NEW CORDLESS PHONE LOOKS GREAT, USES PC
There are so many great computer technology gifts available this
year and I hope I've given you some good ideas in my past columns.
I'd like to add one more for you to consider and it begins with a
telephone. Cordless seems to be the way to go these days and there
are hundreds of models literally bristling with buttons, antennas
and display screens from which you can choose. But most of them lack
one
 thing
and that's style.
OK, so I know that style is in the mind of the beholder. But I think
that most of you will admit that when it comes to cordless phones,
most of them are pretty mediocre. When was the last time you heard
someone say "Wow, your cordless phone looks great."? In my quest to
find a great-looking cordless phone, I could only come up with two
models. The first one is from Bang & Olufson. Their BeoCom 1 and
BeoCom 2 models are to die for. The BeoCom 2, sometimes referred to
as "the banana phone" is gorgeous but comes with an equally gorgeous
price tag of $750 per phone plus an additional $200 for the base
station.
Looking for a beautiful cordless phone that could be purchased by
the rest of us who live in the real world proved to be more of a
challenge but I found it and it comes from VTech. Their i5871
cordless phone may not be quite as beautiful as the B&O models but
it comes close enough, especially with a $199.95 price tag for the
base station and one handset. Each additional handset (i5808) and
stand goes for $99.95. Before I delve into the more mundane
specifications and how it uses a computer to enhance its abilities,
let's talk about style.
Both base station as well as the extension handsets sit upon a
brushed stainless steel base supported by four little legs with tiny
feet that stand apart in a braced stance. The base station's readout
glows with an orange color. The cordless phones when standing on
their stands cause a milky white ring to light up and emit a warm
glow that encircles the phone and signifies that the unit is
charging its rechargeable battery. The phone's screen is a full
color lighted display that displays a variety of different built-in
wallpapers or animations such as a lightning bolt that continues to
flicker. The thing is really easy on the eyes.
It's also easy on the ears as well. Each handset along with the base
station (you can expand it by adding up to 7 other handsets) can act
as a full duplex speaker phone. I found the audio quality to be very
clear, thanks to VTech's Sound Select equalizer that lets you adjust
the bass, midrange and treble for the sound best suited to your
ears.
The 5871 uses the latest 5.8 GHz digital spread spectrum technology
plus they're WiFi friendly which means you can use them along with
your wireless network without the fear of interference.
The included USB 2.0 cable lets you plug the phones directly into
your Windows PC. The included software lets you copy the 100 name
and number Caller-ID phone book from one phone into another as well
as backing it up to the computer just in case. The included software
also lets you upload additional wall papers, pictures and sounds
that can be used as ring tones, all of which can be associated to a
particular Caller-ID phone number. So for example, when your mom
calls, you can make the phone automatically display her picture as
well as her voice that might say "Darling, pick up the phone!" as
the ring tone. It even has a built-in microphone so that you can
record a ring tone directly into the phone.
VTech's i5871 has the usual list of ordinary features plus a few
more that make it stand out. But the best part in my opinion is its
style. If you're looking to upgrade your phone system and want it to
look as good as it sounds, then the 5871 is ready to speak to you.
www.vtechphones.com |
