2004-12-24

### It's the Phone, Stupid [![Icon-Permalink.png](/Icon-Permalink.png)](#)

[![/space/old_phone.jpg](/space/old_phone.jpg)](http://vonage.com/)

I moved recently, so I had to sign up for phone service again. I'd heard good
things about [VOIP](http://dslreports.com/?cat=VoIP) (as opposed to
[POTS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_Old_Telephone_Service)), and since I
don't feel any particular affinity for [Pacbell](http://sbc.com/), I decided to
try it. After perusing the
[reviews](http://www.dslreports.com/overview?v=r&typ=voip), I decided to go with
[Vonage](http://vonage.com/).

I signed up, and they shipped me the VOIP hardware (an [ATA
box](http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=34&scid=29&prid=663)) in a
little over a week. I connected it to my DSL modem, plugged a phone into it, and
heard a dial tone. I was floored.

Don't get me wrong. I did expect it to work, eventually, after lots of
twiddling, and maybe a tech support call or two. I definitely didn't expect it
to work out of the box. To my surprise, however, they've made it as easy as a
normal phone.

From a [usability
perspective](http://www.useit.com/papers/telephone_usability.html), this is a
Good Thing. Consumer electronics companies, listen up! I don't want to set the
time, change the password, type in a greeting, adjust the brightness, pick a
username or wallpaper or a ringtone. I want to talk on the phone, or listen to
music, or send an email. The less you put between me and what I want to do, the
better.

Vonage got this right. Who's next?