Skype wifi phone $159

Larry wrote:
> I found it for $143 on Pricegrabber.com from nerds.net, but I don't think
> it comes with the FREE wireless router, 500 minutes of Skype Out and a YEAR
> of free Skype voicemail like Skype's own store is selling it for....(sigh)
>
> http://us.accessories.skype.com/dire....jsp?prod=3394
>
> $159, direct-to-wifi SMC Skype phone, free wifi router, 500 minutes Skype
> out, a year of Skype Voicemail. It's only problem is it will NOT logon to
> webpage based wifi hotspots like restaurants/airports/etc., use.

That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.

At 27 Nov 2006 00:37:43 -0800 SMS wrote:

> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>
Which is why I personally think a Wi-Fi enabled PocketPC is a better Wi-
Fi Skype phone than a Wi-Fi Skype phone! Many "last year's models" like
HP 2210s or Dell Axim X50's turn up as refurbs for $200-250, and have a
web browser that will let you login to a hotel free Wi-Fi, then you
switch to Skype (or whatever VoIP softphone you choose.)




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Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in news:456ab552$0$21162
$88260bb3@free.teranews.com:

> At 27 Nov 2006 00:37:43 -0800 SMS wrote:
>
>> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>>
> Which is why I personally think a Wi-Fi enabled PocketPC is a better Wi-
> Fi Skype phone than a Wi-Fi Skype phone! Many "last year's models" like
> HP 2210s or Dell Axim X50's turn up as refurbs for $200-250, and have a
> web browser that will let you login to a hotel free Wi-Fi, then you
> switch to Skype (or whatever VoIP softphone you choose.)
>
It will be great when Skype for Palm comes out so we don't have to buy a
Windoze Mobile PC that crashes all the time. Axim X51v I bought was just
awful...(d^:) The Windoze Mobiles also run about 2 hours on a charge,
which makes using them for a phone pretty useless, too. I'm hoping I can
go all day on a Palm TX. Palm Pilots always have run a long time on a
charge. My old Handspring Visor Edge's battery run is measured in weeks,
not hours.

Stay away from that Axim. It sucks. I got the T-shirt!

Larry
--
If we eliminate religion, will they stop murdering each other?

SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in news:456aa3d9$0$82548
$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net:

> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>
>

Yeah, I agree. I'll have to carry the laptop and use the CIT200 to those
places. But, at home and at friends' houses, it will work great. It'll
become my home phone.

These phones may become a great way to get comms for those cellphone users
who have just terrible signals inside their houses we've always had
problems with. Alltel's signal is usable, but nothing to brag about. My
wifi signal from the central router is good for about 300' and, with 7
antennas to choose from, has no dead spots, even if you take into account
the usage charges so low with no fixed fees. $10 lasts a long time.

Larry
--
If we eliminate religion, will they stop murdering each other?

At 27 Nov 2006 09:48:48 -0500 Larry wrote:

> > Which is why I personally think a Wi-Fi enabled PocketPC is a better
Wi-
> > Fi Skype phone than a Wi-Fi Skype phone!

> It will be great when Skype for Palm comes out so we don't have to buy
a
> Windoze Mobile PC that crashes all the time. Axim X51v I bought was
just
> awful...(d^:)

As I've told you before, your experience was atypical.

Most WinMo users do not have the problems you had.

> The Windoze Mobiles also run about 2 hours on a charge,
> which makes using them for a phone pretty useless, too. I'm hoping I
can
> go all day on a Palm TX. Palm Pilots always have run a long time on a
> charge.

Sure- when they had b&w screens, 16mhz processors, 1MB RAM and no
wireless connectivity. Stick a 480x480 color screen and built-in wi-fi
and bluetooth and you've got a two-hour device as well! Did you think
there was some kind of battery-saving magic in the Palm OS?

> My old Handspring Visor Edge's battery run is measured in weeks,
> not hours.

Which, compared to a modern-day Treo or Axim, was a pocket calculator
with an address book built-in.

> Stay away from that Axim. It sucks. I got the T-shirt!
I still believe, as I told you then, that you had a piece of defective
hardware and chose to blame the Windows Moble OS rather than just get a
replacement that worked. Some of your problems were bugs (the bluetooth
not connecting w/the headset) but the freeze ups and screwy video were
defects, but, as usual, you were happier blaming "evil corporations"
(this time Microsoft and Dell) than getting any enjoyment out of a product.


I'm surprised you have anything good to say about Skype, unless you don't
consider eBay an evil corporation...


