How do I use my computer as an Answering Machine?

DUMB OLD ANSWERING MACHINE

• Well, it's not really the answering machine that is dumb, but I AM. There is a luddite crisis going on here or my ADD is really flaring up. My telephone answering machine is broken and after 20 years, it doesn't make sense to repair it. I have a terrible time understanding directions and am desperate to know which newer answering machine is not only a reliable one, but which one has the easiest directions to understand how to use. DIRECTIONS DRIVE ME NUTS! The only thing that I know how to do on the computer is use the Internet and that is because I use AOL, which every one knows is for DUMMIES.(This is one of those times that I could use a smart eight year old around the house.)Please help! Thanks, Yesmam

• Answer:

  Howdy, yesmam! Stand-alone answering machines that are relatively simple seem to be headed for extinction, but I found descriptions of some units that I hope will meet your needs. Here are some answering machines that sound as if they don't resemble rocket science in their learning-curves: "I used this answering machine to replace my $8 a month voice-mail from the phone company. I have no major complaints from this great product, and it's even a cool looking see-through blue. Very easy to set up and operate, and I was pleasantly surprised that accessing messages remotely is as easy as with voice-mail. Very intuitive voice-prompted instructions on how to skip, delete, or save messages." GeoReviews: Casio TA114 Digital Answering Machine http://www.georeviews.com/Casio-TA114-Digital-Answering-Machine_L50261/ "Offers a no-fuss way to receive calls while you're busy or not at home. It's simple to use, and holds up to 8 minutes of record time. Listen to messages from a touch-tone phone when away from the house, and there's no tape to replace!" TWA at Home: General Electric Digital Answering Machine http://www.twaathome.com/Catalog/Model_GE-29888GE1.htm "The AT&T 1717 is a tiny answering machine, so it takes up little desk space. It's extremely easy to use, whether recording an outgoing message or playing back incoming messages. Setting the day/time is easy as well. It's the kind of answering machine that your non-techie grandma would have no problem using. I don't use other features like any of the remote possibilities: room monitoring, turning the machine off/on, recording new messages. If I haven't made it clear, all I want is something that will answer the phone and record messages without mangling them or losing them. The bottom line is that it is a very simple answering machine. It's easy to use and has acceptable sound quality. One can screen calls, selectively save or delete them, skip or replay messages, and attach a time/day stamp to messages. It's capable of recording up to 12 minutes (which would be an exhaustive amount of messages). Unless some one is unusually fussy or has special requirements, I'd recommend this as a solid little answering machine." Epinions: AT&T 1717 Digital Answering Machine http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-656-2745D12F-3A21EED3-prod5 "Intuitive, not bulky, clear... I got this answering machine as a gift, and I've really like it. 100% better than my old static recorder! It's very intuitive... I think this is a good answering machine for anyone who does not like to read instruction manuals. The only thing you have to look in the manual for is your remote access code." Epinions: Panasonic KX TM100 Digital Answering Machine http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5DB7-35CD3252-3A0FFAE1-prod6 This last one is much higher in price, but the description and the photo of the unit (scroll down the page to see it) are very appealing to me, as a fumble-fingered person with a hearing loss. GREAT BIG OL' BUTTONS. Yay! "The Easy Recall Answering Machine from Ameriphone provides a powerful amplifier together with a high fidelity speaker, which produce loud and clear sound, without any distortion, so you can hear every word. Adjustable Tone Control lets you hear and distinguish between similar sounding words, so you'll have no more unclear messages. Provides large, easy-to-see buttons for simple operation." Just Bekuz: Telephone Amplifiers http://www.justbekuz.com/telephones_amplifiers.htm Google Web Search: "answering machine" "simple to use" -software ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22answering+machine%22+%22simple+to+use%22+-software Google Web Search: "answering machine" "easy to use" -software ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22answering+machine%22+%22easy+to+use%22+-software] Google Web Search: "answering machine" "ease of use" -software ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22answering+machine%22+%22ease+of+use%22+-software I hope I'm on the right track here. If one of these sounds good to you, I'll be glad to go on a hunt for a good price online. Just let me know. I was hoping to find a "Hello Kitty" answering machine, but apparently that market hasn't been tapped yet. ;-) Best, Pink