I have Skype webcam hooked up to my pc. I chat with friends that also have one. I see where you can buy time very cheap to talk to people on land line and mobile phone. They also sell phones, so, I am looking for any information from someone who might know more about this. Do I need a phone or am I just using the microphone and speakers I already have hooked up?
I have Skype webcam hooked up to my pc. I chat with friends that also have one. I see where you can buy time very cheap to talk to people on land line and mobile phone. They also sell phones, so, I am looking for any information from someone who might know more about this. Do I need a phone or am I just using the microphone and speakers I already have hooked up?
From what I understand, and I might be wrong, you can use your PC mic and headphones to make a Skype call. Skype Help
Too: here, Do you use it to call land and mobile phones? I'm seriously considering dropping my long distance. I pay too much for the little that I do. I'm looking for other options like a calling card. I know with skype to Skype you get a lot of dropped calls and have to call back. That's kind of annoying. Then there is having to sit at your pc to make all your calls when your used to cordless. There is also Magic jack. I'm wondering if that may need to be plugged in the same place I already have my webcam. Maybe that would require some sort of an adapter.
I do not use it for land line. Only computer to computer but have read their rates which seem low. I am considering going to cell phone only and dropping my land line.
Loosing calls does suck. I would suggest not to rely on SKYPE only and look into other options.
Techie nerd here...what I have experienced, from testing Voice over IP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software, such as Skype, etc, is that no matter where you live, you just have to test it for dropped calls.
What I would do, in your situation, is get a prepaid Wal-Mart calling card and dial your long distance through it on your cordless phone. Test your Skype more and see which way is cheaper/less aggravating, before you drop your regular long distance. I know Wal-Mart calling cards take a chunk off when used at a payphone, but they're pretty inexpensive for a way to test from your regular home phone.
The microphone and speakers are the best route to use for calls from a computer.
A Tip: Never, never and never plug a cordless phone into a computer. People all over the neighborhood in Arizona did this and every one of them fried their cordless phones!
Another Tip: You can text message, for free, from the new version of Yahoo mail, to cell phones. (Be sure to check with the person receiving the texts, to make sure they have unlimited text on their cell phone plan, so they don't wind up with a large bill or taking minutes off, if they are prepaid like on the Go Phones and TracPhones).
Oprah uses Skype alot! She puts Skype to the test. Just do a search for Skype on www.oprah.com and watch the videos. Pretty cool!
Overall, in my opinion, while Skype is cool, I would use it from time-to-time, not as the main source of a phone yet, until all of the bugs finish getting worked out because of rural area phone situations.
