The Conair TAD1212 Digital Answering Machine is a barebones answering machine that provides basic service at a low price.

On the face of the unit are five buttons: on/off, play, announcement (for recording your outgoing greeting), repeat, and stop/save. Aside from this, the only other controls are a side-mounted volume dial and a ringer switch for choosing whether the machine picks up after two or four rings (you can also set this switch to tollsaver).

Messages are stored digitally and cannot be overwritten until new ones are recorded, which simplifies functionality but can cause problems with privacy. There is a save button, however, so you can hold onto important messages. A light on the face of the unit indicates either that you have new messages or that your 9V backup battery (for power outages) is dead, depending on the frequency of its blinking.

This is an unusual recommendation for a product, as the lack of features that make the Conair TAD1212 a good choice for the technophobe. Nonetheless, the model is straightforward and inexpensive.

Warranty
1 year limited