Skype, Who here uses it? and Why?

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JAMMAN2110

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#6995 10-Mar-2006 15:05

Skype, Who here uses it? and Why? (If you dont mind my asking)

I use it, I call people in Australia mainly, occasionally theres little delays but its way better than a few POTS calls I've made there and its free! :D

sbiddle

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#30449 10-Mar-2006 15:17

If you regularly call PSTN numbers Australia in Australia (ie using Skypeout) I highly recommend getting an account with a SIP provider like MyNetFone - you can buy a phyiscal phone to plug straight into your router and make calls to Australia for A10c flat rate with no monthly fee which works out a lot cheaper than Skype when you're paying per minute.

I've used Skype a fair bit myself but find the biggest problem to be call quality - primarily because people have cheap headsets or crappy plug in USB phones which are hopeless. Skype with a Bluetooth headset or a phone adapter to plug a phyical phone in is great with a fast connection. With the number of manufactuers launching Skype phones it's going to very interesting over the coming year to see where Skype does go - it's got the potential to be absolutely huge...

JAMMAN2110

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#30450 10-Mar-2006 15:50

http://news.com.com/Skype+targets+small+businesses/2100-7352_3-6047941.html?tag=nefd.top

"Skype has also announced new Skype-ready hardware including a Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset, a Linksys cordless Internet phone, and an Internet speakerphone from U.S. Robotics."

"Skype has traditionally been thought of as a consumer application. But the company says that 30 percent of its 75 million subscribers use the software for business.".

I dont know about you but to me that is "absolutely huge"

freitasm

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#30452 10-Mar-2006 16:52

JAMMAN2110: http://news.com.com/Skype+targets+small+businesses/2100-7352_3-6047941.html?tag=nefd.top

"Skype has also announced new Skype-ready hardware including a Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset, a Linksys cordless Internet phone, and an Internet speakerphone from U.S. Robotics."

"Skype has traditionally been thought of as a consumer application. But the company says that 30 percent of its 75 million subscribers use the software for business.".

I dont know about you but to me that is "absolutely huge"

Or here.. I countinuously wonder how many people realise we do have a news section - which actually accounts for 2/3 of our traffic. And we do have RSS feeds too.

Back to the original topic, I use Skype and I have SkypeIn and SkypeOut, mainly to talk to the USA, but sometimes even call landlines in New Zealand. I use a Dualphone

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Gadgettm

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#32302 5-Apr-2006 14:30

I use Skype to call my relatives in Finland. Most of them don't have a landline phone anymore and calling to mobiles is expensive.
I use homemade handset made out of Nokia HSU-3 carkit privacy handset and quality is great. Having a handset instead headset means I have to hold it with one hand while I can still type with one hand but I very rarely type and talk at the same time anyway.

My gadgets:
NEC Versa S3200 Laptop running Linux Mint 9 and Win XP

3x I-mate Jasjam, one running WM6.1 and others WM5.1, all working with VF and Telecom XT
Canon Powershot SX120 Digital camera
Various old phones like Nokia 6310, Nokia 6610 and ancient Nokia 1610, all with carkits.
Greenspeed Gto recumbent trike with Rohloff 14 speed Speedhub, altogether 42 speed.
No TV, no microwave and no washing machine. ( Not enough space in my van for those) I live a mobile lifestyle, call me nomad if you wish but gypsy I am not.
Have started my epic journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga on my recumbent trike supported with my van so I can carry all my gadgets with me and sleep in a comfy bed.

JAMMAN2110

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#32319 5-Apr-2006 15:19

Gadgettm: I use homemade handset made out of Nokia HSU-3 carkit privacy handset and quality is great. Having a handset instead headset means I have to hold it with one hand while I can still type with one hand but I very rarely type and talk at the same time anyway.

Got photos of that by any chance?

Gadgettm

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#32416 6-Apr-2006 11:27

I am a newbie so I don't know yet how to publish photos but should know soon. Picasa Blogger might work?

[Moderator addition: photo submitted by user]

HSU-3 converted to VOIP handset

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tonyhughes

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#32431 6-Apr-2006 14:13

email your photos to [edited] at this sites domain name, and i will post them in this forum.

tonyhughes

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#32503 7-Apr-2006 14:24

Photo added.

Gadgettm

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#32504 7-Apr-2006 14:40

Thanks for adding the photo tonyhughes.
I am also working on Retro model of the same but need to find old Telecom landline handset. If anyone in NZ has got those old phones I am willing to pay for postage. I quite like the idea of holding a handset instead of headset which are fiddly to fit to my head. Maybe my head is too big or strange shape? Sometimes I feel I am from different planet

muppet

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#32506 7-Apr-2006 15:55

Skype is fantastic.

When I was in Saudi Arabia for 4 weeks I used it to call my girlfriend via either Skype Out (if she was at work) or direct client-to-client. Even with the terrible network performance of the Saudi Internet (all traffic seemed to route via Japan and at night there was a constant ~40-50% packet loss) the voice quality was acceptable.

At the moment I use it to call my parents in Aussie and we also use it as a work tool. I work with people in Wellington and Napier, if we want to talk we do it on Skype.
I have a SonyEricsson Bluetooth headset and I pair that up with my laptop, much better than being tied to the computer.

I do wish they'd update their linux client though, it's lagging behind in features and is quite buggy.
I also don't think Skype will last, I think it's a nice gap between no VoIP and everyone with their own IP phone.

Skype's biggest advantage at the moment is how well it works even behind a NAT'd device with no ports forwarding and the client isn't cluttered with shite (see MSN Messenger for an example of what I mean!)

Tim

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

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MattD

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#33079 16-Apr-2006 10:49

Skype to Skype performance seems fairly good, minor delays, however skye out to any southern hemisphere country is dreadful! Skype out to Europe and US is great.
My concern is that skype is still built upon PTP infrastructure (they built Kazaa)
I saw that some use Skype as a work tool! Many corporate environments here would not allow PTP in their environment.

If calling international landlines, agree with Steve, best approach is to get an ATA and a voip account with the country you most frequently call. Other benefit is that you can use your existing analogue cordless phone with the ATA, and your home computer does not need to be on (or have you tied to it)
Other consideration is QoS, as Skype competes with other devices on your network. We installed an QoS enabled ATA between our router and cable modem and that improves voice quality.

We installed an ATA in my inlaws place in Dunedin and we have one here in Sydney, both use Engin network as a SIP provider (actually through AceCommunications). They both have Sydney numbers eg +61-2-820X-XXXX. When these call each other, it is a free call. For the NZ phone to call any Aus landline it is a 10c untimed call. We can call any NZ land line for 3c a minute, so it is actually cheaper for them to use the Aus VoIP to call North Island. Other benefit is that I can call their Sydney number for any local landline for cost of local call, which is great as my wife is often across there, and I can call from office. The catch is that you pay a $10 mth fee. With bills typically of $150mth in both countries, the solution paid for itself in the first month (including hardware).