Sony TAM100 Gray Answering Machine

Product Review

If you're looking for an inexpensive replacement to your old answering machine, the Sony TAM-100 may your ideal choice. The TAM-100 stores messages digitally, meaning there are no tapes to erase or replace. It is sturdy, lightweight, and incredibly intuitive to set up and use. It features 15 minutes of recording capacity and three separate mailboxes to organize messages for you, your family, or your business.

The quick-start guide included made setting up and using the TAM-100 simple. We were able to hook up the unit, set the time and date, record an outgoing message, set a remote access code, and record a memo in less than 3 minutes.

There are two ways to leave messages on the TAM-100. Callers who wait until the end of the outgoing message will automatically be directed to mailbox 1. Friends, family, and business associates can press 1, 2, or 3 while the greeting message plays; this action selects a specific mailbox. The mailbox feature is terrific if you're tired of listening to other people's messages on your machine. Assign a mailbox to your kids, and you'll be plagued with only your own messages. Better yet, you can leave voice memos for your children in their answering machine mailboxes--instead of notes that could get lost.

Erasing your old messages couldn't be easier. To delete a message after you've listened to it, just press the Erase button. To get rid of all the old messages in a mailbox, press Erase and the appropriate mailbox button. The machine is foolproof and won't allow you to delete new messages accidentally. If you do try to delete them, the TAM-100 beeps five times and gently reminds you to play back all new messages.

You can also listen to your messages remotely by programming a convenient 2-digit access code. Simply call your machine, enter the security code, then 1, 2, or 3 for your mailbox. With the appropriate codes, you can even replay, skip, and delete messages when you're away from home--leaving more memory space for new callers.

The sound quality of the TAM-100 was not among the best we've heard. For some messages it was necessary to turn up the volume in order to make out the words. However, the machine makes volume control painless, and you can replay messages at your own speed by pressing the Quick or Slow button. --Megan Dugan

Amazon.com Product Review

Voice prompts guide you through setup and operation of the unit; three separate message boxes for coworkers or co-inhabitants; audible message counter beeps if you have messages (selectable on/off); permanent flash memory protects message data in the event of a power outage, without requiring battery backup.

Customer Reviews