PocketSkype for Pocket PC Now in Public Beta

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.skype.com/download_pda.html' target='_blank'>http://www.skype.com/download_pda.html</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040406_skype.jpg" /> <br /><br />Skype has released a public beta version of their PocketSkype client. "PocketSkype is free software that enables you to make Skype voice calls using your WiFi-enabled Microsoft PocketPC based handheld computer from any WiFi hotspot." PocketSkype requires a Pocket PC with a 400 MHz processor and Windows Mobile 2003.<br /><br />I was lucky enough to get into the closed beta, and I've been testing this for the last week or so. It's a very slick program. Voice quality is great, it works fine for calls between the Pocket PC and a desktop client, the installation footprint is only 1.9mb, and you don't even need a headset (although it helps). Your Pocket PC's built-in mic will work, and headphones will ensure that you can clearly hear the person on the other end.<br /><br />Skype's flavor of VoIP (voice over internet protocol) works over WiFi only, although the Instant Messaging portion of the program works just dandy over GPRS. At the moment, you can only use Skype to talk to other Skype users - there's no cross compatibility with landline phone networks or other VoIP systems. Future VoIP rulings in several countries may change that, however.<br /><br />If you've been hearing the buzz about VoIP but haven't tried it out yet, now's your chance! Download it and let us know what you think! 8)

[Jon Westfall]

Just thinking - wouldn't it be cool to do this over GPRS. Can you make calls to actual phones (through a gateway) or is it purely VOIP to other devices?

[David Johnston]

Been playing with this all morning - great fun!

Just thinking - wouldn't it be cool to do this over GPRS. Can you make calls to actual phones (through a gateway) or is it purely VOIP to other devices?

It says in the FAQ that GPRS doesn't have the bandwidth for anything beyond instant messaging. And from the sounds of their 'hiring' page, they're investigating ways to link it into PSTN networks.

I wonder... Skype+3G... hmmm...

[Jonathon Watkins]

Very, very cool! 8) I'll have to give this a go. :D

[Vincent M Ferrari]

Just thinking - wouldn't it be cool to do this over GPRS. Can you make calls to actual phones (through a gateway) or is it purely VOIP to other devices?

Truth is, most people don't have an all you can eat data plan (as far as I know most are on some sort of metered GPRS connection) so using Skype would devour their bandwidth very quickly...

I think the killer app for this is when you're sitting at a wifi hotspot and you can make a call without having to pay for it. Voip is definitely the future.

As a Mac owner, I had a chance to play with iChat the other night with one of my friends. The sound quality and picture quality were both excellent. The sound quality without the video was even better. I think if that model is where voice over IP (of any kind) has gotten to since I last played with it in the late 90's, the phone companies and cellular companies had better realize they just might be in pretty big trouble...

[mlougee]

University (and high school, gradeschool?) campuses are potentially very favorable for Skype, since there is quickly growing, almost ubiquitous wireless in buildings like student unions, libraries, classroom buildings, etc. University students and employees have typically had unlimited, no-charge network access, and they like to talk. We'll see whether scarce-bandwidth issues arise!

On a very different note, but still related to campuses... Fall is the beginning of most school years, and I wonder if the native VGA-screen PPC's will be available for start-of-year purchases. That would be nice.

[axe]

In the post, you mention a headset is a good addition to the software to ensure clarity. I have an iPaq 2215, and as far as I know, I cannot plug in a headset that does more than speakers - ie no wired mike. Am I mistaken? Where would I get a single plug 1/8" headset/mike boom? If I had the 1900 series, I could see a cell phone headset working but what about mine?
Can you shed any light here?
thanx much
AXE

[Jason Lee]

Why not just use Microsoft Portrait (http://research.microsoft.com/~jiangli/portrait/)? It does voice and video over as low as a 9600 baud connection.

[mlougee]

For me, the major reason is an optomistic expectation that Skype will eventually (soon?) have versions for Mac, Linux, Palm, etc, thus not limiting the participants in a Skype conversation to one religion (uh, operating system). :)

[hotweiss]

University (and high school, gradeschool?) campuses are potentially very favorable for Skype, since there is quickly growing, almost ubiquitous wireless in buildings like student unions, libraries, classroom buildings, etc. University students and employees have typically had unlimited, no-charge network access, and they like to talk. We'll see whether scarce-bandwidth issues arise!

On a very different note, but still related to campuses... Fall is the beginning of most school years, and I wonder if the native VGA-screen PPC's will be available for start-of-year purchases. That would be nice.

Another reason why Skype is populour in University campus's is because most of the ports are blocked due to P2P usage; no other VOIP application works in my dorm besides skype. Skype is saving my family thousands of dollars on telephone calls, as I am studying in Poland at the moment...

[hotweiss]

Why not just use Microsoft Portrait (http://research.microsoft.com/~jiangli/portrait/)? It does voice and video over as low as a 9600 baud connection.

I'm sure there are comparable applications to Skype, but what makes Skype populour and unique is its voice quality, its ability to go through firewalls and its ability to handle port restrictions.

[Bichcake]

just mentioning that i tried this over a bluetooth connection and it works fine. no real reason to do this, though, cause of the short range. But i could think of a couple reasons just for fun.

