I also would like to know about this.

I had used skype back in 2004 when I was studying in Sweden (though I only used one of those headsets w/mic). I always heard an echo, though I figured it was just the crappiness of my laptop.

__________________
~Slaol

--------------------------------------------------------------
WCU Biology '07
AUC May '08


"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
~Edmund Burke

Get Involved: PM me if interested
http://www.dagodalahera.org/
http://www.ivdn-africa.org/medical_programs.asp

To answer your Skype questions:

Skype Out is $60/year. It gives you a US number, which anyone can call from the US for free. It does include free voicemail. It also has the ability to forward to your cell phone, which you can easily turn on and off in the preferences. If you forward to your cell phone, however, it will charge you $0.17/min, which is the skype-out rate for SXM.

When you call to the U.S. with skype, it costs $0.02/minute. But, I usually just called people and had them call me back. $10 of skype credit goes a long way at $0.02/min! Also, if you call an 800-number in the US, for whatever reason, it's free.

Skype works well in St. Maarten - much better with Caribserve though than NETstar. In the dorms, it works very well when the internet is working. However, since the dorm internet is so flaky, the skype connection can be too. Skype uses up far less bandwidth than Vonage though, so it's almost always a better connection than that. Skype is also cheaper than Vonage. I do not use a skype handset (I always use my computer), but if you do have one, then it's the same as using any other phone. Skype also has the advantage of being able to video conference with anyone else using skype. It also has IM built in, which a lot of people use here.

__________________
AUC 2nd Semester
Rectouterine pouch!!
http://slevit1.blogspot.com

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish. --Unknown

thanks for clearing that up....


Here is what I'm going to buy;


1) Skype Out Plan - 60/year
2) Skype 10$ prepaid for having people call me back/cell phone forwarding
3) Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB Headset (~34$) or possibly skype wifi phone --- I already bought that USB headset for my gf and its really comfortable and has a really long usb cable if you want to talk a bit away from your comp - definitely recommended for a headset
Amazon.com: Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB Headset: Electronics


Last question - we don't need a skype phone to use voicemail right? Just using my MBP, I willl be able to get voicemails online?

__________________
AUC May08
Undergrad: UCSD

I have been looking at this phone:

Amazon.com: Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit with Integrated Skype: Electronics

which looks great because it can act as a landline and doesn't require that my computer be on to work

__________________
~Slaol

--------------------------------------------------------------
WCU Biology '07
AUC May '08


"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
~Edmund Burke

Get Involved: PM me if interested
http://www.dagodalahera.org/
http://www.ivdn-africa.org/medical_programs.asp

right...it's all through your computer

__________________
AUC 2nd Semester
Rectouterine pouch!!
http://slevit1.blogspot.com

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish. --Unknown

Skype service seemed to have significantly improved since then. I have used skype to communicate with my family over the last semester and had no trouble with it.

I'm gonna do what LMX1B recommended on this forum:

"The SkypePro is not gonna work for you in SXM. You cannot get free calls to the US and Canada unless you are actually in the US or Canada. You will wind up paying $0.02/min for calls to the US (which is not bad at all). What you should have done is just purchase a Skype In number and some Skype Out credit to call back home.

As far as forwarding calls to your cellphone in SXM, it will cost you $0.17/min. Sounds expensive, but it's a lot cheaper than a phone card and even cheaper than the usual SXM cell phone rates (cell rates in SXM are one of the biggest rip offs on the island)."

__________________
"Me fail english? That's unpossible" -R. Wiggum

Starting @ AUC
May 2008

Doesn't the Skype Pro membership give you a discount on the SkypeIn number? I ended up paying 60$ total for a Skype In number, voicemail included, and 12$ in Skype Credit.

__________________
AUC May08
Undergrad: UCSD

I was just on skype -- I didn't know skype pro got discontinued as of 4/21/08. What I understood was that with Skype Pro you got a discounted price for a SkypeIn number and free phone calls to the US/Canadian landlines for something slightly higher than Skype In number by itself.

I believe it'd be the same either way for us in SXM if you went either route. If you happen to have pro, you pay a connection fee for using it outside the States. Which I'm guessing would cost as much (if not more) as just SkypeIn + Creds.

__________________
"Me fail english? That's unpossible" -R. Wiggum

Starting @ AUC
May 2008

as far as phones go, has anyone tried the magicjack? saw a commercial about it...seems like it may be worth looking into.