Skype

I have a friend that wants me to install Skype on my computer so we
can stay in touch for free while they are on a 3 month around the
world cruise. It's supposedly works like a video phone???

What do you know about this?

Tom J

"Tom J" <tomnews@> wrote in message
news:13jcpd4dbecapb5@corp.supernews.com...
>I have a friend that wants me to install Skype on my computer so we can
>stay in touch for free while they are on a 3 month around the world cruise.
>It's supposedly works like a video phone???
>
> What do you know about this?
>
> Tom J


Skype is great stuff. A good entry for free VOIP. For a few bucks, you can
call a land line--- a few more bucks and you get a "callin" number.(anyone
can call you). Skype has device-specific software for PDAs and handhelds,
etc.

Go for it.

I can't say too much about "around the
world," however, I used Skype
to talk to a friend in the Chicago area
from my MH in western North
Carolina. The campground had broadband
with a simple home-type
wireless router. I used a Hawking USB
mini-dish adapter on top of
the MH. Signal said "very low" but is
was consistent. We talked as
though he was in the MH. Worked
perfectly. BTW, he uses it for his
business to talk to a distributor in
Germany and thinks it works extremely
well. He even conferences a 3rd person
in NY. I use a Logitech wireless
keyboard/mouse adapter which has a
speaker and mike for Skype.

Tom J wrote:
> I have a friend that wants me to install Skype on my computer so we
> can stay in touch for free while they are on a 3 month around the
> world cruise. It's supposedly works like a video phone???
>
> What do you know about this?
>
> Tom J
>
>

"Tom J" <tomnews@> wrote in message
news:13jcpd4dbecapb5@corp.supernews.com...
>I have a friend that wants me to install Skype on my computer so we can
>stay in touch for free while they are on a 3 month around the world cruise.
>It's supposedly works like a video phone???
>
> What do you know about this?
>
> Tom J

Skype can be only audio or can be both video and audio. Along with 'fun'
chatting / talking to people domestic, we used Skype for talking to England,
Switzerland and the east part of Bulgara. We have broad band and talking to
someone else that is on dial-up can be very choppy. However I think it
depends on the quality of the dial up; England was tollerable, but very
choppy, Switzerland was clear and we could even do video with very little
lag.

To call a home phone, you can buy credits. But we found to call
International using a home phone, the cheapest is still special calling
International calling cards. (We found a card with no connection fee, no
non-usage feel that you call an 800 number which is in New York and they
forward the call to Europe. Cost is between 4 - 7 cents a min. even to the
far eastern part of Europe.)

"Tom J" <tomnews@> wrote in message
news:13jegai4khdm9bf@corp.supernews.com...
> Andy S. wrote:

>> If it wasn't already too late, I'd say don't act like an /u/me
>> that I have not. We have family in the eastern part of Bulgara. Skype
>> charges .068 a min. I get charged around .05 (use) a min.
>>
>> Tell me, how is Skype cheaper?
>
> My understanding is, it's free after you buy the necessary equipment and
> install the free software, AS LONG AS both ends are using Skype compatible
> hardware & connecting all the way by internet???
>
> Tom J

Correct. Skype is free for users connecting to each other when using the
Internet..

However, there is a charge for a Skype user calling a land line....Domestic
or International.

"Neon John" <no@never.com> wrote in message
news:f0lej3lb4cgv2mkrjhj2jmrqfammjjfa2d@...
> On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:52:13 -0500, "Tom J" <tomnews@> wrote:
>
>
>>My understanding is, it's free after you buy the necessary equipment
>>and install the free software, AS LONG AS both ends are using Skype
>>compatible hardware & connecting all the way by internet???
>
> You don't need any equipment other than what your PC/laptop already has -
> a sound
> card and a headset/microphone. I use a less-than-$10 headset/microphone
> from
> Wallyworld. I've also used a Bluetooth headset talking to a Bluetooth
> dongle but the
> sound quality wasn't all that hot. It is the headset's fault, as I get
> the same
> complaint when on my cell. This is a 5-6 year old 2 ghz Dell laptop so no
> great
> amount of horsepower is required.
>
> The Skype phone-like appliances work without computers but lack the
> benefits of the
> graphical interface that the PC client has.
>
> John

Yes I agree. I am on a 4 year old Pentium 'M' Compaq Evo N620 laptop using
the build in microphone and built in speakers. Skype works perfect (no feed
back, etc.).

Tom, I suspect you won't need any additional 'Skype compatable' equipment.
The only thing I would recomend is a cheep set of head phones with a built
in microphone to plug into your sound card. I also have an outdated
Internet camera (Creative Labs Video Blaster II) that isn't officially
supported on the operating system (but works). However, Skype uses it
without any issues.