Some swear to the similarities between cordless phones and cell phones, thinking them interchangeable. Others disagree, saying that the limitations found in both mark them as separate items. They are not the same and should not be considered as such. And, of course, there are those who have no opinion on the matter; they simply want to choose the best item for their lifestyle and move on. This is not a subject to debate, merely settle.

So how do you do that? How do you decide whether the cordless phone can act as a placeholder for the cell? You just compare and see the truth.

To begin: the two are similar and share certain traits. Both allow you to move as you need to; both have international roaming capabilities (though the cordless is more limited with that); both are designed for convenience; both are powered by batteries, unlike the typical land line; both have certain audio backlashes, resulting in the echo of conversation and various background noises; and both allow you to send data across the line. In this broad sense, the two can be considered the same. Their capabilities are unique to land lines, after all.

It cannot be said, however, that the two are interchangeable. The cordless phone is far more strained with its abilities than the cell. Its range can usually not extend beyond the immediate home (though some of the more expensive sets do allow you to use it within town, not including interference for mountains of course). They also tend to h

ve more of a security issue. The cordless telephone can be tracked by various scanners, making a conversation possible to hear. While there are several protections put in place to stop this, they still do not equal the same levels as with the cell phone; if only because this is still considered a land line.

And, of course, that bring us to the final difference: your cordless phone is still part of your land line. Typical or not, it can still be more easily traced than a cell phone.

Are there certain commonalities? Of course. But these do not mean that these two items are the same. They each have their uses and they each have their faults. You just need to decide which is more relevant to you.

Dan Krasky writes informative articles about telecommunications and phone numbering. You can find the caller source of any U.S. phone at http://www.searchthisphonenumber.com