talkmagic.co.uk

Has anyone set up and used Skype?

If so, do you think it's worth the bother and if so, why?

I've never used it but the yawn sound it makes when it loads up makes me laugh everytime I hear it

Skype is very good. I use it for webcamming with other flourishers and the webcam function is much smoother on Skype than MSN Messenger. I've also used it to speak to relatives oversea and it works very well.

Also.... IT'S FREE!!! :D

Steve

Skype is very good, once set up.

I've actually been interviewed by MagicForge via Skype

Very highly recommended.

I use it both at home and in the office.
Highly recommended.

I think it depends on what you want it for. Personal calls are Ok but if you run a telesales type business where you are on the phone all the time I have found the voice quality & connection to be variable. Voice can fade in & out and be very scratchy and when the other person speaks they can often hear an echo & sometimes the connection can drop entirely when in the middle of a call.

I personally don't think it's reached a good enough quality level for a telephone based business operation but great for personal or occasional calls.

I use it everytime. Highly recommended. Even use it for business when I need to call overseas to a fix phone.

Skype is coming to the PSP soon as well. There have been links to 'skype_plugin' in some of sony's new codes.

I recommend it as well. I use it to keep in touch with friends all over the world. I also use it for business calls.

In the UK, there are phones that offer Skype but I'm not sure whether they still charge you for the minutes.

Hello there dat8962

I love Skype I use it a lot when I am web caming to my 4 year old son in Scotland because I cannot get up and see him much I like it much more then msn Messenger. Skype is very clear when speaking on the mic I did not get any bad feedback or cut outs when speaking very good bit of
software.


Mattdini

I found this a while ago. then lost it. forgot about it. saw the thread again and remembered it.

here ya go

http://www.voip-news.com/feature/hacking-skype-020607/

I've been on SKYPE for some time now but a dear friend just sent my a neat little present -- an actual phone that plugs into my PC designed for SKYPE accounts that, if you have SKYPE OUT can be used just like a normal telephone for a whopping $30.00 a year vs. the $30.00+ per month charged for traditional phone service; overseas calls being nominal, a few pennies a minute at most.

I've just dropped my traditional land line, put the PC on Cable modem and outside of that, use my Cell. I've even talked my parents and several friends into going this route due to the convenience and savings plus one other very wonderful boon -- NO TELEPHONE SOLICITORS!

Anywho, I've grown to love it!

I've seen Skype banned in the commercial space. The company that I work for had a P2P storm that affected the availability of the production network, caused by Skype's automatic peer communications. If you google for Skype Security you'll read about how suspicious folks are of what it's doing.

I've seen other quite enlightened organisations also ban skype because of its behaviour. Not, I must say, to do with message interception or trading regulations, just the effect it has on the network.

I have not, however, read a detailed business risk assessment and threat evaluation of Skype (from a business perspective rather than a techie).

Couple of interesting articles here:

http://www.skype.com/security/files/200 ... uation.pdf

http://blackhat.com/presentations/bh-eu ... ndi-up.pdf

Guys, if anyone is not aware of this you need to check it out!!!

My girlfriend recently moved back to France, and so felt a sense of loss of having to keep in touch by relying on a few international phone minutes, high phone card (i.e. the ones you get in your newsagents) costs, MSN Messenger, email and Facebook.

We mentioned Skype and noticing the 3 adverts for free Skype finally downloaded the program on my mobile phone handset.

Firstly, wow! Skype unobtrusively runs in the background like say switching on Bluetooth (with its own little logo to show it's on). It is really clear, and best of all your mobile rings as normal when you get a Skype call, with the other username showing so you can accept or reject it.

I recommend those who have 3 to download it - most new phones are compatible, though I tried a really old handset (e.g. 3 years old) and it wasn't compatible. My understanding is that only 3 network SIM cards work, but you can practically get those SIM cards for free if you know where to look for them.

The upshot is free Skype to Skype calls - that other person may be using a computer, but you get to use your mobile as a Skype account, and it's all free! Did I mention it's free!? There's no need to top up and you can even do this for pay as you go mobiles, subject to compatibility.

It makes the global village that much smaller and accessible and I'm now really happy that I don't have to worry about phone bill costs. Pretty pleased, and wanted to share this. Honestly people, get it now. Even the Skype download is free.

3 are being a tad naughty with that advertising campaign

Skype to skype calls will work on any phone (that runs skype) that will connect to a wifi network, no matter your mobile provider (they can't block it). If you have an iphone you won't be able to make skype calls over 3G or EDGE, but if you could make skype calls anywhere you wanted wouldn't that mean you'll never have to pay o2 a penny for a phonecall ever again?

(I can't say about the other providers whether they allow skype calls over 3G, I've never tried)