Like AT&T's 954 model, IBM's 412CID corded unit handles up to four separate lines and includes a data port for connecting a fax machine or modem. Like Brother's CTS-410 Executive Speakerphone, it's also designed to work with phone systems that handle up to 12 extensions. The 412CID's caller ID log stores up to 30 numbers, while the call privacy feature ensures that no one can listen in on your call while you're on the line.

The 412CID provides all the options you'd expect to find in an office phone, including intercom calling, page all, and call transfer. The bundled headset/microphone is adequate, though it shares the same jack as the standard coiled headset. Ideally, it would have included a separate jack, such as the one provided by Brother's Executive Phone, so the user wouldn't have to keep swapping the headset jacks. The phone also includes a 24-number dialing memory. Though that's less than the 36-number memory offered by similar phones, it should be enough to satisfy most small offices.

However, you can't program pauses into numbers entered into the memory. It's the lack of such extras that separates the IBM 412CID from its counterparts, such as the AT&T 954 and Brother's Executive Phone--and both of those units cost considerably less than IBM's list price of $299.99. But if you're looking for a unit that's uncomplicated while still offering the basic functions, IBM's 412CID will suit your needs just fine. --John Frederick Moore

Pros:

• Simple design
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Relatively expensive list price
• Few extras; nothing exceptional to distinguish it from other models