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DIGITAL ANSWERING MACHINES
STANDFIRST
A telephone answering machine is a basic
necessity for the home office or a small business but what features do you
really need, and how much should you pay? Rick Maybury has been auditioning six
SoHo models, costing from £40 to £250
COPY
If you’re setting up a home office from
scratch, and you’re on a budget, don’t
cut corners when you come to buy the telephone answering machine. It’s tempting
to consider a cheap domestic machine, but many of them use a single tape
cassette for both the outgoing message (OGM) and incoming messages (ICM); they
can be painfully slow -- especially once a few messages have been recorded -- callers
can find the wait, whilst the tape shuttles back and forth, very irritating.
The alternative is digital recording, using
memory microchips instead of tape, to store audio. The quality used to be a bit
rough, and recording times were limited to only a few minutes but they have got
a lot better in the past year or two. Digital recording has one other big
advantage over tape, there’s no deterioration in the sound quality of OGMs or
ICMs over time. Since there are no moving parts to wear out, they are
inherently more reliable as well.
In addition to instant access and rapid
message replay, callers get an immediate response, recordings are time and date
stamped, and manufacturers can build in additional convenience features, that
are simply not possible using analogue tape technology.
Most low-cost answering machines are
stand-alone designs, that need to be used with an existing phone. On a crowded
desk it makes sense to get a combined telephone and telephone answering machine
or ‘TelTAM’. The majority of models have extra SoHo oriented features, such as
multiple number memories, one key dialling, hands-free operation, mute and hold
functions. Remote access is another common feature, allowing you to retrieve
messages when you’re away, moreover they’re generally easy to use, with
informative displays. We’ve brought together six models, they span a fairly
broad price range, which should give you a fair idea of what’s available.
AUDIOLINE TAM-937, £54.99
This smart-looking and remarkably compact
TelTAM is available in black or white which rightly suggests it is equally at
home in the living room or office. The digital recording memory has a 14-minute
capacity, which is okay for office use, provided you’re not going to be away
for too long. In any event it has full remote access, so messages can be
retrieved from any touch-tone phone.
Key TAM features include fast message
retrieval, date/time stamp, memo recording
and a pre-recorded OGM option, if you don’t want to use your own voice.
An LCD display shows the number of messages stored and the answering machine
can be remotely turned on, if you forgot to do it before going out.
Sound quality is quite reasonable and it is
easy to use. For small businesses with modest TAM requirements it is a very
good deal indeed.
Recording duration: 14 minutes
TAM features: voice prompts, time/date stamp,
memo recording, remote access, pre-recorded OGM, LCD display
Phone features: speakerphone, call timer,
clock, on-hook dialling, 13 number memories
Ease of use ****
Features ****
TAM quality ****
Transmission quality ****
Value ****
85%
Audioline, (Harry Moss), telephone (01527)
584584
BETACOM DIRECTOR, £44.99
Betacom have a good reputation for value for money telecomms products, that the
Director does nothing to tarnish. As the low price rightly suggests it is
fairly basic with only simple answering machine facilities and a fairly routine
list of telephone features, though Mercury compatibility is quite unusual at
this end of the market.
It’s also a neat design -- it looks very
businesslike in its grey/black livery -- and the logical and clearly labelled
controsl means it is very easy to use; no messing around with menus or
multi-function buttons. The only real limitation is the two number memory,
which seems a bit mean, even for domestic applications.
The recording system works reasonably well, voice
prompts tends to sound a bit nasal, however. On line audio quality is
satisfactory. It’s good value and performance is fine, it’s a shame about that mean
little 2-number memory, though.
BETACOM DIRECTOR
Recording duration 15 minutes
TAM features Voice prompts, message counter,
time/date stamp, remote access, memo recording
Phone features 2-one-touch number
memory, Mercury compatible, desk or wall moutnable
Ease of use ****
Features ***
TAM quality ***
Transmission quality ****
Value ****
80%
Betacom, telephone (01277) 208440
BT DIVERSE 1015, £229.99
The Diverse 1015 is one of two models in this
round-up to have a cordless handset. Bearing in mind the price, the answering
machine facilities appear to be quite basic, however, the cost is almost
entirely due to the fact that the cordless phone uses the latest DECT digital
technology, which has some interesting implications for SoHo users.
Extra handsets can be used, to which calls
can be transferred, or it can be used as an intercom so there’s no need to
install extension sockets. Unlike analogue cordless phones, calls cannot be
overheard, moreover range and quality are noticeably better (30 metres indoors,
300 metres outside). Each handset has a 10 number memory and the keypad is
backlit.
