Skyping

Have you Skyped yet?

When Skype was the Next Big Thing, I tried it out, wasn't impressed (it didn't offer me anything better than what I already had for telephony/chat), and didn't go back.

Recently, I tried again, and whether it was me or the product, I had a new and much better experience.

First time out, Skype was touted as a free (or cheap) way to make long distance calls. That's all well and good, but I had USA Datanet for cheap long distance ($1.00 per call, no matter how long you talk), and Skype was only free if you called Skype-to-Skype (though you could make international calls Skype-to-Skype free, too). And of course, you were glued to your computer while Skyping, as well.

Because I'm also a podcaster, I renewed my interest in Skype given the possibility of recording Skyped calls. That turned out to be more problematic than I'd expected, as well.

But there is one thing Skype does remarkably well, and remarkably easily: video chats.

What do you need? A webcam, a microphone, and a Skype account. You can go all the way and get a headset mic, but I used my regular microphone and speakers, instead.

Set up your webcam as required. Download and install Skype (takes about 5 minutes). Set up an account. Now, using your existing Contact Lists, you can hunt for other users, or enter them manually. Share your Skype account with others, and you're on your way.

On a recent call, I was able to show off a redecorated room, and my friend showed me her baby taking some of her first steps.

In addition to Skype-to-Skype calling (voice and video), you can call regular and cell phones, text message, forward Skyped calls to your regular or cell line, get voice messages, and for about $150, you can get a wireless phone that's Skype-enabled, so you don't even have to be tied to your computer.

Skype may not be the next Killer App, but it's far more useful than I'd originally thought. For now, call me a Skyper.

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