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"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:456aa3d9$0$82548$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Larry wrote:
>> I found it for $143 on Pricegrabber.com from nerds.net, but I don't think
>> it comes with the FREE wireless router, 500 minutes of Skype Out and a
>> YEAR of free Skype voicemail like Skype's own store is selling it
>> for....(sigh)
>>
>> http://us.accessories.skype.com/dire....jsp?prod=3394
>>
>> $159, direct-to-wifi SMC Skype phone, free wifi router, 500 minutes Skype
>> out, a year of Skype Voicemail. It's only problem is it will NOT logon
>> to webpage based wifi hotspots like restaurants/airports/etc., use.
>
> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.

I would hardly call free WiFi ubiquitous. Most hot spots charge, and many of
the free ones are impossible to log onto. It's going to be a while before
this stuff works.

"Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
news:456ab552$0$21162$88260bb3@free.teranews.com.. .
> At 27 Nov 2006 00:37:43 -0800 SMS wrote:
>
>> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>>
> Which is why I personally think a Wi-Fi enabled PocketPC is a better Wi-
> Fi Skype phone than a Wi-Fi Skype phone! Many "last year's models" like
> HP 2210s or Dell Axim X50's turn up as refurbs for $200-250, and have a
> web browser that will let you login to a hotel free Wi-Fi, then you
> switch to Skype (or whatever VoIP softphone you choose.)

Yes indeed. My IPAQ with Skype installed works just like a cell phone.
Problem is, if I move 200 feet away from my house I get disconnected.

At some point though, this will work. If I spent all of my time in an area
that was blanketed by WiFi I would consider changing my cellular plan, and
under the right circumstances perhaps even dropping it.

But as I've written many times before, we are a long way from that.

Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
> "SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
> news:456aa3d9$0$82548$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>> Larry wrote:
>>> I found it for $143 on Pricegrabber.com from nerds.net, but I don't think
>>> it comes with the FREE wireless router, 500 minutes of Skype Out and a
>>> YEAR of free Skype voicemail like Skype's own store is selling it
>>> for....(sigh)
>>>
>>> http://us.accessories.skype.com/dire....jsp?prod=3394
>>>
>>> $159, direct-to-wifi SMC Skype phone, free wifi router, 500 minutes Skype
>>> out, a year of Skype Voicemail. It's only problem is it will NOT logon
>>> to webpage based wifi hotspots like restaurants/airports/etc., use.
>> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
>> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>
> I would hardly call free WiFi ubiquitous. Most hot spots charge, and many of
> the free ones are impossible to log onto. It's going to be a while before
> this stuff works.
>
>
Exactly, in the areas where I normally work/travel free WiFi is a rarity
unless you count wardriving and finding someones open system who didn't
know about looking it down.

"George" <george@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:iMednVWcls0NGPHYnZ2dnUVZ_rCdnZ2d@adelphia.com ...
> Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
>> "SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
>> news:456aa3d9$0$82548$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>>> Larry wrote:
>>>> I found it for $143 on Pricegrabber.com from nerds.net, but I don't
>>>> think it comes with the FREE wireless router, 500 minutes of Skype Out
>>>> and a YEAR of free Skype voicemail like Skype's own store is selling it
>>>> for....(sigh)
>>>>
>>>> http://us.accessories.skype.com/dire....jsp?prod=3394
>>>>
>>>> $159, direct-to-wifi SMC Skype phone, free wifi router, 500 minutes
>>>> Skype out, a year of Skype Voicemail. It's only problem is it will NOT
>>>> logon to webpage based wifi hotspots like restaurants/airports/etc.,
>>>> use.
>>> That part of it sucks. Free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, but most places direct
>>> you to a start page with terms and conditions to accept.
>>
>> I would hardly call free WiFi ubiquitous. Most hot spots charge, and many
>> of the free ones are impossible to log onto. It's going to be a while
>> before this stuff works.
> Exactly, in the areas where I normally work/travel free WiFi is a rarity
> unless you count wardriving and finding someones open system who didn't
> know about looking it down.

Yup. That strategy falls under the category of fun stuff, "Larry stuff." :)
Cool as hell and just as impractical.

At 28 Nov 2006 13:50:30 -0500 Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:

> Yes indeed. My IPAQ with Skype installed works just like a cell phone.
> Problem is, if I move 200 feet away from my house I get disconnected.

True, but if you had a PPC Phone edition, you could set Skype to forward
your calls to your cell (or vice versa) for more ubiquitous coverage.

> At some point though, this will work. If I spent all of my time in an
area
> that was blanketed by WiFi I would consider changing my cellular plan,
and
> under the right circumstances perhaps even dropping it.
>
> But as I've written many times before, we are a long way from that.

I agree 100%. I keep Skype on my T-Mo MDA as a very seldom used backup.
I was at a Holiday Inn in Nebraska not too long ago that had lousy T-
Mobile coverage in the building, but offered free Wi-Fi. I made all of
my outgoing calls in the room with Skype, rather than the room's phone,
which charged $1.00 for local calls!

I'm certainly not willing to give up my cellplan anytime this decade
either, but VoIP is a good backup on the right occasion!


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