UKVoIPTalk.com

"Chris" <nospam@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message
news:BdYGEtCdCqdFFwnl@[127.0.0.1]...[color=blue]
>I am thinking about using Skype - because almost everyone I know uses it -
>and no-one I know uses anything else.
> So there isn't much choice really.
>
> Having said that, I feel guilty about mentioning Skype in this newsgroup
> because it seems to be so despised. Is it OK to ask here?
> Or is there a better newsgroup?
> If it *is* acceptable to ask, then:
>
> What's the best way to use it in a home-based way?
> Netgear Wi-Fi?
> VoSky Internet Phone Wizard?
> Nokia 770 or 870?
> Or just sit in front of the computer?[/color]

I bought a Linksys Skype cordless phone yesterday at Staples. The phone uses
a dedicated cordless transmitter plugged into a USB port, so it works
anywhere in the house provided your computer stays on. Setup was very easy,
basically plug and play, and the sound quality was excellent -- about as
good as my Lingo service, which I'm very fond of.

On the negative side: the phone was small. Really too small for a home or
office phone, and the cradle was flimsy as hell. The buttons were about the
same size as a cell phone's. The menu and commands were a bit confusing as
well, and it did not come with a printed manual. And 95% of the features
that are normally customizable on a cell phone were not customizable at all,
for example how long the screen remained lighted. And the screen was pretty
awful.

Since this phone was supposed to be a Christmas gift for my in-laws, who are
in their 70s, I decided its flaws outweighed its benefits, so I returned it.
(One other reason I returned it was because I saw it on Amazon for $50
less).

Today I purchased an Actiontec Internet Phone Wizard, from Amazon, for $42.
This gizmo plugs into the USB port and has several RJ-11 ports so Mom and
Dad can use any cordless phone with it. In fact I have a brand new cordless
phone/base station sitting in my garage which I will hook up with the device
so they'll have a "real" phone plus an extension for making long distance
calls (one year, $14.95 cannot be beat!).

Now all I have to do is remind them to dial "001" before each call, which by
itself will be an uphill battle, and to make sure the computer is on when
they make a call. I have a feeling they will be returning the gizmo to me
within a month or so.

The negatives