Call me while I'm on the net! (MediaRing Talk)

Member Name: bigdoug

Product:	MediaRing Talk
Date:	28/08/00 (255 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You can call someone while they're on the net

Disadvantages: Receive calls without the need to log off the net

Now with the crop of free PC to telephone what is the attraction of a PC-to-PC phone tool? Well when the person you want to call has the line permanently engaged because of internet use.

This uses their phone number to uniquely identify who you want to call but the transmission and connection is managed over the web from the MediaRing talk server.

The ‘phone’ a rather nice-looking thing is displayed when you start the program or when an incoming call is inbound. The sound quality can vary when there is heavy net traffic. There is a line monitor to give you the current delay status of the transmissions.

There is a text chat-style box for textual communication when audio is too bad. But it rarely gets so bad you can continue a reasonable conversation, considering for most people connected it will be free. This can be used to contact internationally connected PCs too.

If you want to telephone toll-free US numbers these can only contacted from your PC using www.go2call.co.uk.

bigdoug tip
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Always use a headset when you use any of these internet telephony applications as the sound quality is not always brilliant and it reduces the echo/feedback from you microphone picking up on your speakers. This will give you and the person you called a better telephone experience.

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