Skype

Service overview

Skype is a free communications program from the inventors of the peer-to-peer filesharing program KaZaA. Skype allows you to talk to anyone in the world using your Internet connection, speakers, and a microphone (or combo headset).

Installing Skype is quite easy, and all you need to do is follow five simple steps to make calls:

• Download the program from skype.com
• Register for the service
• Install the program on your computer
• Plug in your headset, speakers, or USB phone
• Start calling your friends

Making outside calls

If you’d like to make calls to landline or cell phone numbers all around the world, Skype also has a paid program called Skypeout. At present there are no setup or subscription fees, but Skype does charge for calls depending on your location and where you are calling. Essentiallly, you set up a credit system and when you make a call, the funds are deducted from your account.

Who’s "online"?

With 254 million people already downloading Skype worldwide, it’s quite possible you or someone you know is already using Skype’s VoIP service. On average, about 5 million people are using Skype every minute.

Features worth mentioning

Skype emphasizes the importance of sound quality. As they explain on their site, with normal telephones you can only hear sounds from 300 Hz to 3 kHz. With Skype’s VoIP service, sounds come in much clearer, so any communication sounds more natural and crisp. The Skype service provides voicemail, so you don’t miss anyone’s phone messages. Skype can also function as an instant-messaging program like AIM, MSN, or Yahoo Messenger.

Customer reviews

CNET.com rates Skype an 8.0 out of 10. Many user comments match this rating as well.

Comments proclaim the Skype VoIP service to be cheap and easy to use. Calls to other Skye users are clear and speedy. However, when using the landline feature, some people did experience problems communicating with the person they were calling from their PC. Other users also claimed to experience problems with trying to set up an account for the paid services. The same users also said Skype customer service failed to provide targeted information for getting to the bottom of specific technical issues related to account management. The problem apparently lies more with the company taking the funds, Moneybookers, than with Skype.

The bulk of the consumer reviews suggested that Skype’s free service is superb when it comes to PC-to-PC connections and to some PC-to-landline connections.

The bottom line

For people who aren’t extremely tech-savvy but still want to try a VoIP service, Skype is an excellent choice. Current customers also claim that the money they save talking PC-to-PC or even PC-to-landline is worth a few "glitches" here and there. To paraphrase one reviewer, for the price of free you can’t beat it.


See also:

• Google Talk
• Vonage