Though I'm really looking forward to Google Voice, I'd prefer for phone numbers to just go away and for phone companies to just become wired/wireless internet providers.
Let the internet decide how it wants to address people for voice communications. Area codes and phone numbers are a relic that should be done away with.
I've used Vonage as my primary phone service for about 5 years. I've had an 800 number that's followed me in two states and four cities. I give it to everybody as my primary contact number. I can forward that number to any number of my choosing. My voicemail goes to email. I can create any number of virtual numbers with any area code that I want. For an extra $5 a month, I could get a soft phone to make calls from my laptop. It's not really worth it for me, since I don't travel that much, and my cell phone is much more convenient.
Am I missing something? What else does Google Voice have that Vonage doesn't?
The only thin that Google Voice seems to do that Vonage doesn't is filter your incoming calls based on rules. That would be handy, but not the "killer app".
What else does Google Voice have that Vonage doesn't?
In addition to the rule-based filtering that you mentioned, surprisingly decent (and searchable) automatic voicemail transcription and the ability to send/receive SMS to/from the Google Voice number. And, with the exception of outbound calling, it's all free.
The only thing that Google Voice seems to do that Vonage doesn't is filter your incoming calls based on rules. That would be handy, but not the "killer app".
Hmm, I think this may indeed turn out to be a killer app. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Well, that's just great, but in the meantime I'd settle for being able to use it without number portability. It's still not available to the general public.
I wonder if they're waiting on number portability before they release it to the public. If it launched without portability, then all the new users would have to get new numbers, notify all their friends and family, etc., and then if number portability came along later it would be too late for them.
I have a Google Voice account grandfathered in from GrandCentral, but I don't use it -- because of precisely this issue. It doesn't help that the number I do have gets a couple collections calls a week!
So it's more or less call forwarding on steroids. I don't see anything groundbreaking that I can't do using the call forwarding on my AT&T plan, with the exception that GV's more automatic and Googley (and will, though not yet, make the number you appear to be calling from your GV number)
The way it works is you use a web interface to enter the number you wish to dial and the number you wish to dial from. Then your phone rings, you pick up, and the number you are calling subsequently rings and the connection is made.
Incidentally there is a 3rd party app for the android that transparently handles all this for you-- you just enter a number to dial and it connects you with GV.
I'll be interested to see how this plays with the carriers (t-mobile in my case). If I want to transfer my number to Voice, I'll need a new one for my phone. Does this result in a new contract or termination fees?
Let the internet decide how it wants to address people for voice communications. Area codes and phone numbers are a relic that should be done away with.