As of this morning the skype site shows 635,000 downloads and counting. It is quickly becoming the new rage on the web replacing inferior voice over IP (VoIP) clients. The sound quality, even on a dial-up is impressive and for broadband users it is better than traditional telephone lines. Start saving dollars on long distance to your fellow netizens right now by downloading Skype.
VoIP enables users to make calls from their PC using peer-to-peer, their computer speakers and microphone or a headset combo (several are available from Amazon or other electronic outlets). While Skype doesn't allow calling phone numbers as of the time of this writing, the rumors are abuzz that this feature will be coming, possibly when they make the move out of beta status. I've been covering SKype's buzz since a week or so after it made its beta downloadable and it has been a fascinating road.
Skype will allow you to call your friends, family, associates and yes, even strangers all over the world for free (as of this writing, anyway). Since it is a beta product I don't think it's wholly appropriate for me to officially review Skype but since I just searched and didn't see any other articles on blogcritics about it, I figured I should fill in the gap on this interesting and useful application.
It debuts courtesy of some of the folks responsible for the spyware-infested Kazaa, but the good news with SKype is that it currently contains absolutely no adware or spyware. The End User License Agreement (EULA) says that they do intend to charge something for the service and suggests that it would be free for those to call people who are subscribers but cost some type of fee for PC to PC non-subscriber calling. No word yet on what the pricing will be but I do have some suggestions to at least throw out for discussion.
How about $4.95 a month or $29.95 year for unlimited PC to PC calling, and include a voice mail function and conference calling for paid subscribers? I would also suggest that they don't do what they are saying in their EULA and allow at least limited free PC to PC calling. Perhaps 1000 minutes a month or something like cell phone carriers do with nights and weekends. Bandwith isn't free so expecting them to do unlimited free is a portent to death (anybody remember All Advantage which paid folks to surf or those free ISP services?). Free services cannot sustain. Even recently the creator of blogrolling stopped accepting free user signups because he claimed 95%+ of the folks that signed up didn't pay and were affecting those who did. So for those cheapskates who think Skype should forever be unlimited free, get real.
Article comments
1 - Michelle
That sounds interesting. I'm not much of a phone person, but it could be cool to hear the voices of people who live lots of miles away and who you normally wouldn't call.
2 - Ben
I think your assumtion that bandwith issues are the reason "cheapskates who think Skype should forever be unlimited free, get real." is totally off base. Remember this is P2P the Skype servers are only used to find freinds and make the connection. Then skype users talk to each other and make no use of the Skype servers or their bandwith.
P2P is what can make this free!
3 - TDavid
Ben - there is still communication with Skype servers as you indicated yourself. Yes, of course it is P2P, but run your own analyzing of the connection and you'll see there are calls to Skype servers at least in the initial protocol handshake.
Also, how do you think the user online list is updated? That isn't P2P, that is a call to their server directory list.
So, no, my comment is correct as was written, because it was not intended for the P2P aspect. If you think that there is "free" bandwith for a connection from 50,000+ simultaneous users checking online status and doing directory service searches every few seconds then you have never run a webservice where apps were frequently calling your server.
4 - TDavid
Oh, and let's not forget the bandwith for the 635,000+ downloads, Ben. Yeah, multiply that times the 2.5MB per download and that is going to run up a significant bill that neither of us is going to want to have on a free meal ticket.
My point remains, bandwith isn't free. Distribution isn't free. The internet itself isn't truly "free". Big misnomer that has led many web businesses to their end.
5 - Ben
I hear you TDavid. Except because this is from the kaaza people I think they have this figured out. For instance Kaaza uses individual installations as "central servers" via the "act as super node" feature. So there are ways around the "ping" issues.
Also if they were smart they would use Bit-Torrent for the initial installer downloads, which "could" bring their bandwidth costs very close to nil.
6 - TDavid
On Friday September 26, during our weekly live radio show at Script School I was PM'd by Jaan, the senior developer for Skype. To my knowledge, this was the first time on the web that someone demonstrated the use of Skype for a call-in live streaming web show. Webmasters attending the show were able to make comments directly to the listening developers of the app -- very cool!
7 - Skype
Skype is the best!
8 - TDavid
Skype was featured on Tech TV's Screensaver's last week (Sarah's pick of the day) and on Call for Help yesterday.
9 - Brenda
We represent a company that purchases downloads.
In reviewing your relationship sites, we think that it would be a good
opportunity for both parties involved.
This company pays for every download you provide to us. We currently pay
$.05 a (US) download, but have other packages available that pay more.
(We have a tool bar,sidebar, icon, delayed pop-up pop, under program) .It is a
small .exe file that is attached to the download. It is a silent program
that becomes part of the IE browser. When searches are conducted and a 404
error appears, the program exchanges the 404 error with a search page. We
also have a sidebar program with Lycos that is available.
This is NOT SPYWARE. It is not a data-mining program and is unobtrusive.
1 million downloads = $50,000-$100,000-up a month
If you are interested, please contact me and I can send you more information
and answer any of your questions. I would like to know who I could speak to
about this opportunity.
Thank you for your consideration,
Brenda Wunsch
www.venturamk.com/downloads/ClearSearch.PDF
-----------------
Ventura Marketing
we understand business.
http://www.venturamk.com
5 6 2 . 4 2 6 . 6 3 6 6
10 - TDavid
RE:#9 Just learned in my email that I've been needing Viagra, there is a problem in Nigeria that needs my urgent attention ...
11 - Eric Olsen
Exactly my friend - this isn't spyware except to the extent that it is spyware
12 - Patrizia
Well, I wouldn't call Skype "quite a revolution in communication technology ".
I remember we used to talk with a VoIp software long before Napster invented P2P.
It is true, we could call and talk, and understanding was something else.
Skype looks much better if you consider the voice quality, thanks also to the fact that now we have faster connections.
But what people really want?
When they want to call they want a telephone ( mobile), they want to dial a number and they want to talk.
If possible cheap and, why not for free...
The real revolution is what we can give:
www.worldonip.com
1) Access point that reaches up to 15 Kilometers and up to 90 users on one line.
You can have as many as you want...
2) Wireless mobile IP telephone that works in a coverage of 15 Kilometers( 10 miles) costs around 200 dollars, is as easy to use as any other GSM .
3) Any phone can call for free another Ip phone, locally, Nationally, Internationally, Intercontinentally.
Can call any other phone using a termination.
The VoIP Access Point costs around $1400 and you can share it among 90 people.
This is a Technological revolution.
Hard to believe, but it is true.
Marconi invented the Wireless and Antonio Meucci invented the Telephone, it happens that we talk the same language...
Patrizia
patrizia@worldonip.com
13 - TDavid
As of this writing, Skype has had over 8.8 million downloads (that's a growth of over 1 million downloads per month since this article was originally written).
While I wouldn't call Skype a "revolution" (RE: #12) it certainly is making inroads where other VoIP have failed. And they just got an infusion of 19 million dollars to buy up telephone numbers so that (someday) they can allow calling to standard (POTS) telephone numbers.
I am not sure I see where worldonip fits into this, but I will check it out. I sure hope it isn't just spam.