We has tubez!

I wanted to take a few minutes to provide an incomplete review of a couple of the new OCS-compatible IP phones. I’ve been using 2 different ones:

• The “Tanjay” – aka the Polycom CX400 / Nortel 8540
• The “Catalina” – aka the Polycom CX200

I’m not going to rehash all the bells and whistles and technical specs… that stuff is all over the web. What I thought I would do is list out what I see as the strengths and weakness, having used these for a few months now.

Catalina – Polycom CX200

Catalina Strengths:

1. It’s a USB device, so wherever Communicator is running, you can plug the Catalina in to a USB port and have a handset.
2. Voice quality is good
3. Speakerphone is pretty good
4. Voicemail indicator works
5. Phone fits pretty easily into a backpack / bag

Weaknesses

1. No keypad on the phone – you dial numbers with your communicator client
2. It’s pretty harsh on the eyes – at first glance it looked like something that someone made out of parts from a “RadioShack home-electronics build your own transistor radio kit”.

I really like the Catalina – it’s especially nice to leave on a common desk / hotelling cubicle. Anyone that sits down can plug it in and use it as their handset. I’ve used the speaker phone quite a bit and have found it to be reliable.

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