February 08, 2005
Product microreview: BT Communicator
What it is: BT’s PC VoIP client that comes bundled with the UK version of Yahoo! Messgenger. Calls get billed to your home phone. Supposedly takes incoming calls, buy I rarely get those on my landline unless it’s telemarketing crap.
What it looks like:
What I like about it:
- Good sound quality.
- No need to worry about pre-paid balances. Just keep talking.
- Ability to call numbers normally only reachable from inside UK wherever I am.
- Integrates with Yahoo address book.
- Can place tolled calls away from home without burdening host (parents, friends)
- Gives out home caller ID, with optional block (cool!)
- Clear itemised billing, easy to expense
What I dislike about it:
- Expensive call charges
- Can’t cope with loss of Internet connection; have to re-start app
- Hopeless with NAT, UPnP firewalls
- Stupid log-in screen that asks if you have dial-up or broadband (just ping and guess, guys!)
- No integration with Yahoo! login
- Non-BT customers of Yahoo! UK pissed off by being forced to upgrade to version with BT communicator
- Zero incremental features beyond PSTN
- Can’t get BT 1571 voicemail remotely (as if I was at home) without paying extra; but can’t easily subscribe to the feature when away from home (needs BT account # which I can’t remember ‘cos it’s in a drawer AT HOME)
- Can’t even see if there’s voicemail waiting
- Doesn’t integrate with PC well — no options on audio input, doesn’t intelligently deal with things like speaker muted or microphone not plugged in, can’t access Windows address book
Overall opinion
It’s a useful program for extending the reach of your home phone, and good enough despite some rough edges. I use it for business calls away from home because I’ve experienced mixed results with SkypeOut. Hardly the wave of the future, but better than nothing.
Posted by Martin Geddes at 08:48 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
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I read today on The Reg that only 35,000 of the 2.5million people who downloaded it have actually registered to use it.
I also heard rumours recently that Skype are looking at wireless so maybe the VoIP wi-fi mobile ain't that far away now?
Personally, I wish they'd all get over the cost of peering over other networks and get some decent IP networks in worldwide so we can break the "charge by bit, inch or second" model once and for all and just communicate!
Posted by: at February 10, 2005 02:17 AM