Answering machine: Difference between revisions
Copyediting, removing trivia and trivia tag, but keeping the notable-seeming song. |
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Most modern answering machines have a system for greeting. The owner may record his or her message that will be played back to the caller, or an automatic message will be played if the owner does not record one. Answering machines can usually be programmed to take the call at a certain number of rings. This is useful if the owner is [[call screening|screening calls]] and does not wish to speak with all callers. |
Most modern answering machines have a system for greeting. The owner may record his or her message that will be played back to the caller, or an automatic message will be played if the owner does not record one. Answering machines can usually be programmed to take the call at a certain number of rings. This is useful if the owner is [[call screening|screening calls]] and does not wish to speak with all callers. |
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== Popular culture == |
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In the 1970s, [[Rupert Holmes]] released the song "Answering Machine", which included the lyrics "I'm so sorry, you have just reached my answering machine". The male singer laments that while trying to reach his girlfriend, he encountered her answering machine, and left a message that was cut off before he could complete. Sad about this, he left the house and on returning, discovered his girlfriend had left her own message on his machine. She knew what he was asking — a marriage proposal — and was about to give her answer when ''his'' machine had cut her off. |
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[[Category:telephony]] |
[[Category:telephony]] |
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Revision as of 15:09, 8 August 2007
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
An answering machine, also known as an answerphone, ansaphone or ansafone (especially in UK and British commonwealth countries) or telephone answering device (TAD), is a device invented in 1904 for automatically answering telephone calls and recording messages left by callers when the party called is unable to answer the phone. Unlike voicemail, which is a centralized or networked system that performs a similar function, an answering machine is installed in the customer's premises alongside — or incorporated within — the customer's telephone.
While early answering machines used magnetic tape technology, most modern equipment uses solid state memory storage. Kazuo Hashimoto invented the first digital answering machine in 1983 with US Patent 4,616,110 entitled Automatic Digital Telephone Answering Device[1]
Operation
Most modern answering machines have a system for greeting. The owner may record his or her message that will be played back to the caller, or an automatic message will be played if the owner does not record one. Answering machines can usually be programmed to take the call at a certain number of rings. This is useful if the owner is screening calls and does not wish to speak with all callers.