Google Voice, Skype, Line2

[Paper Shredder Clay]

Do any of you use Google Voice, Skype and/or Line2?

At work we have pretty much made the switch to Skype for internal calls to those working remotely. The video quality is pretty good too.

I, personally, use Google Voice, so I don't have to give clients my personal cell phone number, but it forwards to my cell, and I can block people using it if I have too. Also it gives me the ability to send free sms messages from my iPad.

Line2 is a pretty decent VOiP service, allowing you to have an extra phone line with voicemail, etc. all accessible from the web.

How are you using such services?

[Harold Mansfield]

I use Skype for overseas clients or prospects all of the time. Funny...they all know Skype well, but when I say Skype to someone in the states they have no clue what I am talking about.
I also use Google Voice as the phone number I post online. Love it.

I find video quality is pretty good across the board. For everything else including video chat, I also have all of my accounts (AOL, Yahoo Messenger, MSN, ICQ, My Space Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, IMAPP and POP3 email accounts, etc) tied into Trillian (http://www.trillian.im/) which is really cool for accessing everything and messaging from any account including Facebook and Twitter from one interface.

[Business Attorney]

I use Skype to talk to my two kids in college and one of my brothers. I just started about a month ago but it is really great to see them when we are talking.

I remember the videophone being touted at the 1964 World's Fair in New York and it was supposed just around the corner. Given how much technology advanced over the years in so many other areas, it is amazing that it took 45 years for this technology to get to a point that is readily accessible to anyone. That's nearly half a century.

And now I have to go find a cane since I have made myself feel so old ...

[prettyimpress]

I think skype is the most wildly used online calling tool. I guess most people just know skype but never heard about google or line2 just as me. I usually use skype to call my mother or my friends. The voice is just ok, sometimes not clear enough. What I don't like is that when it is going to expire, the customer service of skype won't tell you. The first time I bought a international card, and then it was expired wasting about 600 minutes, after that I bought an domestic card and waste about 100 minutes. That really make me angry.

[Harold Mansfield]

I rarely use Skype out side of people who already have it. I've had $19 in credit for almost a year now. It's cheaper to just call on my cell. But Skype to Skype is free.
To me the quality is great, but it is only going to be as good as the connection and computer of both parties.

[billbenson]

I don't really see the point domestically unless you want video. I have a Vonage line for 20 dollars a month no long distance charges. Internationally its pretty cheap as well, but Skype starts to make more sense to me internationally.

A friend has called me a couple of times on a google line. We talked for quite a while both times and got disconnected mid conversation each time. Probably just growing pains though.