Does anyone use / know about skype?

[74Jamie]

any good
cheaper
quality
worth doing
and how does it work?

I'd love to know what it is ; had a change of address card recently with a skype address on it.

Yes, use it when DH is working abroad. There are different levels according to what you want. For example, if you have broadband, a PC/laptop and a headphone/microphone set each you can make voice calls from one computer to another for no additional charge you just have to both register for skype. If you pay (not a huge amount, I think DH did it after a while) for a SkypeOut number then you can make voice calls from your computer to a regular landline number, and you can pay for a SkypeIn number so that people can call you on your computer from their landlines.

Robinpud - basically means that you use the phone line in your computer to make calls on. Cheaply. Or as LeahE says, totally free if you are both on it. Advancing all the time, defo where phones are headed.

We have it. Bloody cheap, easy to use and set up. Just log on to website and off you go. you´ll need a headset or handset. If you want to fork out, you can get a walk about phone which is much better unless your pc is in a good spot (ours in basement meaning I can´t see the kids in the garden, so tricky to use unless they are in bed). I think (if you are VERY techy) you can even get skype calls to your mobile. It really is amazing. If your family and friends have it, its totally free.

BUT - call quality can be bad. I think if your computer is relatively modern (ie less than a couple of years old) and your internet connection is good (ie not much crashing, taking ages to open stuff etc), you´ll be laughing - no different at all from a normal phone call. Ours for example didn´t work at all well on old pc (haven´t transferred it to new one yet, so don´t know if it will be any better now). You would be speaking and then the other person wouldn´t be able to hear you for maybe 15 secs, but you don´t realise they can´t hear you, so you finish your point and wait for an answer, and then have to repeat it, and then they will fade out when they answer, but not realise so you have to ask them to repeat themselves......It can be quite eventful. BUT my mum has it on her newish laptop and its clear as a bell, never fades out, so i think it´s just luck.

Will ask techie husband if there is anything else!!

All in all though, I would say its worth it.

HTH

My dh sets people up with it and the box,its grt and so,so cheap xxIt converted me xx

if you have a camera you can also do video phone calls ( obviously both parties need a camera to see each other)

and you can do written messaging as well

Yep, deffo the way forward. We use skype to call the DSS at uni in the UK. We video call them & also have a usb handset we plug in for normal calls (you don't need this tho, we like it because it make it like a normal phone).

Just getting my dad set up on it now - Skype to Skype is freeeeeeee! Saves a packet calling from Oz.

Skype is such an irritating word that so far I've been unable to investigate it further.

so it could be a decent way to keep in touch with friends and family in the uk whilst we are swanning around Sydney for a year?!
does it need broadband connection rather than dila up?

It's the only thing I use! Costs about 6p an hour to call the UK on Skype as against 6p a minute on an ordinary land line! Quality seems to depend on the time of day that you 'phone though, if I call England at about 6pm (English time) the line is bad but if I call later or earlier it's fine.