Thus spake PhilT:
> Paul B wrote:
>
>> Why is that something that works 'out of the box' is treated with
>> distain
>
> I found the audio quality to be crap, and Skype is a technological
> dead end.
>
> When you've used it for a while and think "That's fine, but I want to
> use the normal phone handset instead" you have to start again, so why
> not start with free SIP services that work just the same as Skype
> (software download, runs on PC using audio input/output of soundcard)
> then later you can migrate *the same service* to different hardware
> and greater functionality without having to start again.
>
> Phil

I'm sure with a bit of researching that a superior solution is to be found &
I'll be following the technology with interest. Skype definitely has fairly
serious limitations such as having to be online - my PC spends most of its
life in a nice silent standby condition where my Skype presence shows me
being unavailable. OK, Philips are going to launch a Skype & landline DECT
phone this Xmas (running Linux for those that are interested) who's base
station plugs into an Ethernet port, phoneline & acts as a server.
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8449749058.html
If the premium over a std Philips DECT phone isn't too high (I've had good
use from my Philips Onis system, now over 6yrs old), I maybe tempted but I
take the point regarding hardware costs to access a 'free' service.

As for Skype's sound quality - it's more often my voice quality that's so
variable but I'm reusing an ancient HBH-15 Ericsson BT headset that's
sometimes virtually unusable but I don't have a very high regard for BT at
the best of times. My take on Skype is that's it's a chat service with
diabolically slow file transfer - real slow! If I was a heavy phone user or
running my own business, I'd have bought an ATA long ago!
--
Basically, I hate people who preface nearly every sentence with the word
'basically'!