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laura_inthesky

Skype?

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I've been hearing a lot about Skype from friends and family recently and I'm thinking about getting it myself. Do many of you have it? What do you think about it?

 

How does it work exactly, how would I get my new phone number? Do I have to sign up with company or do I just plug a Skype phone into my pc and start calling?

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You don't even need a skype phone. Just a microphone and speakers. Just download skype and register. Simple as that.

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You don't need a phone and you only have to sign up for free in order to talk to other computers.

 

Basically it's like MSN with a better voice/video function for talking to other people who have downloaded skype. If you want to chat from one computer to another, it won't cost a thing. However if you want to call someone's regular phone using it - you have to buy skypeout credits, which have different rates depending on where in the country you're calling. You can use a regular microphone/headset or whatever, and just input numbers to dial using your mouse and keyboard. Or you can buy a skype phone to forgo those functions, but if you have a mic already I would consider that a big waste of money.

 

I've used it in the past to call America, and my parents use it quite a lot to chat to family in Hong Kong - it works pretty well as long as you have a broadband connection.

 

As for your own number, if someone's calling you from another computer they add you as a contact just like any other IM program. If you want to be called from a regular phone you need to buy a Skypein number: which you can find out about here.

 

Edit: Those starter kits are stupid. The 30 SkypeOut minutes and the mic/headphone are fine, but if you don't have an internet connection capable of downloading the program you won't be able to use it anyway :/

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this is pretty neat, just installed the software and everything. Think I will buy a phone for it - so when someone rings you, does your computer just 'ring'?

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this is pretty neat, just installed the software and everything. Think I will buy a phone for it - so when someone rings you, does your computer just 'ring'?

Yep as long as your speakers are on, you'll hear a ringtone and a message will come up on the skype window "incoming call from (whoever)" - then you click to accept it. I imagine if you buy the skype phone the ringing will be rerouted to a speaker on the handset and you'll just have to pick up the reciever to accept the call.

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My friend used to talk to me alot over skype - however he buggy skype phone kept disconnecting on him - tis a shame.

 

but we are trying to get a podcast thing set up over either easter or summer and we might use skype and record the telephone calls.

 

But anywho I'll let you more aware of this when the time comes. ;)

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