Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ
1 edit | Cheap phone calls to emigrant relatives
With the proliferation of broadband worldwide, unlimited USA for $3, unlimited UK for $5 (I think?) and people are contacting their emigrant relatives on the cheap. |
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adisor19
join:2004-10-11 | SIP is good
This could be an interesting way to bypass ma bell at least for some calls if Skype can deliver a SIP service that is reliable enough.
Adi |
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SSX4life
Premium
join:2004-02-13 | I personally LOVE skype, and use it for all of my home / personal use. |
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MrMaster
What If
Premium
join:2000-12-16
Austin, TX
clubs:
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| said by SSX4life  :I personally LOVE skype, and use it for all of my home / personal use. I was till 4.0 destroyed video calling.
What a debacle. |
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hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | reply to adisor19
you still have MaBell delivering your last mile network and more than half of the internet backbone in her control. you won't by pass her. Especially if you're ISP relies on her greatly; especially the Resellers. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | reply to Eat Me
Re: Cheap phone calls to emigrant relatives
I may be considered an immigrant (gringo, etc), and Canada is included. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to adisor19
Re: SIP is good
Skype has been VERY reliable for outgoing calls.
I have used it for ~ 3years now for making business calls, as I don't want my cell minutes to get eaten up.
Positives on Skype:
1. Reliable / softphone (vs. Magic Jack)
2. Cheap
3. Video conferencing
4. Portable (can be used on Windows, Linux, Windows Mobile, and cell phones in general)
5. International calls are CHEAP
6. Mobile client for 'normal' cell phones to avoid International LD charges by doing a dial around through a local # (can be VERY handy for mobile!)
7. Smartphones can use WiFi to get around ToS on cell carriers, and use service internationally and not have to pay roaming or LD.
--
Canada = Hollywood North |
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Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | reply to en102
Re: Cheap phone calls to emigrant relatives
Sorry about that.
I really meant North America.
But you guys in America's hat know what I mean. 
(j/k) |
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Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | reply to MrMaster
Re: SIP is good
How did 4.0 destroy video calls?
Good reason for me not to upgrade anyway... |
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robl27
Premium
join:2008-07-16
Mary Esther, FL | reply to en102
the new interface sucks, i went back to 3.8. unless there's a way to have the classic view on the new version (which isn't very blind friendly, either)
-Rob |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| Cheaper Than International Cell Plans
I'm on business in Germany (recently, it's been frequent/prolonged - actually writing this from southern Germany). When I'm over here, Verizon charges my employer $1.29/minute, not just for outbound calls, but inbound calls, too. Imagine the bill my employer's gonna get after last week's two conference calls I had to participate in...
Any way, being gone for non-trivial amounts of time means that phone-type services are one of the few ways I can preserve my marriage. Skype comes in DAMNED handy. My wife and I can just ring each other up and sort of "hang out" for an hour or more on the video chat.
Yes, I know you can supposedly get local SIMs that will reduce your per minute charges. However, even though Verizon has given me my unlock code for my crackberry, I've not yet found a telephon store that will sell me a replacement SIM for it. So, "Skype it is".
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| reply to Eat Me
Re: SIP is good
said by Eat Me :How did 4.0 destroy video calls? Good reason for me not to upgrade anyway... Well, I know with my Mac client, I can't participate in multi-party video conferences. The Windows users get a message about one of the participants having too old a version. It's the one I DL'ed from Skype just last week!
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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MrMaster
What If
Premium
join:2000-12-16
Austin, TX
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to Eat Me
said by Eat Me :How did 4.0 destroy video calls? Good reason for me not to upgrade anyway... The new interface isn't the worst. I can live with that.
The quality of video calls is terrible. Fiance and I do skype video minimum of once a week. We have to hang up and call back several times in just 1 hour because the quality is bad.
Just this past monday. Three dropped calls and 2 callbacks in 1 hour time frame.
Before 4.0, 1 dropped call a MONTH.
I had this problem with the beta so I went back to the old version. I had no idea that they wouldn't even admit that there is a problem!
and before anyone asks I have 2 laptops and a high end desktop and they all have these issues. |
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nitzan
Premium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
 ·ViaTalk
·Comcast
| reply to nixen
Re: Cheaper Than International Cell Plans
Just get a cheap local pre-paid phone (or SIM) that has free incoming - and use callback for all your calls.
I did that in Japan and went from something like $1.2/minute to 12 cents a minute.  a little PITA to deal with, but well worth it IMHO. |
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nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| said by nitzan :Just get a cheap local pre-paid phone (or SIM) that has free incoming - and use callback for all your calls. I did that in Japan and went from something like $1.2/minute to 12 cents a minute. a little PITA to deal with, but well worth it IMHO. One of the major points of having gotten a GSM phone was that it has the flexibility to change networks via a new SIM. It's simply *finding* a new SIM that's proven challenging. Getting a new phone is both pointlessly expensive and defeats the purpose of having a "world phone". A SIM card makes much more sense financially and in the concept of equipment reuse. It's just the challenge of actually being able to re-use.
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
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