I can see why people like Skype Out
Because I’ve had to some testing with the Chat Cord that we sell at Voxilla, I’ve had an opportunity to make several calls via Skype using the Chat Cord. Since I don’t really know anyone in Skype land, it meant I needed to use the Skype Out service to make PSTN calls.
While I did have a quality issue once or twice, the overall voice quality was fantastic. The fact I could use the Chat Cord along with a conventional telephone handset was a big bonus. It basically removes the “headset and microphone” feeling from the Skype client.
The one thing I wish Skype had, but doesn’t, is connectivity with other VoIP networks like Free World Dialup. The big impediment there is that Skype uses a proprietary protocol that’s not SIP, making interoperability difficult.