Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

[Guest Sundar]

Hi,

 

Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

(including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a telephone

equipment.

 

Any help is appreciated!

[Guest sandy58]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

On Jun 8, 7:52 am, Sundar <Sun...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a telephone

> equipment.

>

> Any help is appreciated!

 

insin

http://www.shopzilla.co.uk/8N_-_cat_id--13119__nwylf--__oid--632320021

[Guest VanguardLH]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

"Sundar" wrote in

<news:9E9D91A2-D12B-4B2E-BF3F-7CFC2FEEFA79@microsoft.com>:

> Hi,

>

> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a telephone

> equipment.

>

> Any help is appreciated!

 

There are call center or message center programs, often used to receive

voicemail and faxes. You can pickup the call before a ring count

maximum; else, the voicemail kicks in (if it wasn't identified as a fax

call). I remember having a program called Communicate!

(http://www.01com.com/about_us_products.asp) many years ago (I don't

know if I kept it since I stopped using it probably over a decade ago).

SmithMicro used to have HotFax MessageCenter

(http://www.smithmicro.com/default.tpl?group=product_full&sku=HMCWA0EE),

and a light version often came bundled with some modems. Used to be

that some software came bundled with the dial-up analog data/fax modem

(a full retail version, not OEM version); however, some bundled software

is just fax software and nowadays pricing is so cut-throat that the

profit margin is way to tight to include any software.

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1563/is_n11_v15/ai_19928710/pg_4

(although I have Winfax Pro 10 and don't consider it a message center)

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=%2BWindows+%2B%22call+center%22

http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Banswer+%2Bphone+call+%2BWindows

(add "+free" if you only want free solutions)

[Guest PD43]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

sandy58 <aleckie68@googlemail.com> wrote:

>On Jun 8, 7:52 am, Sundar <Sun...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>> Hi,

>>

>> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

>> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

>> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a telephone

>> equipment.

>>

>> Any help is appreciated!

>

>insin

>http://www.shopzilla.co.uk/8N_-_cat_id--13119__nwylf--__oid--632320021

 

Try again.

 

ONE: The person you replied to lives in Kansas, USA, so it's unlikely

he/she will be ordering from the UK.

 

TWO: the item you referenced is for the POCKET PC.

 

Wanna go three for three??

[Guest Bob Harris]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

I had such a program on an old Compaq running Windows 95.

 

It was part of an integrated communicaitons package that worked via a modem

(low-speed 28K old-fashioned telephone modem). Note that a phone-modem and

associated phone line (wire) is going to be required for any sort of

phone-via-PC, unless you subscribe to a digital phone system (VOIP). With

the latter all you need is an internet connection, and that could be via

wireless.

 

I also had something similar with a Gateway running Windows 98.

 

Both were OEM programs, that is, they came with the PC.

 

Neither worked well, often froze, failed to take all messages, etc. Neither

was supported adequately by the PC manufacturer.

 

But, upon a warm boot they worked for a while, at least good enough that I

could place a call by typing a number on the keyboard (or mousing a picture

of a phone on the screen) and using the PCs microphone, and I could pick up

an incoming call in a similar fashion.

 

However, both pieces of software where very unreliable.

 

Thus, I finally attached the phone line to a real telephone (cheap one from

WalMart or similar discount store), and that worked infinitely better than

either software package.

 

"Sundar" <Sundar@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:9E9D91A2-D12B-4B2E-BF3F-7CFC2FEEFA79@microsoft.com...

> Hi,

>

> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a

> telephone

> equipment.

>

> Any help is appreciated!

>

>

>

[Guest Big_Al]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

<smipped>

>> Hi,

>>

>> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

>> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

>> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a

>> telephone

>> equipment.

>>

>> Any help is appreciated!

>>

> Bob Harris Wrote:

> I had such a program on an old Compaq running Windows 95.

> It was part of an integrated communicaitons package that worked via a

modem

> (low-speed 28K old-fashioned telephone modem). Note that a

phone-modem and

> associated phone line (wire) is going to be required for any sort of

> phone-via-PC, unless you subscribe to a digital phone system (VOIP).

With

> the latter all you need is an internet connection, and that could be

via wireless.

 

 

How does a program like this work with the voice? I take it the OP

wants to talk via the PC. I understand the ring and pickup phone part

fine, but not the voice. I always thought you needed a special

dialogic voice board for the D to A exchange of voice? Or at least it

does on my phone system at the office we built. 16 ports on 4 boards

if I recall. I never thought a standard 56K modem etc would do analog

voice D/A?

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: Can a dial a phone number from my XP Laptop

 

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 23:52:01 -0700, Sundar

<Sundar@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> Is there a way I could dial and even pick my phone calls from my laptop;

> rather than to get up and pick up my phone? I am not talking about VOIP

> (including skype); just a simple standard phone call, rather than a telephone

> equipment.

 

 

 

Sure, if you have two things:

 

1. a dial-up modem (many computers with DSL or cable connections no

longer have these).

 

2. appropriate software to do this. Windows XP doesn't come with this

capability, but there are other programs you can install that can do

it.

 

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

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