Using my computer as a telephone

Ridiculous

I am so sick of all of this VOIP crap...


I have cheap telephone service and a modem...why can i not use a headset through my computer...it should be a rather simple program, I just do not know how to code!


Somebody answer our prayers...i dont want to call through the internet...but through my pre-existing phone line!

quick edit:

Also...I want to emphasize that I want to use my HEADSET...not have the computer dial to pick up a HANDSET

internet phone

there's a new phone system that just came out recently in the last year called Magic Jack . It's located in the states. You send away for the usb device ( plugs into the back of your computer in usb port ) that plugs into your computer and it gives you phone service over your existing phone or you can use the computer phone device and headphones and talk on the phone that way. The first year for this service and the device is 39.95 ( u.s. funds) the second year on is 19.95( u.s. funds) . You are issued a U.S. phone number and can call free of charge anyone in U.S. or Canada .There is a small fee fro European calls. I'm just using this and my cell phone for any calls I make . Oh and the usb device can go anywhere you do including on your laptop and be used as your phone .

magic jack is just another type of VOIP phone. Perhaps a little better than some in terms of hardware. I have used vonage in the past, but I discovered that I really didn't need it and I have switched totally over to cellular stateside. Here in Iraq, I use Skype.

-to rabblerouser - you use a headset with skype

Question
Subject: Use PC to Emulate a Phone
Category: Computers > Software
Asked by: dougbates-ga
List Price: $5.00 Posted: 10 Nov 2006 20:00 PST
Expires: 10 Dec 2006 20:00 PST
Question ID: 781793

I would like to use my PC (running XP) to emulate a traditional phone
and hook up to a PSTN landline. The computer has a modem with a
standard phone rj-ll jack. Is there a free or very cheap piece of
software that would allow me to do this?

IOW, I want my landline to ring my computer, not my phone handset. I
want to use my computer and headset to dial out over my landline.

Just about any VOIP service will do this. I hooked up a regular phone to a Vonage router when I used that service. Many cable companies that provide broadband also provide voip services. You can call out on a computer as well, but why? A regular phone will work better.

I know this is an old thread... but i ran across this and thought it might be useful to anybody who was still looking

freedownloadscenter.com/Information_Management/Contact_Management_Tools/MyPhone_Book_Dialer_Reviews.html