Comments on: Some Notes on Our Experience with Skype – And Why It Will Work for Some and Not for Others http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/ Financial talk for the rest of us Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:14:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: ChrisD http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-912215 ChrisD Sun, 23 May 2010 22:17:49 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-912215 I highly recommend keeping a landline, because if you have the right skype package (£10 per quarter) you can send calls from skype to your landline for free, receiving calls even when your computer is off or your internet is broken.

]]> By: Jenille http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-550133 Jenille Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:01:48 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-550133 Trent,

Have you heard of ooma? I’m looking into this and their disappearing monthly bill! Google it. So far, a lot of good reviews and Costco has a deal right now: $219 for the core unit and a Scout (whatever that it)…Care to talk about this in one of your posts?

I love reading your blog! Esp sitting thru traffic! =)

]]> By: Tamer Rashdan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-427600 Tamer Rashdan Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:11:05 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-427600 I have and love Magic Jack, it comes with unlimited calls to the US and Canada, it’s portable you can take overseas and use it anywhere, it costs only $20/year
The quality is as good as your Internet connection quality

]]> By: M http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-329187 M Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:24:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-329187 Has anybody used MagicJack?????

]]> By: Dennis http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-289701 Dennis Thu, 29 May 2008 09:09:49 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-289701 My wife and I took a class from the red cross, they recommend that every household has a land line. In the San Francisco bay area calling 911 on your cell phone will route to the CHP ( california highway patrol ) switchboard in Vallejo, CA for all calls. Can you imagine how long it will take for that person to send in the local help to aid you? it could be an extra 45 – 60 seconds. Also what happens if your cell phone network is having a heavy usage day and you can’t get through. With a landline, 911 is routed to your local switchboard. There are ways to curve your landline costs, refuse to have any long distance service.. you don’t need it if you have a cell phone. Remove any fancy features from your land line including call waiting .. Nope, not going to do it. I’m really bad with keeping my batteries charged on my cell phone , too.

]]> By: Justin http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-284036 Justin Thu, 22 May 2008 18:41:57 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-284036 …long time listener, first time caller, great topic, love the show…

I have used Skype for a couple years for long distance and international calls. I still prefer my barebones landline for most but not all local calls. I have young kids in the house, and I want whoever needs access to 911 in an emergency to have it. I don’t want to train babysitters to use my skype phone. 911 from phone company just plain works better and is more reliable than any voip service.

The only other complaint I have with Skype that I haven’t seen mentioned in the comments is the lack of caller id. When I make a call with SkypeOut to someone who has caller id service – my number doesn’t show up (instead, they get something like 0000000123). There have been several times when I’ve had to leave messages because people who know me think I am a telemarketer or some other devious person. Then I have to wait for a call back.

If it wasn’t for this hitch, I would probably invest in a wifi phone for in-house use instead of using my computer. I think given its global positioning, Skype has the inside track on this kind of service (not to mention ebay’s money and vonage’s legal issues). However, I’m not convinced they’ll pull it off because caller-id seems like a trivial issue they just can’t seem to resolve. I think some other outfit may replace them soon enough, and I’d hate to have spent $100+ on a phone and then have it be no good.

FWIT, our house also has two PAYG cell phones.

]]> By: Carrie http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283530 Carrie Thu, 22 May 2008 06:20:24 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283530 I live in London and have a US SKYPE In number with voicemail which I will keep always. Many of the services (doctor, dentist, etc.) I still in the US are not allowed to make international calls but they can call and leave a message to my SkypeIn number. I was never able to get the Linksys phone to work properly with Skype but hope I do when I return to the US. I use Skype mainly on my desktop but when I am travelling I use it on my laptop (have a small travelling headset). No matter where I move, I will have always have a phone number with Skype In. I keep a landline for emergency calls. I also use Skype Out for calls to countries not covered by my £5 per month Sky TV plan.

]]> By: Kati http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283457 Kati Thu, 22 May 2008 03:16:13 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283457 My husband is deployed and we use skype to talk. Sometimes its spotty but thats because the interent there can be slow. But its far better than using the phones there, because they have like a 4 second delay.

]]> By: wisnjc http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283146 wisnjc Wed, 21 May 2008 21:00:16 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283146 We’ve used Skype for years — first when they allowed free calls to any number in the US, and now using free Skype to Skype. However, we are committed to having landline service for our DSL. Therefore, we have found the cheapest option for our long distance phone service is from http://www.pioneertelephone.net. In our area, Pioneer offers 1.9 cents/min in-state rates and 2.7 cents/min inter-state calls 24/7. I was skeptical at first, but we’ve been with them for over 3 years and have experienced excellent call quality and accurate, online billing with no hidden fees. For those like us who aren’t phone-hogs, but would like a good rate for long distance phone calls without an expensive plan from the major carriers, I suggest you give Pioneer a try. FYI — I have no relationship to Pioneer other than a satisfied customer.

]]> By: Tim http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283059 Tim Wed, 21 May 2008 19:39:35 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283059 I’ve been using Skype for about 3 years to talk to my parents who live out of the country. It’s wonderfull! It’s saved me much $$$$$. They also have good forums with other unique applications you can do with Skype.

Try this: create a dummy account on a computer with a camera. Log into the account and leave computer running. Use a different computer and log into your regular account. Call the dummy account. Instant remote viewing, if you want to check on a sitter or the house.

