Skype

[crokett]

I want video conf SW to replace Netmeeting and am looking at Google Video Chat and Skype. NetMeeting has some weaknesses. I have to open ports on my router and my inlaws have to know the IP address of my router to connect to.

Video Chat is pretty easy, just point and click and it doesn't require me to open a port on my router like NetMeeting does. Plus my inlaws can always find me. However, it doesn't support Linux and when I travel I want to be able to do video chats with my wife and kids.

Skype supports Linux and Windows. Does Skype maintain servers so that I can just call somebody in my contact list or do I have to know their IP address, etc ahead of time? Oh yeah, looking at the Skype website it says it is free. I thought there were costs involved somewhere? Like free to download, but you have to pay to use it?

[Alex Franke]

Calls within the skype "network" are free, but it costs to connect to a land line.

You find a person by their skype ID, not their IP address -- sort of like a username -- much easier to remember. As a member I think you can set up whether or not you want others to be able to find you.

Oh, and it pretty much rocks. If anyone out there hasn't tried video calls -- especially if you have kids or want to see others' kids -- you really should give it a try! It's really really simple to set up and use.

[leehljp]

What Alex said.

I look up people's names and it will usually give me a list of names and the location so that I can choose which specific person I want to link/talk to.

Initially, I was a little leery of my name being on the list but there are plenty of settings that will keep people from knowing you are online or contacting you.

There are three basic ways to use Skype:
1. Free - network to network /computer to computer
2. Computer to dial up phone lines - costs me about 2 1/2 yen (2 1/2 cents) a minute to call people in the States from Japan. Much cheaper than 8 to 14 yen a minute. 95% of the time, the sound quality is similar to land lines but 5% of the time I get an echo.
3. With Skype phone (number) people can call (dial) you through Skype.

[Powercat80]

Skype

My daughter just introduced me to skype. she lives in Cincinnati and I'm in Austin. All video calls that are network to network are free. Video is good to very good. There is a little delay on audio and you can't talk over each other, but you adjust and it's fine.

I have found one annoying thing though. Somehow Skype recognizes phone numbers when you look up something on the web and then offers a direct link to make that call. As mentioned above, for a fee. It's a nice feature, but it blanks out part of the number so you can't see it on the screen without going to the Skype screen. Need to figure out how to shut that off. Otherwise a nice tool.