Skype - what's the big deal?

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Oct 18, 2001
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I have friends that are begging me to start using Skype. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.

Any help?

I have a cellphone.

I have messenger - can do chats and video chats on my laptop.

So, I don't see what I need Skype for...

Perhaps I am just missing the point?!?


Dan
(aka clueless)
 
you can make "skype to skype" calls anywhere in the world for free

its also one of the best (IMO) for doing live video chat, and I believe you can do video conferencing, speaking to more than one other person at once.
 
I use it quite a bit. Free computer-to-computer calls, dirt cheap calls to any landline/cellphone in the world, instant message capability and very clear voice/video calls. I also use it to transfer files to other Skype users.
 
My brother in law used it for his daughters wedding, to all of those that couldn't be there in person, pretty cool system.
 
It's one of the better/simpler tools to do what it does. One of the originals to take it 'mainstream'. That's mostly why it has the buzz.

There's Google Voice and many others too.
 
Their video compression is spectacular, enough for me to forgive the trainwreck their ui has recently become :)
 
With unlimited domestic calling on my landline and more domestic minutes on my cell plan than I will ever use, I see no economic reason to use Skype for domestic voice calling. The video phone thing can be fun... when it works. And international voice... much less video... calling just doesn't work reliably. Yeah, it's free. But it's mostly garbled and the call drops at least once every ten minutes and requires three minutes to re-establish resulting in you spending about 1/3 of your time just dealing with the mechanics of the call which does not result in a natural flow of conversation. To most countries, international voice calling is very inexpensive (the cost of an international call is determined mostly by taxes) and so I'd rather just pay a few bucks and get a good, trouble-free connection.
 
I used it for 5 weeks in Germany for video calls back home. Only had drops from wifi connection issues.
 
Don't know if this is a concern for anyone that doesn't live in the boonies, or even if it is still a concern but:

I had a week long trial in a town where the cell phone service was basically non-existent, but the court had good wireless internet service. My client (and I) were able to make calls with skype although we didn't need to try the video part. So maybe it was kind of an unusual situation where there was good wireless but no cell service because all the courts needed to be on some kind of network and the court had invested in some kind of wireless router.
 
viva la said:
you can make "skype to skype" calls anywhere in the world for free

its also one of the best (IMO) for doing live video chat, and I believe you can do video conferencing, speaking to more than one other person at once.
Click to expand...

I use them for business. Seems like the New AOL AIM system.
 
Gollnick said:
And international voice... much less video... calling just doesn't work reliably.
Click to expand...

Way too broad a brush there...I've done international calls to people in the dark reaches with no issues.

It's all about the network from you to them...bandwidth. Either you have a clean path or you don't. No app will work if Skype won't work, given the same paths.

One of the wonders of Skype for those who work around telecomm is just how great their codecs work in the given bandwidth. They really are among the best in that regard. The world's networks, US included (many times specifically) are just not fully up to the task/expectations of new client/app demands.
 
hardheart said:
I used it for 5 weeks in Germany for video calls back home. Only had drops from wifi connection issues.
Click to expand...
Same here. Video or just voice to Paris a couple times a week. No problems except for WiFi issues.
 
I'm currently stationed in Kuwait and use it to keep in touch with my family (scattered all over the USA), my teams in Iraq and A'stan, and old friend in Europe. Nothing else works as well, video or otherwise, and it's easy to call a Stateside number without having to go through a bunch of BS. Because I have a Stateside phone number I can even call 800 numbers (which are a pain from overseas) or to business's.

Plus, the video call is nice because it's kind of cool to see the folks you're talking with. I find those calls last a lot longer as we can get visual clues for topics of discusion.
 
kingsqueak said:
Way too broad a brush there...I've done international calls to people in the dark reaches with no issues.

It's all about the network from you to them...bandwidth. Either you have a clean path or you don't. No app will work if Skype won't work, given the same paths.
Click to expand...

Agree. Use Skype for most of my overseas calls to friends, better sound quality than mobile to mobile. Yesterday called UK as I was driving home from work, a little break up as I drove past an electricity substation but kept the connection. My car radio gets fuzzy there.
 
I love it. While overseas I can call home for 2.3 cents per minute, as long as I can find internet access.

I've never tried Skype-to-skype, video, or any of the other features.
 
I live in Japan and use Skype several times a week for personal and business purposes. It's so cheap as to be almost free compared with regular phone rates. I can use 800 numbers in the US and not pay at all (with regular phone service I have to pay full price even though it's an 800 number.) I can video call with friends all over the world and the video and voice is as clear as if we're in the same room. I send files to other skype users quickly and easily, and can leave messages for those not in when I call. Perhaps the nicest thing is when I make an international call and have to spend the first 10 minutes of the call dealing with numerous menus, or get put on hold for 10 minutes waiting for the next available operator. I don't mind so much at 2 cents a minute compared with 30 cents a minute.

I doubt if I would use it to make local calls in the US, but for long distance, why give the money away to the phone company? Use Skype.

Stitchawl
 
My family lives in the UK. I live in the US. It would cost me lots of money to phone my folks on the land line. I use a different VOIP service and it doesn't cost a penny for my parents to phone me on an evening or weekend and it costs me a fraction of a penny per minute to phone them. All internet phone to internet phone calls are also free and I can do video chat too if I want.

It actually cheaper to use my voip phone to phone people in the next county through a UK phone number at 3 cents a minute rather than 15 cents at&t want to charge me.

Really saves you some money for those that have family who live a far distance away.
 
It's also really secure (as these things go). It's been banned in some countries (you know those nice ones you hear about on TV) because the government can't spy on the conversations people have using skype.
 
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