]]> By: Tammy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283001 Tammy Wed, 21 May 2008 18:15:42 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-283001 We have recently started using Skype as well and we love it.

We did drop our landline and this saves us an additional $70.00 per month as we were paying for unlimited long distance and all of the other extras.

Now I just need to convince other family members to get and use Skype!

]]> By: Tonia http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282933 Tonia Wed, 21 May 2008 17:05:33 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282933 We live in Mexico and are thrilled to be able to use Skype. ALL of our family lives in the US. We can call our loved ones at a nominal cost of just over 2 cents a minute and they can call us on our US number without paying international fees. We can take care of business in the US also at the same rate.

We have an inexpensive Mexican landline that provides us with our DSL connection and all of our local and in-country calling needs.

We love Skype also and wish we could convince our adult kids to get on the bandwagon!!

]]> By: Marcus Murphy http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282928 Marcus Murphy Wed, 21 May 2008 16:59:43 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282928 @Chiara

For $11 service:
https://swot.sbc.com/swot/telcoProductDetail.do?productOfferId=155497

Also if you just need it for your alarm and you are in a ZUM 3 area it gets better at $3/mo:
https://swot.sbc.com/swot/telcoProductDetail.do?productOfferId=96

Not sure if this service falls in your area, but it does mine. Hopefully this helps other people as well.

]]> By: Lurker Carl http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282638 Lurker Carl Wed, 21 May 2008 12:12:16 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282638 Many companies offer a basic and inexpensive landline phone service. The price they advertise is without any of the taxes and fees associated with the service which increases the real price by a hefty percentage. But if you request that barebones phone service, the phone company may tell you it isn’t available in your area.

]]> By: erika http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282604 erika Wed, 21 May 2008 11:45:56 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282604 We use Skype as our main phone at home. We have also convinced a couple of our out-of-town relatives to get Skype with a web cam. We all have kids the same age and we make frequent (free) video phone calls back and forth. One drawback mentioned above is that you can’t make emergency phone calls using Skype (i.e.: can’t call 911). We’ve kept our paygo cell phone for that reason. Basic landline service in our area is around $20/month after all the taxes and added fees. We don’t use the phone enough to justify that cost.

]]> By: Dan http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282407 Dan Wed, 21 May 2008 07:47:52 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282407 Here in the UK, one of the mobile networks (3) sells a mobile Skype handset. If you have the minimum contract (£12 a month) or a PAYG that you put £10 or more on per month, you can use the built in Skype client to call Skype-to-Skype, including someone with a similar handset, for free, using the 3G network. You can also use Skype Chat (again, for free) instead of SMS, with the added bonus that your chat sessions are recorded and available when you get back to your computer.

There is a fair usage limit (4,000 minutes a month, I believe), but you’d have to be going it some to hit that.

]]> By: Chiara http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282360 Chiara Wed, 21 May 2008 06:50:56 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282360 If someone else mentioned this, I missed it: if you have a monitored home security system, in most cases it needs a landline. I keep running into this problem every time I get tempted to try an internet or cable-based phone. I heard of one security company that is working with them, but it is significantly more expensive than what we’ve got. If it weren’t for that, we would be on cell phones exclusively.

What I want to know is, how do you get bare bones service for $11??? I would do that in a hot second, but I haven’t been able to wrangle it out of Bellsouth or MCI.

]]> By: Chinook http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282210 Chinook Wed, 21 May 2008 03:24:55 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282210 Below is a link to a possible problem with relying on any VoIP phone system. Many other mentioned the issue of 911 compatability and, recently, in Calgary, Canada, an ambulance was sent to the wrong address, 2 time zones/3 provinces away, because the users change of address for billing purposes ahd not been updated in their 911 information (the ambulance came within minutes when called from a neighbour’s landline).

I take this more as a “buyer beware” caveat than a reason not to use Skype. New technology means new SNAFUs will exist.

Here is the news article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/04/30/calgary-toddler.html

]]> By: Anne http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282156 Anne Wed, 21 May 2008 02:29:10 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282156 I don’t have a landline at home (only cell phone) and know there are risks in emergencies, but I think that Skype as my main phone would never work for me.

How much electricity do you use and money do you spend leaving your computer on all the time for access to Skype? And if you turn it off, then you’ve got an access issue in case of immediate emergency, like someone else mentioned. There are issues with that workaround anyway, namely that your Skype number is not traceable to an address like your home number. I’m sure this will change over time, as more people move to VOIP services, but it’s too soon to rely on a computer-based phone I think.

That said, Skype IS great for international computer-computer “calls,” what a money-saver it was to call the U.S. from Italy!

]]> By: Bill http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282132 Bill Wed, 21 May 2008 01:52:23 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/05/20/some-notes-on-our-experience-with-skype-and-why-it-will-work-for-some-and-not-for-others/#comment-282132 There’s no guarantee landlines will have power indefinitely in an emergency.

Especially in newer neighborhoods, passive fiber connects the central office to a big box sited on the utility right of way for that development.

That box routes calls from the fiber to the copper wire at the house, but relies on utility power,

It has limited battery backup, and the phone company is supposed to send out gensets to keep that box running in the event of an extended power outage.

The reality, however, is that in a Katrina-level disaster, the phone company is more concerned with emergency services (hospital, fire/police station) than with your home.

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