While a lot of companies are going down the mobile internet telephony route –
with Skype handsets and the like – Vonage has come up with this nifty little
phone on a stick (a USB stick that is) that turns your laptop into low-cost
phone and virtual office.
Set-up could not be easier - you just take the lid off the USB stick and plug
it into a USB port. The software then launches itself from the stick.
Dialling is via an on-screen virtual keypad and you can dial by typing the
numbers in or by clicking with your mouse.
The supplied headset, comprising a pair of ear buds, a microphone bead and a
clip to attached it to your clothing, plugs into the side of the USB stick.
Call quality is the key issue with any device of this type. Some clipping of
voices is evident but does not overly impact on the ability to hold a
conversation. Crucially, there were none of the dropped calls or loss of
sound that affect some early internet telephony implementations.
One cool feature is that the V-Phone has an assigned virtual landline
telephone number – in the case of this review unit, a central London 020 7
one. This means that anyone can call you , wherever you happen to be, by
calling this number. It’s a handy way for your contacts to call you without
racking up huge bills and also a way to pretend you have an office in
central London, even if you live in the depths of the countryside.
Voicemail is supplied so if your laptop is switched off or you don’t have the
USB stick plugged in, you won’t miss a call.
A plan which gives unlimited calls to landlines in the UK and Ireland costs
£7.99 a month. Calls to mobiles in the UK costs from 5p to 15p a minute,
depending on whether you call on or off-peak. International rates to the
major overseas countries cost a few pence a minute.
The system works through a broadband internet connection, either wireless or
wired, so you’ll be able to use the V-Phone in plenty of places. However,
remember that some hotspot providers, notably T-Mobile ban the use of
internet telephony services like this from their networks.
The spec
Needs: 300MHz processor, Windows 98 SE, 256MB RAM (Windows XP) or higher
The hype
They say: Unlimited calls from any PC to any phone number.
The reality
We say: £7.99 for a monthly plan with unlimited UK and Ireland landline calls
seems pricy, especially given that the quality is not as good as say Virgin
Media’sTalk Unlimited, which costs £9.95, and that you have to have a
broadband internet connection to use it Call quality is very good for this
sort of device and the ability to have people call you on a fixed landline
number is very cool.
The bottom line
£19.99 plus monthly plan from £7.99 from Vonage
The verdict
Good if you’re doing lots of international travelling. It’s a lot more hassle
than having a mobile phone on you but a whole lot cheaper.
The roadwarrior rating
7 out of 10
