Does FaceTime Need A Keypad?

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With the melding of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite and iCloud drive, you might start feeling a bit beholden to Apple.  I know I feel like I just crossed the point of no return.

Mac on my Desk, iPad running my home lighting system and alarm, GeoTracking so my house “knows” when I am home or away.  Even then I could pretty easily go back.

The most important communications in my house is still the phone. Customers, agents and occasionally my family call me on the phone.  Email, I got that on the phone too if I need it, but lets face it, 90% of all the email I get I won’t ever read.  I do answer the phone.

Cell reception in my home is a joke.  Anytime I change rooms the call drops.  For $100 I fixed that problem and bought a wireless phone system that connects to my cell via bluetooth.  So I could answer my iPhone from my office and the balance was restored, or so I thought.

Then along comes OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.  Suddenly my Mac is ringing and the caller id is on my screen.  I can’ answer calls on my computer?  Sure enough it works.  Well sort of.

I have a Google Voice number so that I can get better at call screening. The first call that comes in is a name that many actors would know, and was a call I wanted to take.  A little exited to talk on my new toy,  I answered the call and the voice says “press one to answer”.  My caller went to Voicemail.

Later, a call comes in from our service.  Again I need to enter a code to get the message.  Message missed.

Quickly I realized that without a keypad, any call coming in that might bring me paid work I can’t get.  So much for the great fun of answering my calls on my computer.

Until FaceTime gets a keypad, it’s still just FaceTime.