t work in my apt!!! ARG! A girl ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-phone/8418/5 "2000-03-11T03:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by voltaire: > \*\* The only thing that sucks is that you can’t use the line to plug an analog modem into, other then that our digital phone system here doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad as the OP described in that other thread. > \*\* Oh man, do I have a nice toy for you. It SOLVES this problem, and lets you create an analog line in any office that uses PBX software, REGARDLESS of the make of the phones. It is called a LineStein, and it’s sold by Hello Direct. I have one, it is flawless, small, and it decoded the PBX codes for that particular phone system. You want to move to some other office building tomorrow, with another client? In less than 20 seconds, it can re-learn a new PBX code. I dont sell these, I’m not trying to pimp em out, but I am REALLY glad I found this thing. It goes for about $ 119.00… [HelloDirect.com](http://HelloDirect.com), or 1-800-444-3556. I’ve used it all over the USA, and never had it NOT De-Code the PBX code for that offices phones. Instant modem access. Hope I don’t get in trouble for offering this info, I don’t know the policy on that kind of thing here. Just trying to be helpful 🙂 Cartooniverse * * * If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel.