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m1chnoff

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 20, 2008
9
0
Does anyone here use skype? I'm debating weather I want to subscribe or not... can someone give me any comments based on their experience with it?
 
I use Skype to talk to friends. I haven't actually paid for any minutes or anything. I'm sure it works pretty well though. I haven't had any problems with it so far so I say go for it!
 
I've used Skype a lot to call all over the world. I have a Logitech USB headset, which I used for a couple of years, but now that I have a new MBP with the built-in camera and mic, I don't even use the headset anymore. I have a Skype account (the kind you add money to) so that I can call phone lines when necessary. It works very well and has saved me some money. People never know I'm calling from a computer.

There was a period when Skype seemed to be going through some growing pains and I was getting a lot of garbled connections, but things have been very smooth in the last year.
 
I recently bought some Skype credit.

Not really impressed with them, they seem to just be after my money. They've charged twice what they should have for one call, and charged for a text that never got through. I've emailed them for support and they seem to have just forgotten about me.

Now that's NOT how to treat your customers :(
 
yes id recommend skype for video/audio chats.. very easy to set up and use. no experience with credit usages. was planning on getting the credit because its easier but after the post above ^^ i dont know what to think..


side question: anyone know how to limit the bandwidth that skype uses?? it chews through my cap...
 
Skype is awesome, it has replaced my landline at home. I still use my cell, but for calls out of state/country, I use skype.

jason
 
skype rocks (for the most part).

+1 for Skype. it is the easiest way to do video chat between Macs and PCs, plus it is very easy to do file transfers. Mac to phone calls work well most of the time, better for calling international numbers, for some reason. Calling at US numbers does not always work reliably as the calls are frequently marred by interruptions, static etc.

Unfortunately, the use of Skype is banned at many corporations, precisely because it is so secure that their IT departments can not tap into your conversations.

iChat, on the other hand, is c%ap. If you say it is not, try to establish a video chat, using your iChat account, with your overseas PC user relative who is not computer-savvy.

EDIT: for those who are worried about skype credit: I have been using their paid services for about three years by now and so far have not had any problems with payments etc. I even have a Pro subscription, which gives me an actual US phone number as well as voicemail. I haven't been using it as much while in the US, but a US phone number has been a life saver for me while traveling overseas. Disclaimer: it is just my personal experience - YMMV.
 
Unfortunately, the use of Skype is banned at many corporations, precisely because it is so secure that their IT departments can not tap into your conversations.

I like Skype and use it at home, but I think the reason companies don't like it is because it opens up so many ports for communication that it makes you vulnerable to incursions. That's why getting the chats to work with different computers is so much easier than with iChat, IMO, because the ports are wide open.
 
I use Skype also, I prefer it over Yahoo - Yahoo tends to have worse video quality over slow connections (I'm on a 512k ADSL connection) than Skpe. I can't comment on iChat as the rest of the folks I talk to have PC's and don't use AOL.
 
I've used Skype for years, with multiple Skype numbers, unlimited calling to landlines, call forwarding to cell phones, etc. It integrates well with Apple's Address Book. There are times that the call quality is less than desired, but overall, it's a great service!
 
i have been using it since it was released,i have to say if you are going to use it as a phone carrier i would suggest a handset
 
i have been using it since it was released,i have to say if you are going to use it as a phone carrier i would suggest a handset

I have had this thing for over a year by now.

www.keyspan.com/products/vp24a/

It works with my Powerbook, it is cordless (with good range), AND its controlling software is unobtrusive. (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the company in any way).
 
Had a question. When you video chat on Skype, is the other person supposed to be pixelated? It seems even when I'm on my college campus wifi (which is really good) the other person is pixelated. I think the webcam resolution is 640x480? Thanks.

Note: I did some code in Terminal to bump up the video resolution... but it was still blurry prior to this.
 
Had a question. When you video chat on Skype, is the other person supposed to be pixelated? It seems even when I'm on my college campus wifi (which is really good) the other person is pixelated. I think the webcam resolution is 640x480? Thanks.

Note: I did some code in Terminal to bump up the video resolution... but it was still blurry prior to this.

The pixelation of the other person doesn't mean your internet connection isn't providing enough bandwidth - it usually means the other person doesn't. They'll probably have a really poor upload speed, and in order for as little lag (i.e. 1 frame a second) it'll lower the resolution as it'll require less bandwidth.
 
Me and my mates use skype during online gaming sessions, as the in game voip is usually unreliable/ poor quality, playing red alert 3 and being able to shout "KEIROV REPORTING" is greatly satisfying as everybody shouts expletives :p

I don't use skype for any other purpose however, don't know enough people to keep it running all the time like with msn.
 
The pixelation of the other person doesn't mean your internet connection isn't providing enough bandwidth - it usually means the other person doesn't. They'll probably have a really poor upload speed, and in order for as little lag (i.e. 1 frame a second) it'll lower the resolution as it'll require less bandwidth.

Thanks for that info... but I also tested this out in the same room with a friend... and my friend still came out pixelated while I looked a bit better on his computer. I'm confused with this. Thanks.
 
How do you keep the 'undesirables' from asking for a chat. I signed up for free access, video chatted with my nice and brother and the next day had a slew of requests from hooker type girls.
 
please help,skype cuts off after 2min always, can anyone help, please...please

i would appreciate help mailed to me at horstb7@gmail.com
This is a forum, not an email service. If you don't care enough to check back here to find answers, don't expect anyone here to care enough to email your solutions. This is your first and only post in the forum. A "hit and run" approach doesn't contribute to the Mac community established here.
 
Skype issues with Macbook Pro

Hi all, I just found this forum and I'm not real savvy about the proper etiquette so if I step on any toes, just tell me. Thanks. I just signed up for Skype last week and I am very impressed and have used it several times to make international calls. My problem is: somehow when I set up my account I must have skipped something because when I click on Skype all that opens is a list of contacts. I can call them and it works, but there are no tabs, there is no way to post a photo, ... just the contacts. My brother, who also uses Skype described his screen to me so I know I am not getting the full deal. I tried to re-load it and it worked okay, but because I had already registered I still get just the "contacts" list. Am I describing my problem clearly? If so, can anyone help?

Thanks
 
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