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Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?

"hammond" <> wrote in message
news:21bc4431-258a-44fe-a84e-...
> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
It's probebly fine for talking to people that are also on Skype,
but if it's for dialling out to the PSTN, then there are much
cheaper ways to do it using SIP providers.
--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

hammond wrote:
> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?

They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)

In article <ghs292$66q$>, Ian Pawson <>
writes
>hammond wrote:
>> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
>
>They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
>propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)

Skype can be good value if you don't make many calls and never call
mobiles or international numbers. It is however of no use for incoming
calls for the reason quoted above, if you leave yourself logged in all
the time it will soon start using your bandwidth.

Many of the SIP providers give you free calls to uk geographic numbers,
but you have to pay £10 a quarter which is credited to your account for
chargeable calls, but if you aren't making chargeable calls then it
either builds up or expires.

I use Skype for outgoing calls, pay them £1.50 a month and my calls to
uk geographic numbers cost me a flat rate of 3p per call for 01, 02 and
03 numbers anytime of the day.

If there is a SIP provider who can match this, i.e. provide 20 unlimited
length geographic calls for £2.10 a month I'd be interested, but please
bear in mind I'm not making any calls to other than 01, 02 and 03
numbers and thus do not want to fund an account if its more than £6 per
quarter, as for me that money would be wasted. Ideally I'd prefer to use
a non-proprietary system, which is a drawback of Skype.


--
Kevin

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:25:12 GMT, Jono <>
wrote:

>kkm wrote :
>> In article <ghs292$66q$>, Ian Pawson <>
>> writes
>>> hammond wrote:
>>>> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
>>>
>>> They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
>>> propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)
>>
>> Skype can be good value if you don't make many calls and never call
>> mobiles or international numbers. It is however of no use for incoming
>> calls for the reason quoted above, if you leave yourself logged in all
>> the time it will soon start using your bandwidth.
>>
>> Many of the SIP providers give you free calls to uk geographic numbers,
>> but you have to pay £10 a quarter which is credited to your account for
>> chargeable calls, but if you aren't making chargeable calls then it
>> either builds up or expires.
>>
>> I use Skype for outgoing calls, pay them £1.50 a month and my calls to
>> uk geographic numbers cost me a flat rate of 3p per call for 01, 02 and
>> 03 numbers anytime of the day.
>>
>> If there is a SIP provider who can match this, i.e. provide 20 unlimited
>> length geographic calls for £2.10 a month I'd be interested, but please
>> bear in mind I'm not making any calls to other than 01, 02 and 03
>> numbers and thus do not want to fund an account if its more than £6 per
>> quarter, as for me that money would be wasted. Ideally I'd prefer to use
>> a non-proprietary system, which is a drawback of Skype.
>
>The likes of SMSListo etc wouldn't be any more than that. Certainly not
>for me.
>
>A 10 Euro credit lasts me more than 6 months...
>

There is one advantage to skype, the 3 UK skypephones, where skype
calls are routed from the handset over the phone network and then
through the skype servers to your end caller. This doesn't require a
WIFI connection or a program running that may sap your mobile battery.
But then again, this opens up another load of considerations about the
mobile and mobile service.

On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:37:04 +0000, Rob Gibson wrote:

> "kkm" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> In article <ghs292$66q$>, Ian Pawson <>
>> writes
>>>hammond wrote:
>>>> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
>>>
>>>They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
>>>propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)
>>
>> Skype can be good value if you don't make many calls and never call
>> mobiles or international numbers. It is however of no use for incoming
>> calls for the reason quoted above, if you leave yourself logged in all
>> the time it will soon start using your bandwidth.
>>
>>
> I've often heard about how Skype will start using up your bandwidth.
>
> I monitor my traffic, and have to say that in three years Skype has
> never been a problem in this respect.
>
> Am I just lucky?
>
> Rob.
The traffic is one issue (although being as flaky as it is - this is hit
or miss). We often get calls in to tech support with people saying 'We
are using Skype'. The normal response is 'We know, it sounds crap, it's
full of echo and if you don't find a landline I'm hanging up on you'. If
you want the way you communicate to say 'I'm a ****' stick with Skype.

IMHO it's just a giant piece of spyware/malware owned by eBay. If your
happy to let them have full system access to your machine then that's
your perogative




--
.. . .

