Skype
June 28, 2006 by Dave Earley
Filed under Pictures
I just called my mobile phone using Skype, over my dialup connection. Why would I do that?
Because they’re offering me one hour of free calls, that’s why! So why call yourself, loser? Well, because the sound quality over broadband isn’t great to start with, so dialup isn’t likely to go great guns.
I got an email telling me if I called out to a landline using Skype, I’d automatically get an hour’s worth of free landline calls! Internet to internet using Skype is free, internet to landline is usually 10c/min or less. Anyhoo, that’s it.
I was actually mildly surprised that I was able to hear myself for about 20 seconds before Skype got wise to the dialup. Then the 5 second gap between the beginning and end of a word proved VOIP isn’t for slow connections. Speaking of slow connections, tune in to Today Tonight this evening to find out about people who can’t get broadband where they live, they’re the new internet underclass!! My emphasis, their descriptor – quality stuff. Never mind the people who can’t afford broadband, like me. But poor doesn’t make a good story, unfairly disadvantaged middle class does. Not that I’m poor compared to 95% of the world’s other inhabitants, but that wouldn’t support my argument today.
