Skype

[tim]

Ike

I have to pay line rental for a phone line/ broadband connection anyway (as does anyone using a land line) so given that that is a fixed cost why pay for calls on top.

The normal phone still works but my PC is on most of the time anyway so again no real change.

Cheers

Tim

 

[dedee]

Just how much lecky does a PC use when it is in standby or sleep mode? I am not sure it is not 200w.

Will a skype call bring the PC to life?

I must admit that the downside to Voip is having to take the call at the PC (especially if the wireles handsets as mentioned above are not up to much.

Is it any use arguing that if we reduce the numbers of letters we write that we are saving a few grams of CO2 (mail vans, trains, planes etc)?

Andy

 

[RogerS]

Couple of questions for those that know

1) Does the broadband speed affect performance especially if each end of the call are at different speeds?

Andy

Not really. The real killer is latency. It's the time taken for each data packet to get from A to B, basically.

Latency in a two-way phone conversation can be very undesirable. 150ms is the specified maximum desired one-way latency to achieve high-quality voice. Voice users will notice round-trip delays that exceed 250ms. More than that, and callers start talking over each other. At anything beyond 500ms phone calls are no longer practical. It would be like asking a question and getting the answer after you've gone to lunch. As a reference, the typical delay when speaking through a geo-stationary satellite is 150-500ms.

Delay in data networks is not as critical. An additional delay of 200ms on an e-mail or web page will generally not be noticed, but voice callers on the same network would be hampered by such a delay.

These guys started bringing it to the call centre market several years ago http://www.cosmocom.com

 

[llangatwgnedd]

Before we get to deep and technical,
whats the difference between this and msn messenger and Yahoo messenger?

 

[Adam]

I use "MSN messenger" to chat to friends with us both typing the messages. Skype is like attaching a regular phone to your PC, and making and recieving phone calls. You can talk through Messenger - but its a bit of a fudge - its really not designed as a telephone replacement - wheras Skype is. Also, Skype makes it easy to talk to another user on a phone which is on a regular landline - it doesn't have to be another skype user - if the person isn't a computer person but does have a regular phone and phone line - although their is a cost associated with that.

[edit, i just reread your question, and think it sounds more like you want the real technical differences: this CNET article is a worthy read: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-9237_7-624 ... l?tag=blog]. It has a table giving the key differences.

I'd say this is the key bit:

MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger with Voice, Google Talk, and Triton are all IM programs first and VoIP services second. The beauty of using the apps from MSN, Yahoo, and AOL for making voice calls is that you can instantly share photos and other files or add a Webcam for videoconferencing. Skype is the only messenger to offer encrypted data transfers, making it the most secure instant messenger of the bunch.

Adam

 

[sxlalan]

Those interested in Skype should watch out for a recent Trojan (one that is pretending to be Sykpe) reported here. As usual, treat any unsolicited emails as suspect and keep your antivirus and antispyware software up to date.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Chris Knight]

Well,
I listened and learned and I now have Skype. Not only do I have Skype but I have SkypeOut and SkypeIn and Skype voice mail. I am using a dual DECT phone (bought from an Amazon market partner) and I love them all!

I can talk to people on the internet for nowt and to ordinary phones for very little. Just have a look at the SkypeOut calling rates to see what I mean - http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/ ... rates.html

 

[woodshavings]

You can additionally use a blue tooth mobile phone earpice with a bluetooth enabled laptop.

Do you need a special driver for that? I am running XP and it only seems to support my bluetooth earpiece as a serial port, not as an audio device.

John

 

[dedee]

I too went live with Sype at the weekend. Just SkypeOut at the moment and only with built in mic and speakers. Only managed to call to a land line in France but the reception at each end was crystal clear with no discernable delay.

Has anyone tried the conference call yet? This could be fun at Xmas if I can get all of the in-laws wired up in time.

Andy

 

[tim]

Well I found Skype to be invaluable last night.

Mum lives in Florida and has been evacuated because of Hurricane Wilma. They are now staying with friends and she didn't want to ask them to cover the cost of a transatlantic call. She had her laptop with her and we managed to chat for half an hour.

Cheers

Tim