great answering machine
Great product AT&T answering machine. Returned a GE answering machine because it made me crazy. This AT&T model is the best......Paul B

no beep to start message
the machine works just fine. the only thing thats missing is the the beep to let people know when to leave their message, although theY figure it out eventuaLLY

Easy, Cheap. Efficient
As with another reviewer, I got fed up with fancy voice-mail systems (requiring a monthly fee). So I ditched v-m and got this machine. It's small, it's reliable, and it sounds fine. It doesn't interfere with our phone which announces the caller, so now I can ignore "Number Not Provided" calls, get my messages without fuss, and quit paying monthly fees. The machine was very easy to set up. All I needed was a little gizmo that converts the one-jack connection at the wall into a 2-jack connection. Maybe the machine won't last a year (I've had for only two months), but if so, I'll buy a new one and still be in money!

Basic, not great
After a job change, I now work exclusively from home. I already have a second phone number for work purposes, but needed an answering system. Phone company is not yet able to provide voice mail on the second number (distinctive ring, not a separate line), so I opted for a physical answering machine. After some research, I decided on the AT&T 1739.

It arrived quickly, and set up quickly. Its biggest drawback is the poor sound quality when recording the outgoing message. You are told to speak over a minuscule condenser mic, and it took a good 4 attempts before I was remotely happy with the sound of it. You get some snow and static, no matter where you are when you record.

Other than that, it works just fine. I don't expect to use it all that much, so for the price, it was a good buy.

Great for old people
I bought this for my 93 year old mother in law. It works like a charm.