Skype

[Weedon]

Saw the last half of a programme on tv last week about phone calls via PC and internet.  I think I understood how it worked but does anybody know firsthand of the pros and cons of the system. 

At the moment I do not have the microphone but have downloaded the Skype bit to have a look at it but in my usual way quickly skipped through it without coming to any conclusions.

Do I take it that you have to be billed for any PC to landline calls and that you have to have some way of alerting the other PC person that you want to talk.

weedon

PS

I do not have the search facility so cannot research old postings.

[Poolguy]

Weedon

Welcome to Skype 21 Seicle.... its not so tough.

There are two systems running parallel

Skype is base from Computer to Computer through high speed internet access. You can talk to another person so long as you know their call sign and they have accept the invitation to chat. Its free and you can talk as long as you like no matter where they are in the world. The reception is generally really good, just like your contact is across the desk from you except for a delay if the call is to say, Australia. But to another part of France its instant.

Skypeout is Computer to telephone, landline and mobile. The cost for this call is 1.7c per minute to the land line and a bit more to mobile. You buy credit from skypeout using your credit card in €10 or €25 lots and talk till its gone. The reception is not as good as for some reason I can't fathom, the mic volume is poor. There is a adjustment you can make but I don't know how to do that. Another annoying thing is that about every third call the system automaticallyy opens a 'feedback' form to ask 'how it was for you'. this effectivelyy dumps out any internet window you had open at the time.

I've used it a bit over a month now and my phone bill is 10% of normal so I'll put up with the drawbacks. I am sure that sooner of later everyone will be on a similar system and the like of Telecom and Tele 2 will see their revenues evaporate overnight. At the moment I think that there is about 6.5 million users with about 2.7 million on line at anyone time. I can only see that growing exponentially.

Hope that this is of help.

Andrew

[JohnM]

Am I right in thinking that there is also SkypeIn where you "buy" a number in which ever country (or I suppose countries) you want and calls to that can be directed to your PC if you are logged on (or to voice mail)

 

[Battypuss]

Yes there is a system like that, I don't know how it works but have heard very good reports from someone who lives in Spain, has a number in England and dials South America! I cannot coment, Skype doesn't like French credit cards, ie Carte Blue as that is the only one I have...so it won't listen to me. But the computer/computer line I have so far found to be faultless and as clear as a bell, am I am as dimwitted as they come with new technology.

[Weedon]

Thanks Andrew for your reply.

So to sum up, if I want to speak with family in the UK and Majorca they have to have Skype on their PCs and speaking with them is free as it is included in my unlimited use of the broadband deal with France Telecom.  But to speak via PC to landlines or mobiles I have to have an account with Skype and be in credit with them.  I can see the advantage with international calls because when I get my bill it is made up primarily with overseas calls with local calls at a minimum.  What I don't yet appreciate is how the other end with a PC knows I want to speak, as it relies on both people being online with PC at the same time. 

weedon

 

[JohnM]

The only system I have seen had a USB skype phone connected to it and the phone rang when somebody called it (but (of course) the PC needs to be on and connected to the internet).

 

[Deimos]

When you call PC to PC, the computer receiving the call makes a ringing noise through it’s sound card and pops up a dialog with “answer” and “hang-up” buttons (allowing the person to answer or “abort” the call). The Skype software on your computer tells you when your “contacts” are online. However, whilst free it will only be of any use when both you and the person you want to call are online at the same time.

The SkypeOut (where you pay them for calls up front to call from your computer to a landline) is “variable” in quality. If you have difficulties with it forget any assistance or Customer Service from Skype. They are a take your money and forget you company (as long as they have your money they are happy). However, when it does not hang-up your calls part way through it is OK. Note that for telephoning France to UK (and most other countries) in the evenings it is not the cheapest route – there are landline systems (using standard telephones) that are cheaper. Similarly, the Skype-In giving you a London number for €30 per year is also a bit of a rip-off as there are alternative landline schemes that are free and give you a UK 0844 “local-rate” (5p per min) number that can be diverted to most countries (e.g. France) for free (quite a bit cheaper than Skype’s €30).

There are technical issues with their PC client software that mean the Skype client software messes around with your microphone volume to set it to what it thinks is best. This can be OK, too quite or too loud (resulting in an echo). To solve this means editing your Skype configuration file manually, but it does improve the quality loads where you are having these problems.

In practice none of these things work very well with speakers and microphone. Nothing to do with Skype but rather the nature of sound. To get the best results, get a headset (pretty cheap from most computer stores) or a dedicated USB telephone handset (a bit more expensive).