Skype- stay closer everyday (Skype)

Member Name: aksram

Product:	Skype
Date:	04/08/09 (25 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: free, easy installation, good quality

Disadvantages: no conference video calls

Skype is a free software that can be downloaded on to your computer and is used to make free international calls. I have relatives in various parts of the world and it is very handy having Skype. I used to spend around 20-30 pounds on making calls before but after having downloaded Skype, I hardly spend any money on international calls.

Skype is an eBay company. You not only make calls but can also send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. To start off you need to download the software onto your computer/phone (3 mobile network has it pre-installed). You will need internet connection to be able to chat with Skype - broadband makes the calls clearer and of better quality. There were various versions and the latest one is Skype 4.1 for Windows. With broadband connection it hardly takes 5 minutes to download. Once done, you will have to sign up and every time you login with your username and password. You can chat with Skype users for free or make calls to other landline numbers for a small charge but my advice is to stick to only free calls to Skype users. Their rates for landlines are a lot more than other subscribers. If you want to make video calls then you will need to have a webcam installed.

Every time you sign in you will get your friends details and the best part is having their local time just below their name- saves my time in calculating the local time of other countries. But to call on Skype the other person should also be on computer and logged into Skype.
I have been using it from the past year and their quality is par excellence. The sound and video is great. Whenever there is a problem with the quality it usually for a very quick feedback. You can only transfer files/photos when both users are online.

The only thing I would Skype to improve is to get conference video chat. You can make video calls to only one person at a time. Conference calls can be made to a group of friends but video gets disabled. But still this is one of the best softwares and when it's free it makes it even better.

Summary: It is the best way to make free calls internationally.

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