Two outgoing messages can be recorded,
recording capacity is a meagre 12 minutes. There is a message counter, and
remote access from a handset or an outside line, but that’s about it. Recorded
message quality is good and within the operating range it performs as well as a
normal phone. Worth considering if you have a use for the multiple handset
feature.
BT DIVERSE 1015
Recording duration 12 minutes
TAM features two
OGM, memo record, message count, remote access, time & date stamp
Phone features DECT cordless handset, 10 number memory, call barring,
use with multiple handsets for call transfer, intercom and paging
Ease of use ***
Features ***
TAM quality ****
Transmission quality *****
Value ****
78%
BT (0345) 908070
MORPHY RICHARDS TX271, £40
With a recommended selling price of just £40
the TX271 represents quite remarkable value for money. Admittedly it doesn’t
have as many bells and whistles as some of the other machines in this round up,
but those it does have are aimed at small business or home office use.
Recording time is 15 minutes, it can handle two OGMs and there’s an LED call
counter. Messages can be remotely accessed and it can record memos.
The phone has a 10 number memory and an
illuminated keypad. It is reasonably
compact and due to the simple design, it is very easy to set up and use. Morphy
Richards haven’t cut any corners on performance, normal line quality is good,
and although the digital recording system isn’t as crisp as tape, speech is perfectly
intelligible. It is modestly equipped but its fine for undemanding
applications, and you can’t argue with the price.
MORPHY RICHARDS TX271
Recording duration 15 minutes
TAM features time/date
stamp, remote access, voice prompts
Phone features 10 number memory, illuminated keypad
Ease of use ****
Features ***
TAM quality ***
Transmission quality ****
Value *****
88%
Morphy Richards, telephone (01709) 582402
PANASONIC KX-T2886, £179.95
Designed specifically for the small office
environment, the KX-T2886 has a wealth of features designed to make a homeworker’s
life easier. The TAM has two independent voice mailboxes with up to 30 minutes
recording time. The transfer facility is especially useful for those with a
mobile phone; it can be programmed to relay messages to another nominated
number, in addition all functions can be remotely accessed. Incoming messages
can be rapidly scanned -- it replays the first 5 seconds of each one -- and
each one is automatically time and date stamped.
The telephone functions are equally
comprehensive. It has a hands-free speakerphone facility, up to 8 numbers can
be programmed for one-touch dialling, it’s Mercury compatible there’s a hold
facility plus a clock and alarm.
Recorded sounds have a tremulous quality, and
it’s quite bassy but speech is intelligible. Normal phone audio quality is good
at both ends. Pricey, but superbly well equipped.
Panasonic KX-T2886
Recording duration: 30 minutes
TAM features: 2 voice mailboxes, message
scan, voice prompt, time/date stamp, message transfer, 2-way/memo recording,
remote access
Phone features: hands-free speakerphone,
8-number out-touch dialling, Mercury compatible, clock, alarm
Ease of use ****
Features *****
TAM quality ***
Transmission quality ****
Value ****
83%
Panasonic UK, telephone (0990) 357357
PHILIPS XALIO, £249.99
Xalio is different, it’s a digital cordless
telephone with a built-in answering machine facility, rather than the other way
around. It looks for all the world like a cellular telephone, the base unit has
just one button, all of the controls are on the handset, which also has a built
in speaker. In common with other DECT phones, the base station can be used with
additional handsets (up to 6). They can communicate with one another, like an
intercom, and even used as a baby monitor.
The TAM facilities are brief and to the
point; message capacity is limited to 12 minutes, and there’s a time/date
stamp, memo record facility and 3 voice mail boxes. Messages can be access from
any handset and retrieved remotely from a touch-tone phone. Sound quality is
good, there’s a small amount of warble but speech is good at both ends of the
line, within 30 to 50 metres of the base station. Expensive, and not especially
user-friendly but it is compact, a solid performer and worth considering if the
multi-handset facility can be put to good use.
PHILIPS XALIO
Recording duration 12 minutes
TAM features time/date
stamp, remote access (via handset and external touch-tone phone), voice prompt,
memo record, 3 voicemail boxes,
Phone features DECT cordless handset, 25 number memory (per handset),
speakerphone, SOS rapid dial, intercom facility, baby alarm (with additional
handset),
Ease of use ***
Features ****
TAM quality ****
Transmission quality ****
Value ****
78%
Philips Consumer Communications, telephone
(01256) 372828
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Ó R. Maybury 1998 1301
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