[plug] Skype - what it is and what it provides

[Bret Busby]

The article at 
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10422897 
appears to indicate that, if a person buys one of those web cams that 
comes with Skype, the person still has to pay an ongoing monthly fee to 
be able to use it.

I had understood that, if a person bought one of these webcams that come 
with Skype, the person could then make free calls to someone else who 
had a webcam with Skype, and that this would allow a videophone 
communication, with no costs other than the cost of buying the 
webcam/Skype hardware/software package.

And, I understand that Skype works with Linux, with Windows, and with 
Mac OSX, so that, if I get one of these webcam/Skype setups, I would be 
able to have videophone communications with someone overseas, if the 
other person also has a webcam/Skype setup for the other computer, and 
the OS platform, as long as it is one of these three, should not be a 
problem.

Can someone please clarify what is required, and how it works, to use a 
webcam/Skype setup?

I saw a Logitech webcam with Skype, for about $100, that is supposed 
to give 640x480 resolution, at about 30fps, and I was thinking that this 
could be a good way to communicate with people overseas, but I am not 
sure now, whether it would incur ongoing costs.

Thanks in anticipation.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992

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