I just thought I would mention this to everyone because it is certainly a good deal for those of us who have computers with microphones. We just found out about a website www.phonefree.com which allows you to dial other people with computers and microphones anywhere in the U.S. and there is no charge. It works like the internet does. We signed up for it yesterday and it works just fine. You just download the software to your computer and then you can use it.

A second website I just heard about is www.dialpad.com. This one says that you can use your computer to call someone who only has a phone and no computer and it is free. I learned about this one from my agency's computer person so I would say that it is probably okay although I haven't done it yet myself.

I don't get anything for bringing in new people on either site but wanted to make sure you all knew about this so you can save on your phone bills. I have a feeling that this won't last too long as the phone companies will start fighting it because they will be losing money like crazy. I noticed our Bell telephone just raised their monthly fee by a little less than $3.00. They are probably trying to recover from the money they are losing to the internet.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), April 28, 2000

Answers

Colleen, we had Dialpad, and will probably get it again (I had to clean up my computer and haven't re-downloaded everything I had on it), but it doesn't work all that great for long-distance. The only real use we were getting from it was when someone called while we were on-line (local call and we have Pagoo, which is a call forwarding service for calls that come in while you are on-line) then we could call right back without going off line. With long distance connections, we could usually hear the other person fine (they were talking into their phone) but they would have a hard time hearing us talking into the computer, and it tended to break up. So I think it will be a while before that will be any real competition to the phone companies. I haven't tried the other service you mention, but suspect it won't work any better, as the problem is in the connection rather than the software (I think!). I will be interested to hear how other people have liked these things, though.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 28, 2000.

We use dialpad regularly. Buy a cheap headset (we've used $4 & $10 ones) and you will have less echo and other delay problems. And turn off your speakers and other mike while on dialpad. They have hints for specific systems on-line. They upgrade their services regularly. I use it for in state long distance as well as out-of-state calls.

-- Anne (healthyTouc101@hotmail.com), April 28, 2000.

Along these lines... I'm looking for something like what Kathleen mentioned above, that takes messages while your on net. I've been told it lets you know right away when someones calling so you can respond right away? I didn't know where to look for any of these things.

Any help on this also?

-- Novina West (lamb@stellarnet.com), April 29, 2000.

Novina, do a search for Pagoo. It isn't free, though they do give you the software and the first month of service free, the telephone company charges $1.35/month for call forwarding, and Pagoo charges about $3.95/month, paid on a by-the-year basis. I thought it was worth it, although sometimes people are a little disconcerted by the message! (Pagoo comes on first with a little blurb, which I'm going to see if we can get rid of, then your message comes on.)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 29, 2000.

We pay almost $4.50 for the phone company's "mailbox" (or answering service) so that ANY time we are using the phone (conversation or computer) people calling get our own message (no ads). The "phone is busy" message can be separate from the "we're not home" message if you want. No need for other phone company extras with this service. We never miss a call. And don't have to interrupt a call to take another. We love it. Even gave up our standard answering machine and can easily access calls while away from home.

-- Anne (Healthtytouch101@hotmail.com), April 29, 2000.

Check out CallWave. This is a free internet answering machine. You do have to pay your local phone company $1.35 per month for the 'busy call forwarding' service, but the 'CallWave' download is free. We have been using it for months and it will ring right into your computer so you know immediately when someone is calling. However, you can't disconnect as soon as you hear the ring and expect to pick up the call coming in. It won't work. Just let the message play back to you so you know who called (it will do so automatically), and then you have the option of disconnecting and calling them back or ignoring it if you so desire.

-- Tammy (btawilliams@juno.com), May 01, 2000.