[Falstaff]

In the post, you mention a headset is a good addition to the software to ensure clarity. I have an iPaq 2215, and as far as I know, I cannot plug in a headset that does more than speakers - ie no wired mike. Am I mistaken? Where would I get a single plug 1/8" headset/mike boom? If I had the 1900 series, I could see a cell phone headset working but what about mine?
Can you shed any light here?
thanx much
AXE

Some PPCs like the iPaq 5*** (and a couple others I think) and many Toshibas have 4 ring jacks, which allows for a mic and/or headphones. I have a 3.5 ring ring >> 2.5 headset converter that enables me to use a standard phone headset, you can also buy 4-ring 3.5 headsets.

Can't wait to download this when I get home today. I've had very good experience with the desktop version, except when I was talking to a guy at RPI (dual OC3) and I had like 6-7 sec delay, that was odd.

[Pat Logsdon]

In the post, you mention a headset is a good addition to the software to ensure clarity. I have an iPaq 2215, and as far as I know, I cannot plug in a headset that does more than speakers - ie no wired mike. Am I mistaken?
What I did was to just plug a regular pair of earbuds into the headphone jack of my 4150, and then just talked into the mic on the top of the unit. That's all! If you really want to use a headset, Plantronic has a few here (http://www.plantronics.com/ipaq/en_US/catalog/display_category_type.jhtml;jsessionid=4X2CWZAFKLVE4CQBGNSSFEYKAEZWMIV0?id=cat4820075&rootId=cat4820068&productTypeId=cat4820075&_requestid=111892).

[dean_shan]

I'm glad it's now in public beta. I missed out on the previous test.

[Ipaq2210]

I've been using the desktop version for a while now, and just installed this version on the Ipaq 2210.
It works great - I do find using a set of headphones is best (as with the desktop version) so not to get that "echo" effect.

Great product

[DanielTS]

Some PPCs like the iPaq 5*** (and a couple others I think) and many Toshibas have 4 ring jacks, which allows for a mic and/or headphones. I have a 3.5 ring ring >> 2.5 headset converter that enables me to use a standard phone headset
Where can I get this converter ?
My Toshiba e805 has a 4 ring jack 3.5 mm.
Thanks.

[Falstaff]

Check out the link above that Pat posted, it says iPaqs, but the Toshibas have the same thing.

I just installed Skype on my PPC, but my contacts don't appear. Do you have to re-enter them manually or can I transfer them? I was expecting it to be like AIM, YIM, or MSN where contacts are stored elsewhere. Thanks.

[L.Rentz]

I tried a bluetooth connection on my 4150 as well. Just for fun really. I wonder if you can use a bluetooth headset with a 4150 and use skype via wifi. Anyone tried this?

I am not really sure if you can use a headset at all with a 4150. I dont see a server connection for it in bluetooth manager like I do on my laptop. Would be pretty cool if you could.

Lee

[L.Rentz]

Falstaff,
I just installed Skype on my PPC, but my contacts don't appear. Do you have to re-enter them manually or can I transfer them? I was expecting it to be like AIM, YIM, or MSN where contacts are stored elsewhere. Thanks.

You have to enter them manually again. Its in the FAQ's I think.

Lee

[Pat Logsdon]

I tried a bluetooth connection on my 4150 as well. Just for fun really. I wonder if you can use a bluetooth headset with a 4150 and use skype via wifi. Anyone tried this?

I am not really sure if you can use a headset at all with a 4150. I dont see a server connection for it in bluetooth manager like I do on my laptop. Would be pretty cool if you could.
Stay tuned...I'll be writing an article shortly that should answer your questions. :wink:

[L.Rentz]

Excellent Pat. I look forward to reading it. 8O

Lee

[Sydney Bristow]

Ahhh! :( I downloaded and installed Skype, but I can't get the registering procedure to show up...I tried reinstalling it, but it just won't come up! :?

No Account=No Skype... :cry:

[edit]
I'm using HP iPAQ 4150 by the way. :|

[Bichcake]

do you have the desktop version Sydney? i don't think that yo ucan register from the pocket pc version, at least not yet.

i suggest getting the desktop version and getting an account through that first.

[Sydney Bristow]

Ohhh, I see...thank you so much Bichcake! I'll certainly give that a try :D

[jali-p5]

In the post, you mention a headset is a good addition to the software to ensure clarity. I have an iPaq 2215, and as far as I know, I cannot plug in a headset that does more than speakers - ie no wired mike. Am I mistaken?
What I did was to just plug a regular pair of earbuds into the headphone jack of my 4150, and then just talked into the mic on the top of the unit. That's all! If you really want to use a headset, Plantronic has a few here (http://www.plantronics.com/ipaq/en_US/catalog/display_category_type.jhtml;jsessionid=4X2CWZAFKLVE4CQBGNSSFEYKAEZWMIV0?id=cat4820075&rootId=cat4820068&productTypeId=cat4820075&_requestid=111892).

have you been able to hookup up a headset w/ a mic to the 4150?

[Pat Logsdon]

have you been able to hookup up a headset w/ a mic to the 4150?
I don't actually have a headset yet - I'm waiting for the bluetooth headset to arrive. :wink:

The headphone jack of the 4150 doubles as a mic jack, so you should be fine with any of the plug-in models on the Plantronics page I linked to earlier.

[jali-p5]

The headphone jack of the 4150 doubles as a mic jack, so you should be fine with any of the plug-in models on the Plantronics page I linked to earlier.

are you sure about that? cause i thought it was only a 3.5mm stereo jack for the headphones? couldn't find anywhere that tells me if i can use one of those headsets.....i was thinking of using my headset from my cellphone, but that's 2.5mm so won't work in the ppc.....perhaps the jack needs the 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter?? and the ones for the pc have two connections, one for mic and one for ear......

i'm curious to know about how the BT headset performs when you get it. :)