himmeus

Could someone please explain to me what Skype is and how to get it.Ive tried to research it but am not getting anywhere.Please help!

Dan725

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype

teebrown

It's great for keeping in touch, you download it to your computer and then you use your computer like a telephone, as long as the person you are phoning (contacting) has Skype you can talk for free over a mic and even use the webcam and it's like talking to them face to face. Just download the skype.com and tell your friends and family to download it and away you go, when you call someone, your computer will ring like a normal phone and then you click on the pick up button and away you go.

teambwr47

Be warned......... it means family (mum) will want to talk to you far more than they ever did by just phone..........

username 34

you can also just use Skype as a regular telephone to call landlines and mobiles. All you need to do is put credit opn your Skype account and dial the number on the keypad that will appear on your Skype page.

Rates for calling other people with Skype on their computer are FREE, and rates for calling actual telephones from your Skype is VERY VERY cheap. For examply for me here to call phones (mobile or landlines) in the UK is 0.02 cents per minute. 10 hours worth of talk time is about 7 dollars (USD) !

if you have a fairly new computer or laptop you should have a built in microphone and possibly a webcam built in also. I have both and its easy. Alternatively buy something like the Logitech webcam/mic in one and mount it on your screen.

the personal headphones arent great as you are the only one able to talk/hear, I prefer the mounted mike (or built in version) and then turn your PC volume up to hear the other persons voice or even better, plug your PC into your stereo speakers!

username 34

I forgot to say .... whats Skypes the best at doing ....

Christmas Day, we Skyped the parents and they watched, via webcam on their computer back in the UK, our family opening all our christmas presents! It was fantastic and they could talk to the kids all the way through asking them what things were etc .... its the next best thing to having them here with us on the day!

shirl

There is also Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger which do pretty much the same thing. I go on the webcam and chat with the out-laws in Spain every weekend and we can see each other and what the weather is doing etc. Yes it is good for the christmas thing. We get to see the grandkids in America and speak to them often this way.

Dan725

Hmm, I think not: http://www.skype.com/prices/callrates/

UK mobiles are 25 cents/min - still not bad though

chocolate cake

Agree, Skype to landlines is great value, mobiles less so.

newzealandplease

Skype to Skype calls are the best. And my only way of seeing the kids right now.

good thing is the account we have in UK I pay for the Skype out (landline calls). SO to phone people back home that don't have Skype I just sign into that account from here. Rest of time wife uses Skype as daily phone in the UK.

Though you can use a cheap webcam. I can really vouch for the new webcams that Skype recommend. But buy them elsewhere as they are cheaper!

Pimali

Great and funny to use at the beginning! now we stick to the phone, because internet connections are not good... in France! I hope it works better in the UK!

(we kept having interruptions, could not see each other properly, after a few minutes it was over, we had to call again... Maybe due to our using a Mac whereas everyone else has a PC? Don't know.)

If it had worked better, we would have used it more often, since it's the only way to see the family... (er... rather happy not to see them too often, maybe?)

Once it is on the computer, it is really a piece of cake to use it though. And the sound was much better if both correspondants had headphones on (nasty echoes, still, maybe because of Mac? )

newzealandplease

Sounds like you are having trouble with your firewall or router with the skype traffic. On the Skype forum theres loads of info on this.

Trust me if I can video phone home from NZ on a 3G card on only two bars signal strength, you shouldn't have any troubles unles you are on dialup

Pimali

Well, thanks for the hints, but we just dropped the idea of using skype after a while... Maybe because we are soon going back home, we don't need as much as before to see each other!

No, I'm not on dial up, but members of the family had problems with providers in France: it seems to be a big mess there because of the number of providers now.

We now use skype from times to times, just for fun! I am a fervent user of the phonecard (for $50 I can call more than 1000 minutes to France; of course skype is "free"- since I pay my internet connection, but I prefer the phone: I can walk to and fro!)