Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: hutch!robert@cbmvax.commodore.com (Robert L. Oliver) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Phone Design For Humans (Turnbutton 25xx deskset) Message-ID: Date: 11 Oct 89 01:25:46 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Rabbit Software Corp., Malvern, PA Lines: 45 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 442, message 5 of 9 In article , claris!netcom!edg@ames. arc.nasa.gov (Edward Greenberg) writes: > >[Moderator's Note: But you know what I *really* miss are the 2515 > >sets. Those were the 2500 'two line turn button' sets, with the plastic > >knob in the corner for selection of line one or two. ... PT] > ... > One of my favorite phones is a 2500 set with a headset jack in the > back. What I wouldn't give for a few more of those. Really? How much would you give? You might be pleased to know that AT&T Technologies, Inc. STILL MANUFACTURES these, or something similar, apparently to the ORIGINAL "Survive a nuclear war" specifications (and in the U.S.A.)! As I mentioned in an earlier article, we just installed a new AT&T System 25. Since some of our single line people required headsets, and since there was some shortage of "new-improved" style phones or their headset adapters, we were given BRAND NEW 2514BMW (!) sets, complete with headset jack on the back and Plantronics headsets, which AT&T resells (ouch). On our phones (2514), however, the "turn button" is to switch between the headset and the handset, rather than between lines like on the 2515 mentioned by PT. Also, when the button is PRESSED (not turned) it produces a timed break for putting people on hold in the System 25. NOW, the problem that remains is that people walk up to when you're wearing the headset, and they can't readily tell if you're on the phone or not. If they are familiar with the phone, they'll carefully inspect the turnbuttom to see if it's in the "on" position, meaning headset, meaning you're probably in the middle of a call. But it's hard to see that. What would be nice is if the turnbutton had a light in it that lit up when you were using the line (just like the buttons on the old multi-line desk sets we recently praised). Would this be hard to add? Robert Oliver Rabbit Software Corp. (215) 647-0440 7 Great Valley Parkway East robert@hutch.uucp Malvern, PA 19355 ...!uunet!cbmvax!hutch!robert