Linux Magazine: Say Hello to Skype

“Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) has been a dream of
Internet users for years, but until now there have always been…
issues, such as poor sound quality, expensive equipment, operating
system dependencies, costly rates (even though VOIP is supposed to
be cheaper), and an inability to call non-VOIP users who use land
lines or cell phones. Well, there’s a new VOIP kid on the block,
and you really should take a look at it if you’re interested in
making free (or really, really cheap) phone calls over the
Internet: Skype.

“Let’s get some potential caveats out of the way immediately.
Yes, Skype is made by the same people that created KaZaA. No,
there’s absolutely no spyware or even adware in Skype. Yes, Skype
is closed source and intends to remain that way. (If that’s a
dealbreaker for you, then so be it.) No, Skype is not against the
law–there’s nothing illegal about using VOIP. In fact, Michael
Powell, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commissions,
uses Skype. So, feel free to try out Skype. You’re not risking
anything…”

Complete
Story