>> On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:37:04 +0000, Rob Gibson wrote:
>>
>>> "kkm" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> In article <ghs292$66q$>, Ian Pawson <>
>>>> writes
>>>>>hammond wrote:
>>>>>> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
>>>>>
>>>>>They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
>>>>>propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)
>>>>
>>>> Skype can be good value if you don't make many calls and never call
>>>> mobiles or international numbers. It is however of no use for incoming
>>>> calls for the reason quoted above, if you leave yourself logged in all
>>>> the time it will soon start using your bandwidth.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I've often heard about how Skype will start using up your bandwidth.
>>>
>>> I monitor my traffic, and have to say that in three years Skype has
>>> never been a problem in this respect.
>>>
>>> Am I just lucky?
>>>
>>> Rob.
>> The traffic is one issue (although being as flaky as it is - this is hit
>> or miss). We often get calls in to tech support with people saying 'We
>> are using Skype'. The normal response is 'We know, it sounds crap, it's
>> full of echo and if you don't find a landline I'm hanging up on you'. If
>> you want the way you communicate to say 'I'm a ****' stick with Skype.
>>
>> IMHO it's just a giant piece of spyware/malware owned by eBay. If your
>> happy to let them have full system access to your machine then that's
>> your perogative
>
> That's something else I keep hearing... How crap Skype sounds. I find the
> call quality fine. Certainly it's always way way better than my normal
> landline. I've been speaking daily to family in New Zealand over the last
> week, and it's been flawless. On the PC speakers it's as if bro-in-law is
> in the room - excellent quality. So, where is the crap quality and echo I
> hear about? It's not as if I'm new to Skype - I've been using it for about
> four years now.
>
> I'm genuinely interested in the crap quality comments as I have no
> complaints - so far
>
> Again, maybe I'm just lucky!
>
> Rob.

I am no apologist for Skype, I don't use it myself,
but my son does and I hear it when I pass his room. The audio
quality is very good.
And that's the point isn't it?
If users choose to use a softphone with an open microphone and loudspeaker
to make phone calls, if there is any latency in the system there is going
to be some echo. You can't blame the protocol for it.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:52:31 +0000, Rob Gibson wrote:

> "Stephen Ward" <> wrote in
> message news:4954a820$0$2520$...
>> On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:37:04 +0000, Rob Gibson wrote:
>>
>>> "kkm" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> In article <ghs292$66q$>, Ian Pawson
>>>> <> writes
>>>>>hammond wrote:
>>>>>> Lots of people I know recommend it to me ?
>>>>>
>>>>>They use your internet bandwidth when you are on-line. Avoid
>>>>>propitiatory system if at all possible (which is easy in this case)
>>>>
>>>> Skype can be good value if you don't make many calls and never call
>>>> mobiles or international numbers. It is however of no use for
>>>> incoming calls for the reason quoted above, if you leave yourself
>>>> logged in all the time it will soon start using your bandwidth.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I've often heard about how Skype will start using up your bandwidth.
>>>
>>> I monitor my traffic, and have to say that in three years Skype has
>>> never been a problem in this respect.
>>>
>>> Am I just lucky?
>>>
>>> Rob.
>> The traffic is one issue (although being as flaky as it is - this is
>> hit or miss). We often get calls in to tech support with people saying
>> 'We are using Skype'. The normal response is 'We know, it sounds crap,
>> it's full of echo and if you don't find a landline I'm hanging up on
>> you'. If you want the way you communicate to say 'I'm a ****' stick
>> with Skype.
>>
>> IMHO it's just a giant piece of spyware/malware owned by eBay. If your
>> happy to let them have full system access to your machine then that's
>> your perogative
>
> That's something else I keep hearing... How crap Skype sounds. I find
> the call quality fine. Certainly it's always way way better than my
> normal landline. I've been speaking daily to family in New Zealand over
> the last week, and it's been flawless. On the PC speakers it's as if
> bro-in-law is in the room - excellent quality. So, where is the crap
> quality and echo I hear about? It's not as if I'm new to Skype - I've
> been using it for about four years now.
>
> I'm genuinely interested in the crap quality comments as I have no
> complaints - so far
>
> Again, maybe I'm just lucky!
>
> Rob.
I may sound fine from where your listening - being on the other end of it
in a call centre is not so hot, I can tell you - this does tend to be
with Skypeout mind you. We tried Skype as a platform for about a week
before we trashed it.


--
.. . .