Skype - Any Reason I Shouldn't Let My Son Download it?

[PJmomrunner]

If anyone has any experience with "Skype" free internet telephone service, please let me know. My teen son wants it so he can talk with his friends while he plays internet games (which sounds like an okay idea to me, 'cuz then I'll know what they're talkin' about!). I'm inclined to let him--I went to the website and it looks legit to me. Does anyone have any opinions about/experience with Skype?

 

[mntbiker]

Hey P.J.,
Go for it.

From Clark Howard
Aug 01, 2005 -- Skype slowly making an impression
You may have heard Clark talk about the company Skype before. It?s one of those companies that is sneaking up on the world without any advertising. It?s basically an Internet platform that allows you to make long distance and overseas calls for next to nothing. If you call other Skype members, you pay nothing. For non-members, a lot of places in the world are 1.9 cents. Clark?s been using Skype for about five months and he has loved it. Sometimes people complain that he sounds tinny, but other than that the call is great. It?s an open platform kind, so you can also use your cell phone and potentially other devices to make Skype calls. These kinds of ingenious services could completely eliminate long distance from your life. How great would that be? All you have to do is pay a $10 yearly subscription fee and you?re home free. Skype also has a new gadget called the ?phone wizard.? It allows you to switch back and forth from the local line with your long distance company to the Skype Internet line. Clark bought the device for $56 just plugged his phones into it. You phone plays double duty, saving you money on calls. These kinds of inventions are going to change the telecommunications industry.

I use a different brand of VOIP so we have had no ILEC provided phone service in our house for over 3 years, it works great and it's cheap.

 

[MikeB]

I dont think it should be a big deal, you can only other people that have Skype, so its basically like a live AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)

 

[Ross]

I don't use it myself, but I know many that do and love it. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[PJmomrunner]

David - Thanks for the info. Good to see that baby face

Mike - I really find AIM a PITA--so many pop-ups! That's just the sort of thing I'm afraid of.

He did download it. It's nice he's not on the phone line.

 

[epstns]

P.J. - I have downloaded and used Skype over the past couple of years. I was introduced to it by my daughter. She was away at school and needed a "free" vehicle for long heart to heart chats with dad and others. Since she was at a tech school, the geeks there told her all about it. It sure kept us in touch, with no long distance costs and no cell phone over-runs. As an added bonus, the voice quality was "scary-good." It sounded like she was right there inside my head while I was using the headset. It was a really good tool, and a cost saver.

Now she is relocated to a school just on the other side of the city, so the phone calls are local -- so Skype isn't used that much any more.

 

[MikeB]

P.J. - I have downloaded and used Skype over the past couple of years. I was introduced to it by my daughter. She was away at school and needed a "free" vehicle for long heart to heart chats with dad and others. Since she was at a tech school, the geeks there told her all about it. It sure kept us in touch, with no long distance costs and no cell phone over-runs. As an added bonus, the voice quality was "scary-good." It sounded like she was right there inside my head while I was using the headset. It was a really good tool, and a cost saver.

Now she is relocated to a school just on the other side of the city, so the phone calls are local -- so Skype isn't used that much any more.

I have a question, I am looking to use this to contact my brother in Mexico, how does it work when you call, do you need to be on the computer, does it ring? Im just curious, he pays $25 a month for Vonage, and I figured we could try this since it is free.

 

[PJmomrunner]

So far so, good. Yes, you both have to be on the computer for it to work. As you said before, just like AIM. You just download it (quick--3 minute set-up) and talk into your computer microphone and listen to your computer speakers. The sound quality is perfect. It's free, but they're hoping when you go to their website you'll read about their service that hooks up with your regular telephone line and like the free service so much you'll pay for the (Vonage-like) telephone service. We've gotten no solicitations though.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi p.j.,
when our youngest daughter left for college in st. louis, her best friend who was starting college in edinburgh told her about skype. they now speak regularly and it costs them nothing. much better than that first cell phone bill!!! she loves it.
i think she would highly recommend it.
good luck,
sylvia

 

[sue943]

I downloaded it some weeks back but haven't yet used it. One thing I have noticed, that is some complete strangers will attempt to speak to you, I have just refused the calls. I have just received a phone to use with Skype, I bought it from QVC, you connect it to the computer via USB it means that you can then wander around the house talking just like any normal wireless phone. I haen't opened the box yet but it looked good on TV!

Afriend of mine recently moved to Singapore with her husband, he is an airline pilot. she uses Skype to speak to her sons in England every day and recommended that I get it.

The only problem with using the speakers and a microphone is that the mic will pick up the sound through the speakers, it is better to use earphones rather than speakers.

 

[RCB]

I have a question, I am looking to use this to contact my brother in Mexico, how does it work when you call, do you need to be on the computer, does it ring? Im just curious, he pays $25 a month for Vonage, and I figured we could try this since it is free.

Mike,
With the free version of Skype, both people need to be on computers and have downloaded the program. When you have the person's contact name(you may look up anyone if you know thier Icon name) you simply click on it and it will "ring" the other person. If the other person is connected to the internet and running Skype( it runs in the background), a screen will
pop-up and you will hear a "ring". My then decide to Click the "pick-up Icon)
to answer the call.

Skype has an option for a fee which will work like Vonage(using your phones). Skype is available everywhere you have an IP, Vonage is restricted.

I have been using it now for several months to have long talks with old friends and even conferences calls, plus sending a file is really fast. You can be surfing and at the same time talking.

As Sue said, best to use a headset if you have it, otherwise the other person will get
some feedback.

I don't advise using your name, because then you get calls from someone who know someone else with your name. As with anything on the net, be careful!