A stand-alone digital answering system, the 1738 lets you expand your current phone to include messaging capability. With 40 minutes of digital recording time, you will be hard pressed to run out of room, even with talkative friends. A remote message check feature lets you retrieve your messages while you are away from home, and a memo recording feature lets you easily record important information such as driving directions and telephone numbers. If you subscribe to caller ID/call waiting services, the 1738 will let you know who is calling before you pick up the phone, and also saves both the number and time/date of the incoming call along with any message they leave. You can adjust the playback volume level to suit your liking, while a variable speed playback feature lets you slow down messages, making them easier to understand.