Skype

[Bill Fernie]

I have just been reading about the fast spread of people taking up Skype. Given the massive price ebay has paid and interest from other companies like Yahoo, Google and others it looks as if maassive profits from call charges may be coming to an end.

This is something eveyone on Broadband can save money on but it requires us all to make the effort to get it set up. Its a bit like email ina few years ago. if you had it all set up you hardly received anything as no one you knew had it.

There are other companies offering similar services but does anyone know if they are all compatible. the photnes all talk to each other but willthe software from different companies work together or will the public have to gravitate to the same set up.

It certainly looks like a winner form the reports I have read and the sooner you move to get it in the sooner you will save money on calls. Trouble is i still do not seem to know anyone with it installed. I will just have to get on and do it and see what happens. Perhaps I can persuade the other family members at leasto get it installed for start.

[hereboy]

I use skype more or less every day to talk to people in New York, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Toronto. It is brilliant - clearer than any telephone line, no delay that I have experienced (except when I tried it on dial-up) and it is easy to set up.

Ebay plan to use it as an additional tool for buyers and sellers to be able to interact and I am sure that the cost will be built into ebays fee structure somehow and not visible as a standalone skype charge.

The guys at skype maintain that skype-to-skype calls will always be free (lets see). With over 50 million users and up to 2 million on line at any one time, and failing to have turned a cent of profit the temptation must be there to start charging...

Interesting business to be in though, someone buys your business for about $4billion without you having turned a profit...

All said and done - I have no idea how much skype has saved me in the last year but 2 hours chats with up to 4 people on line at once from various parts of the world every other day must be pricey any other way.

Go Skype...

[A_Usher]

I have been using skype for some time now, and have always found it reliable, and crystal clear, and i was using it with an ISDN line, without any delay, and that was with me and 4 other people.

I use it to conference call all over the world, and can highly recommend it.

Andrew Usher

[Naefearjustbeer]

I downloaded it on the advice of one of my neighbours so I set it up and sent an email to everyone in my address book. Once people realise how easy it is to use and how cheap (free) it is I think they will come round to using it, a lot of people a sceptical about so called free things on the internet. I for one am delighted with it and cannot believe how clear it is, much clearer than our landline

[William]

Is it totally free?

I saw something last week when i downloaded it about paying of outgoing calls or some thing i probibly read it wrong but i don't want to use it and find out i have run up some kind of bill, cos i would not be very popular.

i aint very good at reading long stuff, so it put me off when i saw all the writing

[Naefearjustbeer]

Is it totally free?

I saw something last week when i downloaded it about paying of outgoing calls or some thing i probibly read it wrong but i don't want to use it and find out i have run up some kind of bill, cos i would not be very popular.

i aint very good at reading long stuff, so it put me off when i saw all the writing

It is totally free for PC to PC comunication. You already pay for your internet connection via your ISP. If you are skyping to a landline it has costs but these are cheaper than BTs dialing rates I believe. I have never called anyone on a landline but have had several pc-pc conversations.