Skype

Full review
We have two teenagers at our house, so of course, the phone is constantly in use. We needed a way to get another phone line without the cost. The answer – Skype. Skype allows us to make free calls to anywhere in the United States and Canada (until the end of the year – then just 2.1 cents a minute). They also have great rates on international calling. Many countries fall under their global rate and are only 2.1 cents a minute.

The Interface
I downloaded the new 2.5 version a few days ago and have been very satisfied with it. Unlike in previous versions of Skype, there’s no need to dial the full international number. Dialing is a simple three step process:
1. Select the country you are calling (Default is United States). Skype will automatically dial the correct country code.
2. Dial the number with area code.
3. Press the green button.
When you’re done, just press the big red button to hang up. The contact page displays your Skype contacts and their status (Online, Away, Offline, etc.). You can also add SkypeOut contact – essentially preset phone numbers.

SkypeOut
This is Skype’s outgoing call service. As previously described, dialing is a cinch. While on the “phone”, Skype displays the current call time (useful for keeping track of minutes) and the sound quality. Normally this displays as two telephones with a checkmark in the middle. If there is a problem with the connection, an orange ‘X’ is displayed and Skype shows tips for improving call quality.

I did have some issues with the quality in previous versions of Skype. Several times, the person I called said that it sounded like I was in a wind tunnel. So far with version 2.5, I’ve made about a dozen or so calls and haven’t had any problems.

For calls to international destinations (and the US after this year), you must prepay for calling time via PayPal or a credit card. You can deposit in $10 increments. The only catch: You must make at least one call every six months. If you don’t your balance will be zeroed out. However, this isn’t too hard to do. If need be, you can just dial an 800 number once every six months.

SkypeIn
SkypeIn allows you to get an actual phone number, thus allowing people without Skype to call you from any phone. The service costs $12 for 3 months or $38 for one year. The only drawback is that numbers are not yet available for all area codes. I’m still waiting for 319 numbers to become available.

Voicemail
Skype’s voicemail service is free when you get a SkypeIn number, or can be purchased separately. The price is $6 for 3 months or $20 for one year. Anyone calling you via Skype, or through your SkypeIn number can leave you a message if you’re not available. The next time you log into Skype, a little red flag appears, notifying you that you have a message.

All in all, Skype is a great product and an unbeatable price (Free!). Even if you don’t think you need it, try downloading it. Before long, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.