computer + telephone?! (skype)

skippydumptruck

I'm moving across the country in a few months, and I'm going to try to keep my current job and telecommute. Rather than burning through expensive cellphone minutes on conference calls, or getting a landline, I thought I'd look into VOIP.

The only company I'm familiar with right now is Skype. It looks like I can get unlimited nationwide outbound calling for $3/mo, and for an additional $3/mo, can get a local number that people can call in to. As I understand it, whenever I'm connected to the Internet I can make/receive calls, and at other times voicemail will pick up.

Questions:

* Is there anything I should know about Skype going into this?

* My laptop (and my desktop, if I get one) has bluetooth. Can I use any old bluetooth cellphone headset with Skype, or do I need a specific Skype headset? I'd like something mobile so I'm not physically tethered to the computer when making calls.

Thanks!

PaleCommander

I can't answer the Bluetooth question, but I've had a lot of success with Skype. Their pro package (the unlimited in-country calling) is awesome.

I've had friends who used the SkypeIn to get a number, but they were unimpressed. I use it for at-home calling, with a cell phone. I could be mistaken, but I'd make very sure that you can call *between* the US and Canada if that's a feature you need; I recall that it was only free in the country you were in.

Also, keep in mind that your computer will break more often than an ordinary phone would; I've had all kinds of weirdness simply because I messed up my computer's sound settings accidentally.

Otherwise, enjoy! It's cheap, and its worst quality is about that of a cell phone, usually performing better.

Edit: also, this is not a voicechat client. It eats system resources for breakfast. It can easily run in the background of something older like Diablo 2, but I've noticed a number of dropped calls while trying to play Neverwinter Nights 2. I don't know whether you need to multitask it with other resource-intensive apps, but it's something to consider. For gaming, you can get around this by using another (free) client designed with a lighter footprint and worse quality.

Zeon

If you can use the bluetooth headset as a mic and headphones, it will work with skype. I dont know what the range on your bluetooth headset is like, but if its not very far, you might want to consider getting one of the cordless skype phones. Mines connected to the computer, and i find myself always just letting the voicemail pickup because i cant be assed to walk over to the computer to answer the phone, especially if i know it means ill be sitting there for an hour or more on the phone.

Other than that, its pretty good. Its free calling within North America, so between the US and Canada is infact free (with the skypeout plan).

As for call quality, it depends. When i call my parents its fucking horrific. I dont know where it peers to the regular phone network for their phone, but its usually a terrible connection. Lots of dropped calls, delays fairly often, etc. When it works though, it works really well. Calling "locally" to me is usually not to bad.

I dont know where you live, but if you live in canada, you WONT be able to get a local number. There are none offered yet. Theyve been saying that local canadian numbers are coming soon for over 2 years. Blame the CRTC, since skype cant call 911 technically it is illegal to sell the service to canadians as a home phone replacement.

Ive been using it as my home phone for about 2 years though, and i think total ive paid maybe 75 bucks. Skype always ends up offering really good deals for skype out. For 2 full years i think ive paid 20 bucks for the call out feature, the rest was for skypein. Local phone company rates absolutely cannot compare.

skippydumptruck

Excellent, thank you. I'll give skype a shot!