Where Skype Beats Gizmo
Don’t get me wrong, I like Gizmo Project. I use it frequently. In fact, I love that, as Darla Mack says, Gizmo has become the new Skype for S60 Devices. Where you can’t get a real mobile Skype client yet, Gizmo Project has a full-blown Gizmo Project client available today. Granted, it’s only available on a select few Nokia Nseries and Eseries devices, but it’s available today and it works.
That all being said, Skype is something I still use daily, probably more than Gizmo Project. Here’s why:
- Calls are cheaper. I got in when Skype was offering the $14.95 unlimited calling plan to the US and Canada. I use it to attend teleconferences constantly. The most recent versions of Skype on the Mac have improved DTMF support so that it actually works most of the time. Call quality has been superb.
- Skype works through firewalls, Gizmo Project does not. When I’m inside the corporate firewall, I can’t use Gizmo at all. No direct Internet access except through an HTTP proxy. Skype figures out a way to work in this environment.
- More of my buddies are on Skype than on Gizmo.
Certainly the second problem is solvable. Beating Skype’s promo calling plan is harder, but also possible. Getting my buddies on Gizmo is going to be a challenge. Of course, by making a compelling, open platform, and making Gizmo available “everywhere,” the barrier to broader adoption is reduced substantially.
