Magic Jack Beats VOIP, Undercuts Landlines

Even if you don't have a cell phone number, you can still ditch the landline in a couple different ways.

Landlines are the best for sound quality, but that's about it. Users pay nearly the same monthly fee for a cell phone, but they can't call from further than their cordless phone reaches. Also unlike cell phones -- most of which have free long distance calling -- fees for calling out of state, region or country are huge.

So, people have turned to other sources such as VOIP and the Magic Jack.

VOIP services got popular as soon as people started getting fast internet. Taking advantage of the high-speed internet connections, VOIP uses cyberspace as a telephone line. There are two types of VOIP online and landline-based. Landline users still pay a monthly fee for services but never have to pay an additional fee for long distance service. Online users of services like Lingo or Skype don't have to pay a fee.

The downside with VOIP is the quality, and landline users are still bound to their house, and aren't paying that much less than a normal landline. And online users must install the programs each time they want to make a call -- making it tough to make a call on the go.

Magic Jack was designed to use VOIP technology, but be extremely portable, like a cell phone.
Designed by the retired owner of a communications giant, the Magic Jack gets users on the phone in seconds, without any installation and costs under $20 a year. Old colleagues of Dan Borislow, the inventor of Magic Jack, are likely cursing him for under cutting them so bad.

The invention recently celebrated a year on the market and will soon be sold in brick-and-mortar stores. Magic Jack reviews say the company provides ideal call quality and top-notch customer service. Many current users said they wanted to find a cell phone number but tried the Magic Jack first and stuck with it.