fleming@uunet.uu.net (03/06/91)
I picked up a Northern Telecom Maestro set this weekend (Disclaimer: I work for NT, but in a different part of the business). Wow, I'm impressed! Caller ID isn't turned on yet, but even without it, this is a nice set. Good-looking set (I have mine wall-mounted), seemingly solid construction, keys feel right when you press them. Nice features like on-hook dialling using the LCD display (with a backspace key), a Link (hookflash) button for Call Waiting, a Hold button so you can run to an extension, adjustable handset volume, and a lamp that lights whenever any extension in the house is off-hook. I can see how long my daughter spends on the phone in her room without leaving the kitchen! User-interface is all menu-driven ... so easy that I came home and found my daughter had programmed half a dozen soft keys with the numbers of her friends without having the manual. Same for setting the built-in clock/calendar and other options. Can't wait for Caller ID to be activated ... from reading the manual, it does a nice job with this as well. Stephen Fleming | Internet: fleming@cup.portal.com Director, Technology Mktg. | CI$: 76354,3176 AOL: SFleming Northern Telecom | BIX: SRFleming X.500: ??? Eastern Region +---------------------------------- McLean, Virginia 22102 | Opinions expressed do not (703) 847-8186 | represent Northern Telecom.
ddrg@hobbit.gandalf.ca (Duncan Glendinning) (03/09/91)
In <telecom11.184.7@eecs.nwu.edu> portal!cup.portal.com!fleming > I picked up a Northern Telecom Maestro set this weekend (Disclaimer: I > work for NT, but in a different part of the business). Wow, I'm > impressed! Caller ID isn't turned on yet, but even without it, this > is a nice set. > Good-looking set (I have mine wall-mounted), seemingly solid > construction, keys feel right when you press them. Nice features like > on-hook dialling using the LCD display (with a backspace key), a Link > (hookflash) button for Call Waiting, a Hold button so you can run to > an extension, adjustable handset volume, and a lamp that lights > whenever any extension in the house is off-hook. I can see how long > my daughter spends on the phone in her room without leaving the > kitchen! > User-interface is all menu-driven ... so easy that I came home and > found my daughter had programmed half a dozen soft keys with the > numbers of her friends without having the manual. Same for setting > the built-in clock/calendar and other options. > Can't wait for Caller ID to be activated ... from reading the manual, > it does a nice job with this as well. I also agree - its a great phone which is easy to configure and easy to use. I've had one for about three months now, with Caller ID. I have a few suggestions on how I would like to see the Maestro improved. Along with Caller ID, I have identi-call (multiple virtual telephone numbers mapped to the same physical line). It would be nice if the phone could annotate the caller list with the ringer pattern causing the logged call (i.e., a: 555-1212, b: 555-1212, etc). That way, one could discriminate between calls to the unlisted numbers (identi-call) and those to the primary number. This way, I can return only those calls that I'm interested in. It would be nice if the phone logged the number of un-answered long distance calls, rather than simply noting them as 'unknown'. For me this is important as both sets of parents are not within our calling area. And finally, when wall-mounted, the handset cable exits from the side, which is a problem when you have a long (25') handset cable. Little hands love to pull on the cable. This could be easily solved by providing an additional cable channel exiting by the bottom. Otherwise its a great phone and great service. Unlike phone answering machines, those who previously hated to leave voice mail messages appreciate us returning their calls. Duncan Glendinning CAnet: ddrg@mentor.gandalf.ca, ddrg@gandalf.ca Gandalf Data Ltd. Voice: (613) 723-6500 Nepean, Ontario Fax: (613) 226-1717 Canada K2E 7M4 [Moderator's Note: On the subject of 'unknown' calls, someone at IBT said to me they were 'thinking about' identifying every call to the extent known. For example, a call arrives inter-LATA from Los Angeles. They seem to be able to pick up some things but not others, so the display box in those cases would say something like 'From 213', or possibly 213-000-0000 or similar. I think that would be a welcome addition to Caller ID instead of just saying 'unknown'. But the lady I was speaking with, who does some programming on this stuff for IBT described it as 'problematic' and said it would not be implemented that way, at least not at first. PAT]
gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare) (03/11/91)
fleming@cup.portal.com (Stephen Fleming) writes: > Good-looking set (I have mine wall-mounted), seemingly solid > construction, keys feel right when you press them. Nice features > like on-hook dialling using the LCD display (with a backspace key), > a Link (hookflash) button for Call Waiting, a Hold button so you > can run to an extension, adjustable handset volume, and a lamp that > lights whenever any extension in the house is off-hook. I'm a huge fan of NT phones. They have a certain "heft" to them that feels nice in your hands if you like to walk around when you talk or if you move the phone around on your desk. Not heavy like old dial telephones, and surely it doesn't feel like an empty plastic container from last night's Chinese take-out. The keys have just the right resistance, too. I wasn't able to buy one of the newer Bell Canada type phones to bring down to New York, but did buy a refurbished Contempra phone in Montreal. Visitors constantly ask me where to buy one of them (they're not made anymore, and Canadian telco's have phased them out of their offerings). NorTel's R&D arm, Bell-Northern Research (BNR) has an ergonomics unit working out of Ottawa whose raison d'etre is to make their telephones look and feel just right. Having checked out ROLM units and various frail-feeling Japanese makes (except for Sony, which also feels real nice) I always go back to my beat-up Contempra. Disclaimer: I'm a former summer intern for BNR, but I've been a telephone consumer long before, during, and long after that gig. Gary L. Dare gld@cunixB.cc.columbia.EDU gld@cunixc.BITNET
peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) (03/11/91)
One idea that just occurred to me, for a Caller*ID box, would be for them to play the touch-tones corresponding to the number calling in between the first and second rings. I find that while I can't distinguish the tones well enough to call out an unknown number from the tones, I can pretty reliably recognise a number after a few reps (I often work next to a modem bank). This would be distinctive ringing with a vengence. :-> peter@taronga.uucp.ferranti.com