Motorola's C51 Aims to Be the Ultimate Family Phone

Cordless phones get a big workout in our household of five, and as I've written, it seems we buy a new phone system every couple of years. So far, we have no qualms with the Panasonic KX-TG5632M, but it's a pretty basic phone with caller ID, an easy-to-use address book, individualized ring tones for certain callers, and intercom capabilities.

I've just hooked up Motorola's C51 Series cordless phone system, which goes beyond basic. One of our Last Gadget Standing contestants, it does all the above and more for families that have become accustomed to communicating myriad ways. The C51 Series is designed to bridge a family's many modes of communication, including cell phones and IMs, with the home cordless phone.

On the simpler side, one nice feature is when you enter a phone number into the address book on one handset, it appears on all the others. (The base with a handset and answering machine costs about $95.) You can add up to 12 additional handsets or accessories, including a color handset (about $65) that works with a camera accessory ($95) and a Bluetooth link for cell phones, which you can find for between $85 and $100.

Some of the more atypical features that set this phone system apart are its ability to sync with cell phones via a Bluetooth connection. Once you sync a cell phone with the C51 system, cell phone calls will ring along with calls to your home phone number, and you can use your cell plan minutes to make calls. As is possible with many phone systems, you can set different ring tones for different numbers so you can identify whose cell phone is getting a call.

Lots of phones work as an intercom, too, but this one also has the ability to play streaming video and audio, while working as a two-way device. That means it can take the place of a baby monitor and provide some fun for the kids around the house (as long as they don't let the batteries run down).

When this system was unveiled at CES last year, the prototype included a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) adapter that provides access to Internet phone services from any handset, but this model does not, making it less of a home-communications system marvel. (A company spokesperson did not know why.)

Another feature rarely talked about and probably as rarely used is a push-to-talk-over-instant-messaging feature that connects a cordless handset to a PC through a USB connector. Like a walkie-talkie, it sends digitized voice messages over the Internet through a supported instant messaging program. Kids can send friends IMs without tying up the family computer. But most probably wouldn't want to.

I'll update you on how the system works in our home as my opinionated phone users of all ages put it to the test. Then, together we'll see if it's a keeper in the march toward CES.