Hype for Skype

[dagibbs]

ansfrid posted that Skype was offering free calls from Skype to all phones within the US and Canada. Free. Hm.

I thought, hey, I travel a lot... this could be handy. So, I downloaded it, installed it, and tried calling home from work. Installation was easy, the call was simple to do, though a touch confusing -- a couple of the usual "noises" weren't quite right, including missing the ring->pickup transition. Sound quality, with my cheapo headset & microphone was acceptable -- that is, it was comparable or better than I get with my cell phone, though not quite as good as I would expect from a land-line call from here to home.

I'm definitely going to leave this installed, and give it a try on my next couple of business trips.

Unfortunately, they don't seem to offer call-in numbers in Canada yet, but if/when they do, it is priced at 30 EU / line, or about $43.00/line for a year. Of course, I still need a POTS line, to get my DSL.

Comments

[eviljohn.livejournal.com]

Check out Gizmo Project (http://gizmoproject.com/) and VoIPStunt (http://www.voipstunt.com/en/splashvoipin.html) which also have free calls between the US & Canada. And best of all, they aren't Skype (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype#Criticism). ;-)

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

Hm... I might take a look at those, too.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

Hm... from the "free calls" stuff at "VoIPStunt":
If you want to enjoy UNLIMITED FREE* CALLS to these destinations, you have to become a fully registered user by topping up your account. This credit deposit will stay untouched as long as you are calling the free destinations and remains valid for 120 days after your last purchase (unleswss stated otherwise).

120 days of free calls, no clear indication of what the "top-up" will be, and if I don't spend it... it goes away. Hm.

And, the main page at Gizmo is highlighting "1c/minute to the USA" rather than free.

Skype looks truly free -- they had no upfront charge or anything for me. No CC info given, etc.

[eviljohn.livejournal.com]

10 euro is the minimum 'top up'. So it works out to be 10 euro for 3 months unless you call a non .00/min country. Not free, but free*. ;) Still it's the cheapest I've seen. And all of them are truly free if you're calling to another VoIP phone.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

Yeah, voip to voip is truly free for all of them. But, at least for the rest of the year, Skype seems to also be "truly free" for calls to Canada & USA. And, at least until the end of the year, that's hard to beat for cheapest.

If I like it, and if they start charging again come end of 2006, I may look at alternatives.