I got Ooma VoIP service a week ago and will be posting a review of it soon, but so far I love it.

That said, I wanted to point out this great deal on Amazon where you get the Ooma hardware and an iPod Shuffle for just $199 (until Oct 31st). It’s the best deal I’ve seen so far on the hardware, which is usually $229-$279.

Ooma is basically Vonage without a monthly fee – you just pay for the hardware. Calls are handled through a peer to peer system and the business model for Ooma is based on its $99/yr premium service (which I bought – my Vonage service is about $419/yr).

I am having my Vonage number ported over to Ooma now. It’s $59 for the number port but you get it free with the premium service, which has some cool voicemail and multiline features.

But don’t misunderstand – the basic service with a new phone number is completely free, you just pay for hardware. Just plug any regular telephone and broadband connection into the Ooma, register on their site (no credit card needed!) and you’re up and running with a service that, so far, works as great as Vonage for me.

Originally appeared on: StationStops - Metro-North Train Schedules and NYC Commuting Blog See the original post here: Hot Deal: Ooma Free VOIP Service – Just $199 for Hardware (With iPod Shuffle!)