Skype review

If you have a broadband Internet connection then looking at a Web page that's stored on a server in Burma shouldn't take any longer - or cost you any more - than looking at one that resides on a PC in Burnley.

Skype claims to be able to do the same for voice telephone calls, using the Internet to let you phone someone in New York for the same price as a call to your mate down the road.

To do this, Skype uses the same TCP/IP Internet protocol for routing voice calls that Web applications use to send data. This means that, instead of establishing a dedicated connection with the person you're calling, your voice data is split into short chunks or 'packets', and sent over the Internet. Because it uses your normal broadband connection, apart from your monthly subscription fee, it's free.

The program is easy to install and set up. Once done, you can either search for another user online, or add them manually to your list of contacts. To initiate a call, click on a contact, and the program will try to establish a connection with them. If someone's phoning you, you'll hear a telephone-like ring, and a message will pop up to tell you who it is.

The only problem is who to call. Voice-over-IP doesn't use the same system as normal telephones, so you can't just type in a phone number and call someone's house phone.

We made a 30-minute transatlantic call on a 256Kbit/s broadband connection, effectively for free, and had few complaints. The sound quality was actually slightly better than a normal telephone call, aside from a couple of audible glitches. There was no noticeable time delay either.

Using a 56K dial-up modem the connection was, not surprisingly, much poorer, but it was still just about usable. We were also able to Instant message to another Skype user at the same time. Unless you have an unmetered dial-up account, you'll need to take into account the cost of the calls.

There are, however, some things we'd like to see improved. Skype offers no answer phone facility, and you can't make conference calls. On the other hand, it is free, and if you can persuade your friends and family to sign up for it, it will save you a wodge of cash.

The trouble is, it isn't unique. Programs such as AOL's Instant Messenger or Microsoft's MSN Messenger do the same thing, with the latter also being able to make calls to the standard phone network, albeit for a fee. This prevents Skype from getting an award - all the same, though, we were impressed.