Features:
- Digital answering machine with caller ID/call waiting
- Answering-machine memory records up to 14 minutes of messages
- Speakerphone
- Message link (links recorded message to caller ID information)
- Voice-assisted operation
Description:
Why settle for just an answering machine when you can also have caller ID and a speakerphone in the same unit? The Casio TA-140 also offers all-digital recording with permanent memory, voice-guided operation, and two greetings. To set up the TA-140, we plugged in the AC adapter and connected the phone line. Without consulting the instructions, we correctly recorded the outgoing greeting by pressing Greeting Record, speaking our message, and pressing Greeting Record again to stop recording. We set the clock by pressing Time and then the up and down arrows, and we set the remote code by pressing Code and the up and down arrows. We followed similar steps to set the ringer (the unit has its own ringer) and the number of rings before answering (between two and nine or set to toll saver). The TA-140 lets you turn the call waiting/caller ID feature on or off. You can also set the TA-140 to immediately answer calls that don't have caller ID information (caller ID-blocked calls) and set the local area code for caller ID. Unfortunately, the TA-140 supports only one local area code, making the auto-dialing feature less useful in cities with multiple area codes. To test the TA-140, we recorded and played several messages. Its sound quality was good but not excellent, which is typical for most digital answering devices and is usually due to data compression. We especially liked the handy variable-speed playback feature that lets you slow down or speed up messages as you review them. The unit is rated to record for up to 14 minutes, but in our tests we were able to record only 8 minutes and 35 seconds before getting an out-of-memory error. The longest single message we could record was five minutes. The TA-140's memory is permanent until you press the Erase button, so you won't have to worry about losing your messages to power failures. Overall, we think setting up the TA-140 was easy, especially with the helpful voice prompts to guide us. The speakerphone and caller ID features make it especially desirable. Pros:
- Easy to set up and use
- Adjustable playback speed
- Functions as speakerphone
- Displays date and time even when there are no new calls
Cons:
- Can't hear your prerecorded greeting unless you call the unit
- Does not permit multiple local area codes
- Recording time is less than 9 minutes
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