# How well does Magic Jack work?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 23, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073 "2010-04-23T02:24:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/21 "2010-04-23T17:49:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Thanks for the answers, everybody. I don’t think Skype is for me. I want a replacement for my landline, and Skype isn’t it. They even have a disclaimer on their website. No 911, for one thing. Ooma sounds good, I just need to get together $349 for the equipment. There is still a monthly fee, but those are regulatory fees and 911 fees, and still quite miniscule. Less than $3.50 a month. That’s not bad. The only turn off for me about Magic Jack would be pop-ups on my PC. Are they really that intrusive? Would I see them over top of my browser?
IIRC, Magic jackndoesnt have e911 either.
---
### Author:  [@pantheon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantheon)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/22 "2010-04-23T19:15:58Z")
I’ve been using MagicJack for two years. It is a bit annoying loading at start-up (takes way longer than any other app), and you have to kill the process to stop it- there’s no way to simply exit. I’m also on crappy DSL and notice audio quality issues when multi-tasking, although it is fine if I’m not doing anything else bandwidth-intensive. I was also not able to get a local number, but the intent was for outbound long-distance anyway…If the connection freezes up (i.e. if I have to reboot DSL modem/wireless router, etc.), I have to often physically eject and replace MJ set in USB drive to restart it. Very occasionally I have to run the bug-fix/update (expected).
On the plus side- it is dirt cheap. If used alone, the sound quality is fine. I love that it takes VM and emails me a sound file of the message. I do take it traveling. If you don’t have a cellphone, it can be a life-saver if you can jump on public wifi somewhere to call someone (saved me lot of hassle at an airport after a mis-communication about being picked up). The address book, stored numbers, etc. are basic but very convenient and useful. It allowed me to shut off long-distance on the landline. And now that I just got a cell, I’m going to kill the landline and go cable internet, and MJ is coming with me. 🙂 I was pleasantly surprised at how much value I get from it for $20/yr.
---
### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/23 "2010-04-23T19:32:29Z")
Now that we’ve got that settled,
**How well does [Magic Dick](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Dick) work?**
---
### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/24 "2010-04-23T19:44:58Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> Now that we’ve got that settled,
>
> **How well does [Magic Dick](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Dick) work?**
It also has popups.
---
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/25 "2010-04-23T20:29:37Z")
> [@Lightnin](#):
>
> It also has popups.
Well played, Sir!
As an addition: “Voodoo dick my ass!”
---
### Author:  [@rayman5321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayman5321)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/26 "2010-04-23T21:19:01Z")
Magic Jack is a sometimes thing. Keep your cell phone or landline.
---
### Author:  [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/27 "2010-04-23T22:14:46Z")
RE: 911
MJ does have 911 service … of a sort. When you open the account you can give any name and address you like (Notice that you don’t have to choose a local number – if you live in Oregon and want a New York phone number, you can do that.) It will attempt to provide 911 service to that address but doesn’t guarantee it will work … and, of course, if you listed a Pennsylvania address but are using it to make and receive calls (Yes, your mother can call you as a local number anywhere you happen to go) in a hotel room in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, well …
There are some very definite conveniences to this thing if you think about it.
And BTW, you don’t have to travel with your own computer. You can plug it into any computer anywhere, internet cafe or library or such.
---
### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/28 "2010-04-24T02:38:54Z")
They have numbers in my area code, so it’ll be local, won’t it? As for keeping my cell phone, yes I’ve stated I intend to, and I do want to replace my landline. That’s the intent of using Magic Jack in the first place.
---
### Author:  [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/29 "2010-04-24T04:02:15Z")
I don’t know if there’s a way to see what numbers are available until you actually plug the thing and set up an account. I live in a very small town in a rural area and was able to get a number that is a local call but the number is for an exchange for a town a little over 20 miles away … that works well for my privacy freak paranoia.
I found the [Unofficial magicJack forum](http://www.magicjacksupport.com/) to be much more useful than the actual MJ site. Lots of info and tricks like using it without the USB dongle, disabling the pop-up, etc.
---
### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073/30 "2010-04-24T09:06:51Z")
No, that’s fine if the number isn’t in my town, Tucson. As long as it’s in the 520 area code and not a long distance call for people in Tucson to call me.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-well-does-magic-jack-work/537073.md?page=1)