Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

try google voice - free

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I don't have any skype credit but i was able to call my friend so how would it work

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Was your friend using Skype or a normal phone?

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Just want to comment for the nonSkype users: Skype to skype is free. Period. Skype to landline/cellphone etc are not free. You need to buy some subscription, like dial out credit or monthly credit $7.99/month, no contract, start and stop anytime you want to. There is a caveate though, for skype calling cellphone. Your skype on monthly subscription has practically unlimited minute, but you still burning cellphone minute on the cellphone you are calling to.
This is quite different for those cellphone that has family plan, that there is no limits when cellphone calling within family.

bun

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

It might be worth checking out a decent SIP provider, call quality/reliability can be better than skype. You get a 'local' number for people to call you, and it can work out cheaper depending on the country your calling. I use sipgate

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

he's on a normal phone

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

so ur saying the minutes on my phone plan is still being used

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Unless you are calling while connected over Wifi and not over 3G.
I do not think that will use your cell minutes ... Even over 3G it will use your data bandwidth not cell minutes. Correct me if I am wrong.

Otherwise I would be better serverd using my N810 to do Skype or gizmo or GV.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Three.co.uk in the UK do free skype to skype calls over the 3G network so that is very cheap (costs nothing!) if you are calling others on skype.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

well i was on 3g but my friend wasn't... i donno, i'm just confused on how it worked since i never brought any skype credits

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I think I just stirred up a can of worms :)

Say, I am using Skype on my N810, which I subscribed to $7.99/month 'unlimited' US/Canada. My N810/skype can call computer/cell/landline unlimited whenever I am online/with wifi. However, on the receiving end, if it is a cellphone that my N810 is calling, the cell will be charged as talkminutes, i.e., burning minutes. The difference is within a family plan, like alltel calling alltel, it is unlimited, i.e., does not burn minutes. But when answering skype call using an alltel phone, the answering cell will burn minutes.

If you did not buy any skypeout/call out, I have no idea how you call a cell/landline. Are you sure you are using skype or you are using your cell? The user-interface should be different when using skype vs cell, would it?

bun

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

i just set up the skype account that day, and i went to my friends number and click "call with skype" and it even show skype when i'm calling that friend?

So how is it possible that i can call a land line without skype credit? I'm have no ideal

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

because sometime when you open a new account Skype gives you like 4 $ free credit to try their serves

you can go and chake you account and you should see some credits there

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I bought my N900 2 days ago and tried calling from my skype pro account that have been using for about 2 years now... I pay 3$/month for Canada/US calls... The options comes up to call using the service but after the numerous times i've tried to call but none of the numbers have worked... it always says "invalid address" or something...

Why is it saying address when i try to call a phone number?

I tried calling from my laptop and it wont work without the + sign before the number... Could that be the problem? cuz i cant add the plus sign when i dial...

Has anyone tried to call and succeeded? If so, can they tell me how they did it?

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

@Enyibinakata, try Fring to send SMS to avoid O2 charge. Also if your pals have fring you can fring call each other using 3G or Wi-Fi.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I'm pretty certain I saw another posting which said you have to use +nnyyyyyy
when dialling numbers or it won't work. That's what I do with Skype on the N800 anyway.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

N900 skype does not allow me to enter + before a number.

My contact gives me "bad address"

skype is also a company to watch for data privacy violations.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Hmm... that sounds like Skype on the N900 can't be used to call phone numbers at all then. Because you're always supposed to use that format, even in your own country, as Skype is "outside" of the local phone network to start with. Hopefully someone can clarify this. You're certainly not meant to use e.g. '00' or some such, because as someone explained earlier this isn't universal for all countries, while '+' is.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Yes yuo can dial Skype out from contacts and dial pad. In dial pad enter the ´number the usual way and than tap above the number area call type by default you see Cellular but tapping will bring your options.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

In which regards?

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I had this same problem and googled
n900 skype "plus sign"
and found this thread. And then I figured it out: the way to get the plus sign in the dial pad is to double-tap the "*+" button.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Is fring available for the N900? I want to send SMS messages using my skype account. (or any other voip account).
Someone suggested google voice, but they don't seem to want me.

EDIT: I found fring in the testing section, but I can't find out how to send messages.
EDIT2: there is already a suggestion in the bugs section: https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6938
I'll make an account just to vote on that one! :)

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Has anyone gotten skype to skype voice calls to work on the n900 I tested it today and the other party could hear me but I couldn't hear his voice other than for a couple seconds. Not sure if it is the N900 client being flaky on the incoming voice?

When I do skype out calls to a phone number I didn't have the same problem.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I wasn't happy about the quality either, but I blamed my data connection. When using wifi everything seems ok.

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I am using it, seems fine to me

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Remember that you can call toll free numbers without Skype credit.

It also will work with Google 411(8004664411) & Tellme 411 (8995558355) to be connected to yellow pages business free.

That lets me call the office free.

* **France**: +33 800, +33 805, +33 809
* **Poland**: +48 800
* **UK**: +44 500, +44 800, +44 808
* **USA**: +1 800, +1 866, +1 877, +1 888

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

*Frenchfry:

When calling '800' numbers on Skype, is the access fee still deducted from one's Skype credit?

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

I am using Skype and that the only phone I am using, something like $30 a year for anywhere US + Canada, landline, cell, or computer phone.

Double tab to get the '+' sign then the number
switch back to phone home page to use DTMF.
Coupled with Googlevoice to recieve incoming calls.

bun

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Thanks for the reply. I understand how to use Skype to call out. May I ask how you use GTalk to receive incoming calls. I have installed GTalk on the N900. However, I was only thinking of using it as an instant messenger client. I did not know that I might receive calls. How is that done?

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=38043, step by step guide to use N900 as your ONLY phone. I have been doing it for 4 month. I do not have any other phone. I admit, this is more than a geek thing than practical :), kind of like, yes I can do it.

Post back with your results or questions

bun

Re: Skype - Your Backup Phone!
 

Thanks for the information. Looking at the link quickly, however, I notice that a Gizmo5 account is required. Gizmo5 has suspended taking new sign-ups, at least for the moment, since it was acquired by Google. Nonetheless, I will read the link in more detail to see if there is a way to work around it. Thanks again. I'll let you know the results of my efforts.