Microsoft & Skype: Fantasy History

[Jason Dunn]

<p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1305057156.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Microsoft's purchase yesterday of Skype (barring any barriers that is) reminded me of a piece of Microsoft technology that I was keeping in storage - so I thought I'd do a quick photo-hack job and play a little "what if" game. Are there any readers of this site that owned this particular product? It was quite amazing for its time - I remember being upset when no drivers were created for Windows 2000, thus ending my use of the product (before Windows XP came out, Windows 2000 was *it* baby!). It had insanely cool functionality for the time - including voice command dialling, caller ID announcement, and it would link up with your contacts program on the desktop computer. Frankly, when I look at how "dumb" my landline phone is, I'd love to see something like this, updated with newest technology - like, say, Skype!</p>

[Fritzly]

I had that phone and, as you correctly stated, the most amazing part was the software: besides all the already mentioned functiionalities what put it aside any other software available at the time was the ability to handle both voice and fax using a single phone line. I never missed an incoming fax or answered the phone and heard the tone of the modem trying to establish a link to the fax.

Why MS discontinued it is one of the many misteries I never understood;it was way better than at the time king of the voice/fax software package: Delrina WinFax

[asims]

Great photo-hack! At first, I thought the article was going to be about what MS could put out on the market now that they've purchased Skype.

[Richard76]

Although not having all of the options of your version, I have one of the vtech-skype units and you can use it as both a skype phone or a normal cordless phone. Much better than having to wear a headset to Skype (theres that verb again)!

http://www.vtechcanada.com/manuals/7100ciben.pdf

For anyone that has this phone and are having problems with it since upgrading to Windows 7, go here:

http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=478291

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Wow, being able to link to your desktop contacts is cool. I've been looking for a cordless phone that can do that but there aren't many. Such a neat product, too bad MS didn't continue with it.