VOIP, Skype

[HenryJ]

I see there is one member here using Skype.
I am seeking low cost solutions to making calls and checking in on a trip. VOIP calls from a hotspot really seem viable.
I have been playing with Skype for a little while, and it looked to be worth spending $30 for a years unlimited access to phone calling.
I have no idea if it will be a good thing or not. I kind of see it as an unlimited calling card that can be used from any available hotspot.
No monthly cell phone charges, no roaming or lack of service. Free VOIP computer to computer. Video phone calls. It is pretty attractive from what little I see.

Any thoughts or experiences?

 

[arcteryx]

I see there is one member here using Skype.
I am seeking low cost solutions to making calls and checking in on a trip. VOIP calls from a hotspot really seem viable.
I have been playing with Skype for a little while, and it looked to be worth spending $30 for a years unlimited access to phone calling.
I have no idea if it will be a good thing or not. I kind of see it as an unlimited calling card that can be used from any available hotspot.
No monthly cell phone charges, no roaming or lack of service. Free VOIP computer to computer. Video phone calls. It is pretty attractive from what little I see.

Any thoughts or experiences?

I bought it when it was a Promo of 14.95. Love it. I don't use it as my main line, but it has definitely come in handy. Unless something cheaper- like free- comes out, I will renew, even if $30.

 

[Martyn]

I use Skype and talk to friends all over the world who are also on Skype.

I also use it to make phone call either when other family members are using our regular line or calling overseas. No problems at all, with the exception of a little echo if I don't use ear phones.

You can get some delay if you are talking overseas and also have the video side of it running, but it works flawlessly voice to voice.

 

[grahamfitter]

I used SkypeOut a lot while I was in Germany and UK last summer to phone home. Super cheap!

The quality ranged from great to lousy. If it was a bad connection I called again but on a couple of occasions it took four or five tries to get a good line.

I haven't tried the videophone but it looks like a neat feature.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[bigreen505]

Skype is great for short calls, but I would not count on it for long calls until some sort of legislation is passed on packet shaping and net neutrality. Right now, every ISP in North America and I think Europe as well throttles any Internet traffic that looks like Bit Torrent or P2P. Since Skype uses a P2P infrastructure ISPs throttle Skype connections, particularly video conferencing. If you make long calls you will notice that they start crystal clear and start to degrade after about 15 min. By an hour they have gotten echoey and a lot of latency.

 

[HenryJ]

In your experiences, is it a access point to long distance while at home, or another stationary point, or is it viable for travel. Are there hotspots readily accessible in your travels?
What about Europe?
Do the Skype WiFi handsets look like something that would be useful? Netgear WiFi Phone

 

[preacherman]

I used skype in africa to call back and it worked great. Sometimes the fee to use a hotspot cost just as much as a phone call would have however. Another option is if you have a quadband cell phone that uses a sim card (like att/cingular) you can find good deals on international sim cards. Just pop it in your phone and go. I was really surprised how many places in africa had great cell coverage. It makes since really. Spend a couple million on land lines that need repair or spend a couple of million on cell coverage. Even way out in the bush our phones would get service. Your phone does have to be "unlocked" however. Another option is skpe has a palm/handheld option to download onto a PDA. Your PDA just needs wifi and bluetooth (for the headset).