If you don't have a second phone line for your computer, by now you're
familiar with the one drawback of being online: Surfing the Web cripples
your incoming calls. No doubt single-line households have tried curfews,
time limits, and perhaps even old-fashioned fistfights to try to fix
this modern problem.
Of course, there are other options. Your phone company offers internal voicemail, but this can cost up to $15 a month, and you don't know if you've missed a call until you disconnect and pick up your phone receiver. Fortunately, there are now a number of online messaging services that offer a fittingly Web-based solution for a small fee.
CallWave have dubbed their software "The Internet Answering Machine." It's a small, ad-based, no-frills application that is easy to use and free. If you're online when you get a call, your caller is asked to leave a brief message, which shows up on your Callwave Toolbar. The program downloads in just a few minutes and you're on your way.
eVoice has a free ad-driven service like CallWave and a premium service upgrade for $1.95 a month. Premium subscribers enjoy toll-free voice messaging between eVoice users, the ability to forward voice messages to anybody with an e-mail address via RealAudio attachments, and other cool and convenient features.
Pagoo bills itself as "the answer to missed calls while you're online," thanks to their "Call Catcher" feature. In addition to hearing your voicemail online, you also have the option to retrieve messages via the telephone -- ideal for road warriors. Pagoo offers a 30-day free trial and thereafter, the service costs $3.95 a month.
BuzMe presents the cutest mascot of virtual answering machine services and ups the ante with new features. For their ad-driven free service, you can either retrieve voicemail or reject calls. If you upgrade to their premium service ($4.95 a month) the ad banners are eliminated and you may record a greeting (such as "call me back in ten minutes") or if you'd prefer, the software will hang up your Net connection and let you take the call.
Thanks to these -- and, surely, more to come -- online messaging services you need not worry about missing an important business call and the kids can Instant Message each other until they collapse from exhaustion. Household harmony restored!
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