Skype phones vs. headsets?

[MovingtotheCove]

Our DD is going to London for the Spring 2010 semester. Up to now we've use a headphone and mic attached when using Skype. Just wondering if anyone has any input on Skype phones or Skype speaker phones and how you might like them (pros/cons) vs. the headset mode we are in now. Thanks for any input.

[FIREd]

I don't like the headsets (too awkward and goofy looking) and I have never tried any of the Skype phones. When I use Skype on my desktop, I personally use the microphone in my "Skype-approved" external webcam combined a set of external speakers. When I am on my laptop, I simply use the computer's integrated webcam, microphone and speakers.

[Texas Proud]

On my old job, I had a wireless headset and it was GREAT... I could walk around getting papers and such... I could also work on papers or the computer while listening to a conference call... there was a mute button on the headset, so you did not have to worry about making noise...


Let me know about Skype phones.... that is one option I am looking at..

[Andy R]

I have used Skype with headsets, laptop mic/speakers and a corded USB Skype phone, all of them required a computer. When I am out of the country now, I run skype on my iPhone, it's the perfect solution IMO. You can do the same thing with a iPod touch (I think) which you can pick up for probably around the same price (or less) then a Skype only phone.

[kramer]

I presume your daughter won't be talking for hours per day on Skype, so I don't think the particular headset choice is that big of a deal. I travel light, and so I just have audiophones that stick in my ear with a microphone built into the cord (for my netbook), the quality is fine.

Now that I have traveled a lot using Skype all over the world, I am more negative on using it to call back home.

The elephant in the room is just using Skype in general, it is a pain to have to make calls only when you have a WiFi connection or internet AND you have your computer running. Same goes for receiving calls.

I have also tested the Iphone Skype app (on my Ipod Touch) and it had decent quality. But anything over Wifi is not as good as a regular phone connection, and you can't text or check voicemail from the Iphone/Ipod Skype application.

Based on my experience, my suggestion is to have your daughter get a calling card and use her mobile to call home. It is way more convenient, you can call from anywhere, and with higher quality. I call the USA from Thailand for less than 3 cents per minute, including all charges. I am sure there is something similar in England. In fact, one can call Thailand from a landline in California for only 2 cents per minute by dialing a 5 digit code first! So research these possibilities.

When I was in living in the country of Colombia recently, I would usually end up paying 13 cents per minute on my mobile phone to call the USA instead of FREE on Skype because it was so much more convenient and the quality was much better.

Also, Skype is convenient for call forwarding, if you want it. Anyone can call my USA phone number and I was forwarding the calls to my Colombia mobile phone, the quality was very decent. If you are on the East coast, she may want to consider this, also (the time difference being less). When I am in Asia, I don't forward calls due to the time difference.

Kramer

[e86s54]

All,
I use a USR Adapter USRobotics VoIP: USR9620*USB Telephone Adapter - overview

You plug power, a USB cable to the PC and a regular phone into the adapter and load the software. Then you just use is like a phone and it will ring when you call it.

I have it connected to my house's cordless phone system and when I want to call out using skype, I just press ** and it switches from my phone service to skype and then I just dial out. When my brother calls from his boat (wifi at the marina) in the tropics, my phones ring just like if he was calling from home.

You can also use it as a long distance saver with your cell. You call you home (locally) and give a signal to switch to Skype, then dial out with skype (say internationally) and use skype credits instead of your mobile's expensive overseas call rate.

Regards...