Skype

[Abi]

I can't say a bad thing about skype... if you have a headset or a mic and headphones - thats all you need... oh - plus skype!
It's almost like having a telephone on your computer - only you can control it better...!
The sound quality is so much better than a regular telephone.. got a squirrel with a breathing problem? if you can hold a mic to the squirrels chest, you can skype someone and come to a better desicion than you could over a regular telephone line which as we know, they're not all that good in some places!

It's totally free too - which is even better... and like msn or yahoo or aim and the likes, you can type to an individual... there's also video support so that you can even show whats going on...

A friend of ours has just discovered skype and uses it on his radio show... not so long ago, he hated it and didn't want to hear any mention of it - and he's a changed man now.. he won't hear a bad thing said about it :rotfl

So all I can suggest you do is take a little look at skype and what it has to offer... the only time you pay anything for skype is if you choose the 'skype in' or the 'skype out' option (and even then, if you were to purchase 10Euros or 10dollars worth of calls - it's going to be cheaper than picking up your normal phone...!)

I'm thinking more of the advantages of having skype than not - and as people who love our animals, we can help to love them even more by having more essential contactability when we need it...

http://www.skype.com

My laptop came with it pre-installed and all I had to do was remember my account details and put them in :D

[Preacher]

Hey Abi...right again...
I've only had it a couple weeks, got it so me and another admin on the new site could talk & work at the same time. I love it! The ONLY drawback is if you have an older, or not so big on power computer it uses 100% of your cpu. But even on my antique i could work & talk at the same time..long as I didn't try to do too much at once. But you are right about the sound quality...excellent. My headset is from 2000, Labtec, & works just fine with it. Can even do conference calls.

This is their current basic plan for US & Canada:
Unlimited nationwide calls - less than $3 per month

* 12 months of unlimited calls to any phone within the US and Canada
* No connection fees charged for calls to US or Canadian phones
* Only $29.95 for 12 months, or $8.85 for 3 months
* Applies only to calls made from within the US and Canada
And to have your own number where folks can call in on your computer:
Get a SkypeIn number - and free Skype Voicemail
$18 for 3 months or $60 for a full year
It would be a valuble asset for some members here...& the computer to computer is still completly free.
Uh..abi...wanna talk to BH??:thumbsup

[Crazymunk]

I'll ask my Techo Kid of a son if he can install it on my computer for me and Fidget :thumbsup

[Preacher]

Hey Cm..it'll install itself...& shows ya how to set you headset..or mic & speakers if thats what ya use....not hard at all! Shucks me & Abi already IM once inawile...might as well save our finners & wear out our jaws...which some are already good at doin...present company excluded..?? Heh....And Figet & BH can talk, or grunt..or just eat the mic!!

[jules]

Hey! I just got Skype!:thumbsup
Just need to get a headset now!:D

I can start talking to you guys, now...for free!:wahoo

Thanks Abi!

Jules. :Love_Icon

[Preacher]

If you like experiments...take a set of headphones with the right size tip for the inline jack...plug it in..turn your computer speakers on, or up a little...place a call to someone & use the headphones as a mic....poor mans way till ya can get a headset...should work.

[Abi]

Well, once my cold has gone I'll take up the fine art of communication via skype... I've got a quite bad sore throat at the moment (it jolly well hurts to laugh!) and today being Sunday, a 2 hour radio show to cough and splutter my way through (thankfully, I do more music than chat - so, thats a bonus!)

But yeah, once you've downloaded Skype, and you double click on install, it pretty much does all the hard work for ya... - so it's absolutely the easiest thing to go through!

And yeah, even on my old comp... skype runs pretty sweetly :D (The only downside there is that I have to give the soundcard on my old PC a bit of a slap around the face to get it to cooperate - but thats cos its just old and all that)

I always make sure though that when I'm connected, only my contacts can see me... safer that way! That way, if anyone adds me, they know me through someone else I know thats asked... :D

[jules]

Hi all!

Just to let you know that if you have Skype and are having problems with Internet Explorer...don't worry!
All you need to do is update your Skype programme. This should rectify the problem. Skype are aware of this issue and are sorting it out! :thumbsup