MacPhone Auction — #4

Post #4 by Mac128

Source Forum	68kMLA
Category	Troubleshooting
Post Date	Sat, 5 Jun 2010 - 18:00
Original URL	https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/macphone-auction.20716/

Post

I just bought that MACPHONE the guy had up on ebay... Expensive but really cool.

Well at least you didn't pay the original list price of $200 for it! But make sure you are a "Mac Lover", or you have to give it back, no matter how much you paid for it. :beige:

Actually the MacDialer software is the most important part of it. And MANY of us are interested in it. (Hint Hint). The phone itself doesn't have that great a review. You would be better off wiring your own phone equipment into the interface. Essentially, the software is a contact database which communicates with the hardware via the speaker port. Other than a limited contact list which logs the calls and provides for call notes, it is little more than one of those touch-tone pocket dialers that were so popular before cellphones, sending tone signals over a phone's mouthpiece to initiate and terminate calls via a GUI interface. In fact you may find this review of Borland's Sidekick which was the successor to the MacPhone of some interest. Essentially it offers a suite of desk accessories (addressing some of the criticisms of the MacPhone), without the inferior hardware of the MacPhone. However, it requires a modem for the phone interface, as does the Habadex application (another rolodex stand-alone auto-dialer program which was also sold with an interface box which plugged into the sound port in lieu of a modem). More than likely, without plugging in the MacPhone, if you hold your phone up to the speaker of your Mac, you'll be able to dial with the software alone.

But, both in 1984 and today, the MacDialer software has enormous value as some of the only useful applications which will run on the 128K and 512K. The hardware is superfluous. Congrats, and please do fill us in with the details once you get it and start using it! Especially once you make those all important backup disk images }

Below is a review from Doug Clapp's Complete Macintosh Sourcebook:

MacPhone

Love it or cringe. MacPhone is a telephone that sticks on

the side of your Macintosh. It comes with specialized soft-

ware or can be used as a regular telephone.

The first temptation is to fire up the software. The

MacPhone software lets you store and automatically dial up

to 200 names and phone numbers. It allows Touch~Tone

compatibility with various phone services, supporting up to

twenty prefixes of twenty-two digits each. Phone calls are

automatically logged. Who you called, the starting and

ending time of the call, the date the call was placed, the cost

of the call, and consultation charges comprise the log. A

note pad is included for notations about the calls. The notes

are automatically added into the MacPhone phone log.

There’s a memo pad to record longer notes about (we

assume) the calls you’re making. If you wish, an audible

tone signals the passing of each minute and/or hour.

Our favorite feature is a built-in area code directory for

looking up the state, region, and time zone of any old area

code. The call was from-let’s see-Washington, D.C.? No

need to call back.

Is this the greatest thing since hexadecimal arithmetic?

No. Here’s the problem: Although the software is peachy,

it’s an entire application! When you’re using the MacPhone

software, you won’t be using your Macintosh for anything

else. It’s rare that anyone would want to use just the phone

software. Ideally, the package would be a desk accessory (or

a series of accessories). In that configuration, the software

would get much use. As a stand-alone application, we’d

guess it will often stand alone in your disk case.

lf, however, you make a raft of calls, want the capa-

bilities of the software, and won’t miss using other applica-

tions while using MacPhone, you may be well satisfied. The

software is enticing; you may wish you had an extra Mac-

intosh to dedicate to this system.

The phone itself is a very inexpensive unit that plugs

into the speaker port at the rear of the Macintosh. Cheap

plastic, poor quality, and poor electronics; you'll find

people asking you to “Speak up, we must have a bad con-

nection.” But that isn’t the problem; it’s the phone you’re

using. The phone is covered by a ninety-day warranty.

Last comes the appearance of the MacPhone hanging

alongside the Macintosh. Some may feel this is a real “Buck

Rogers” combination-snazzy and so high-tech. Others may

feel otherwise. At least, even when used as merely a pe-

destrian telephone, MacPhone isn’t another piece of clutter

on your desk. $199.95