Skype Releasing VoIP Client for PDA's

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/2100-7352_3-5162119.html?tag=nefd_top' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/2100-7352_3-516...ml?tag=nefd_top</a><br /><br /></div>We posted about Skype Voice over IP last November. <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20603&highlight=skype ">(Finally - VOIP that Really Works!)</a> <br /><br />The only snag was that there was no official PDA client available. :? Now, a story at news.com talks about Skype releasing a client for PDA's. :D <br /><br />"A version of Skype software for PDAs (personal digital assistants) is expected in the next few months, founder Niklas Zennstrom said in a recent interview. Currently, the software is available only for personal computers. <br /><br />Skype's service lets people make unlimited free phone calls using what's known as voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology for placing calls using the Internet. The company is also working with cordless-phone makers to introduce devices that can connect with both Skype users and those on the traditional public telephone network." <br /><br />This is good news. I’ve had Skype installed on my PC for a while but not done anything with it. Looks like I’ll head on down to <a href="www.skype.com">www.skype.com</a> and see how it goes. 8)

[powder2000]

This is excellent news! I use skype along with the video portion of yahoo messenger to teleconference with my mom in Seattle and it works awesome. I was using the voice part of yahoo but decided to try skype and the clarity was noticably better. This looks to be a cool implementation for the pocket pc.

[DimensionZero]

Ooooh cool! I've just downloaed Skype! Can't wait to get some friends on and give it a try!

[ricksfiona]

If the PDA client works and you can have a phone number assigned to it for a minor charge, I am so there!

[lonesniper]

I love this program and have been using it for the past two weeks. Just set it up on my girlfriends laptop so we she goes back to college we can talk without expensive phone calls.

I am online most nights (except tonight) if anyone installs it and needs a person to test it out with and have a chat. My username on Skype is LoneSniper.

[goaliemn]

If the PDA client works and you can have a phone number assigned to it for a minor charge, I am so there!

Vonage offers this via their softphone (http://www.vonage.com/features_softphone.php)

If you want to try vonage, send me a PM and I'll give you a month free service :)

[koro]

This is great news. I use Skype to talk to my brother in Edmonton, and my parents in New Zealand. It'd be cool to be able to do this from the couch on my Ipaq rather than sitting in front of my computer.

I've been using MSN Messenger for video in conjunction with Skype - now, if I had an SDcamera for the Ipaq with video client..... ah, the possibilities of technology :lol:

[madbart]

I have used Skype almost daily from the time of the original post with my brother in London. The voice clarity is awesome.

It has saved me hundreds of dollars in the past months.
If you haven't tried it i suggest you do :clap:

[nirav28]

Hate to sound cynical, but since most (99%) of the PPCs out there don't have a seperate microphone input jack. Whats the point of screaming into the bloody thing while holding it in front of you?

About the only PPCs i've seen with mic input jack is probably the XDA , Ipaq 51xx serious. Can't really use the XDA II to run Skype, since it doesn't have WLAN abilities. (Ok maybe a SD wifi card). But thats lacking range and optimal performance.

Ipaq 5xxx series is probably the only real hardware solution for Voip. Since it has both a headset jack and Wifi built in. But at $600??? No Way! Also, I don't think skype will work too well on GPRS.

When will pda manufacturers understand this? How hard can it be to wire the microphone connection thats usually located in front of the pda to the headphone jack??

Hell..give us a bloody voice profile for bluetooth. Not some crappy registry hack the Ipaq 2210 is capable of.

On another note... Skype is probably one of the coolest and most efficient implementation of VoIP out there. The audio quality is excellent!!!