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Rating: 
Summary: Message Beeping -- Annoying for Me
Review: After receiving a message this machine beeps to let you know you have one that hasn't been listened to. However, there is no way to turn this feature off--even lowering the volume. You still hear the beep beep beep every 5-7 seconds. It's annoying if you're working or resting or sleeping and want to get the messages later -- and don't want to be "woken up" by the message beep for the message you just got.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fine Little Machine
Review: John H. Meyers' review pretty much says it all, so I won't go on and on here. I did want to correct another reviewer, however. The beep feature mentioned CAN be turned off completely following simple instructions in the manual. Perhaps the reviewer had a defective item, but I had no trouble at all turning off that beep (and I do agree it is pretty darn annoying if you leave it on!) This is a fine little answering machine at a good price.
Rating: 
Summary: Surely worth [the money] but has some problems
Review: PLUSes:Records and plays back with good sound quality for the price. Has fast/slow/repeat/skip play modes (but no pause). Has 3 "mailboxes" if you need to take messages
for different people, personal vs. business, etc.;
the caller can specify which "mailbox" (s)he wants
by pressing "*" then "2" or "3" for mailbox 2 or 3
(otherwise by default it goes to mailbox 1),
which you have to explain in your one greeting message,
if you are going to use that feature. Can take "voice memos" using local microphone. Pretty simple to use. Resists "hacking" of only a 2-digit remote access code
by hanging up on caller after three wrong attempts. MINUSES: Long and slow voice menu confirmations slow down operations
and can't be skipped; a minor issue if you get few
messages, but more problematic if you get many messages,
especially when you are dialing in from elsewhere
to retrieve messages. The "remote operation codes"
are also all at least two keys (e.g. "#" then "4"
to repeat a message). When you hang up after checking
messages remotely, the unit doesn't seem to recognize
that you've hung up; it goes on playing its very long
voice menu instructions for another minute, and thus
neither you nor anyone else can quickly call back. It tends to record excessive "busy tones" after
a caller has hung up (see important next point below). The worst problem is that when I call remotely
to listen to messages, it seems that the TAM-100
"listens" to its own playing of those recorded extra
"busy tones," concludes that *I* have hung up,
and then hangs up on me! -- and what's worse,
in this situation, many times it has also erased
my *greeting*message* when it's done this!
(certainly an engineering flaw there, I would say) Sometimes it has also responded to other
digit tones recorded in the messages,
as if I had pressed them myself;
of course, these problems won't bother you
if you primarily check your messages at home,
rather than remotely by phone, but for those who
primarily phone their machine to get messages,
this tendency (especially when it hangs up on *you*
from hearing other *recorded* hangups, and then also
may delete your greeting message) could be annoying. SUMMARY: Now quite cheap Good for casual, home use. Has flaws if you dial in from elsewhere to get messages.
Rating:
Summary: Cheap and good
Review: Sony's answering machine is a good cheap one. Using mailboxes is annoying since people wont press *(number), but it does its job, and that's what's important.
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