Again, I must post an article for those that are either quite ambitious or simply have a lot of time on their hands.
If you qualify, you might try setting up your Linux box to be your answering machine. The essentials used:
- Linux OS (Red Hat Linux 7.3 – i386)
- voice modem (ZyXEL U-1496E – external)
- sound card (Sound Blaster 16, with OSS drivers)
Now all you have to decide is if the time spent setting up your new Linux answering machine is cheaper than just buying a $10 answering machine.
Sure you could just buy an answering machine, but think of all the geek points you’d be missing out on! (no, I’m not going to do it)
But seriously, people who undertake this sort of thing don’t do it because it’s the most efficient and cost-effective way to achieve a certain goal. They do it because it’s /there/, just to see if it’s doable. It’s the centuries old human ingenuity at work.
I wish there was an easy to use answering machine setup for the Mac. I don’t see why it’s so complicated. I can chat with live video and sound to someone in 10,000 miles away while I watch a DVD, record live TV, write emails and design a web page, but I’ll be damned if I can get my $2,000 G5 to answer the damn phone for me.
The only options out there cost $200 and require a separate phone plug-in thing. What on earth for? I have a modem already… Argh!