MagicJack/History

MagicJack was widely sold while in "beta" status from mid-2007 to March 2008. It was popular among the internet "geek" crowd. Since then it has been considered "General Availability," and marketed to the average computer user via infomercials and brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Generations
There are four known generations of the MagicJack USB device (also referred to as a dongle or  analog telephony adapter (ATA). A FAQ article discusses  their differences and how to identify them. The fourth generation is the MagicJack PLUS which has an Ethernet port for stand alone operation.

Packaging
There has been two types of packaging which were associated with the first two generations. However, it has been reported that the original plastic clam-shell packaging is being used for new generation devices in retail stores.

See these images of the various packaging:


 * Sealed in plastic shell. Old style packaging, but reused for retail sales late 2008.
 * Another sealed plastic shell. Found in retail stores.
 * Photos showing both old- and new-style.
 * Packed in plastic foam within a cardboard sleeve. Limited to online sales beginning Feb 2008. There have been some of these prior to Feb 2008, but they are rare. Therefore, it is not specific to any generation.

MagicJack in the news
The following are important interviews with the MagicJack founder, possibly indicating the future direction of the service:


 * MagicJack "Inventor Plans Linux Support, Improved Customer Service, and More," Laptop Mag., April 28, 2008 (Linux support, number porting, improved customer service.).


 * "MagicJack Attacks," Telephony Online, May 2, 2008 ("Secret Sauce" and motivations.).


 * "Making Sense of MagicJack's Math" Telephony Online, Feb 2, 2009 (Speculation on MagicJack's contribution to incumbent landline subscriber loss, see founder's reader response to article, referring to imminent release of a "femtocell" product.).