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Thread ID: 98926 2009-04-13 04:56:00 Best video chat software. Metla (12) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
764558 2009-04-13 05:26:00 Yep, Bought a PSP.

It looks like skype (www.skype.com) is available for the psp
plod (107)
764559 2009-04-13 05:43:00 Skype, you can set it all up before you go. beeswax34 (63)
764560 2009-04-13 05:46:00 Skype definetly. Blam (54)
764561 2009-04-13 12:59:00 Ewwww I cant stand Skype, for a multitude of reasons :-/

Highly recommend even just logging into Gmail, you can get Video Chat through that now! mail.google.com

Please, anything but Skype :(
Chilling_Silence (9)
764562 2009-04-13 14:03:00 Skype vote here too! :thumbs:

What do you have against Skype, Chill?
johcar (6283)
764563 2009-04-13 14:04:00 Ewwww I cant stand Skype, for a multitude of reasons :-/

Highly recommend even just logging into Gmail, you can get Video Chat through that now! mail.google.com

Please, anything but Skype :(

Just curious, but why don't you recommend Skype? Security issues, or just personal preference?
I'm looking to start using it myself soon
Chikara (5139)
764564 2009-04-13 15:15:00 He's just a bit of an elitist. roddy_boy (4115)
764565 2009-04-13 20:06:00 Installed Skype, Installed without any glitches, Found the hardware no issue and appears to be working fine.

Thanks for the recommendations.
Metla (12)
764566 2009-04-13 21:51:00 Skype vote here too! :thumbs:

What do you have against Skype, Chill?

Probably the same things I do.

There are issues about security and privacy concerns and also about the companies that Skype is or has been affiliated with.

These issues and more were on the wikipedia page for Skpye, however they have since disappeared...

No matter, if you just google for 'Skype privacy/security issues' and you'll find all sorts of goodies, eg: www.securityfocus.com

Whether these things have changed since I do not know. But with this track record I don't want to go near their software
Agent_24 (57)
764567 2009-04-13 23:03:00 He's just a bit of an elitist.

Yeah pretty much ;)

No, aside from the fact Im a Google Fanboy and they can do no wrong in my books (Well not quite, but almost), there are some concerns with Skype.

To be honest Ive never really sat down and "thought about them" but here goes:
1) Security -- A false sense of it. If you're encrypted, it should be secure. If you're unsecure, at least be up-front about it
2) Peer-to-peer routing -- Why my crap goes through Universities in the states and NASA, I will never know. I dont like it, and it happens to everybodies
3) Peer-to-peer routing -- Yes it gets two mentions. Why your PC can become a "node" to have somebody elses crap routed through? Seriously ...
4) en.wikipedia.org -- Yes, Privacy / security, same deal, they've messed up lots
5) They also made Kazaa, thats bad in my books
6) It does funky stuff with NAT / UPnP at times, its annoying
7) Its a ***** to QoS
8) When Ive been using it (And same for several other people) we know that the contacts ARE online, but they show as offline. Buggy software? Who knows
9) Their communication with clients sucks, there's no direct way of contacting support except through the forums
10) Linux development blows, its way behind, the client is lacking, lots ...
11) I cant stand how it embeds itself by default in your browser and things, but maybe thats just me
12) How they make it sound like you're making a "Call" by using buying a USB "phone". Its not a phone, its a cheap-ass ripoff of a Mic & headset. Its not a "phone call", its a voice-chat online. If you had a real phone like one of the Skype Phones, or a SIP Phone, THEN its a phone-call over the internet. Mic & Speakers != Phone call :p
13) 3rd party integration blows. Its possible, but basically if you're using a PC, you're pretty much stuck with the original Skype client. Good luck using an all-in-one client such as Pidgin.

On the other hand, some "Pros" for it (Just so you dont think Im elitist)
1) Its easy to grab and setup,
2) It has good detection / settings for Sound / Audio
3) The SkypeOut stuff is good for home users / home office businesses for communication where SIP / VoIP isnt viable or cost-effective
4) They switch between the codecs used to offer best compression, its some damn fine stuff they do there
5) Again, its "easy" to grab. Sure, other software is probably just as easy, but to be honest the whole package seems to fit well together for total n00bs.
6) Its got a catchy name, like "Harley Davidson", and again n00bs latch onto that, and they remember it ;)


My 2c worth (Not to be taken too seriously, please)
Chilling_Silence (9)
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