Can someone please explain, very simply, Skype to a thicko (me)?

[Buddleja]

OK so we've suffered another cut in income (booo) and I'm looking into things to cut

We've both mobiles and I'd gladly just use these and get rid of the land line if it weren't for the fact that I'm an ex-pat and i do like to phone my family on the odd occasion. If I called my parents house from my mobile I'd have to look into selling one or two organs to finance this.

So someone's mentioned Skype to me. But guess what I can't get my head around it and I've a few questions (even after reading through their site)

You make calls with the computer? How?

You don't use a handheld set like you do with an bog standard land line set up (ie plugged into the box in the wall)

If I get rid of the land line then my broadband package goes but don't I need broadband for skype

If my computer is off I won' get calls?

In a nutshell whats confusing me is that it seem like land line set up in as much as you can make calls and receive calls but it is actually part of the computer so it's dependant on that

HELP [confused smiley]

You can buy Skype tekephones which work just like regular phones:-

You can also use Skype on your mobile.

Here - you need to do some reading Missy!

skype is a piece of software you download onto your computer, you then register and give yourself a skype name. anyone you would like to skype with will also need to do the same, then you can find each other and make each other a contact. through skype, you can see when your contacts are online, and chat/write to each other, and if you have a web cam, you can also see each other too.

but yes, you are right about the broadband, chatting via skype is free when you are doing it via the internet. if your computer is off, or has gone to sleep, you will appear as offline to your skype contacts. you can ring landline/mobile numbers via skype, but it will cost to do so. i don't know anything about skype phones though, we do ours all via the computer. use it as dh goes away abroad for work at least 4 times a year. first time he went we spent about £75 on mobile calls/texts in a week, but i was heavily pg with ds at the time. now, we use skype, as dh always has his work laptop with him, and it doesn't cost a penny.