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Voice over ip and talking via laptop in car--for geeks

By Craig Bartels

Real Estate Agent with The Indy Realty Shop

December 27, 2006 01:10 PM

Okay, so I am a computer geek at heart. Check out what I just did while driving home from 2 hours of playing soccer. Actually, I started this before leaving my parking spot:)

Myself and my business partner both have laptops with the new Sprint Broadband connection cards. WE both have Skype on our laptops as well, the best and cheapest way to call via the internet.

I called him via Skype with my laptop using the Broadband internet connection. I then created a 4 way call via Skype with my wife and his wife. I drove all the way home and he drove all the way home, no loss in connection and not much of a problem with sound quality. In fact, it sounded great considering my laptop was sitting in the seat next to me and it was on speakerphone mode.

Wow, how times have changed.

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Marci Toliver

438-4642 - Mauldin, SC

Anderson SC, Spartanburg,Greenville SC, Home Staging

Wow! Im just downloaded skpe and am trying to figure out all the bells and whistles.

Dec 27, 2006 01:18 PM

Craig Bartels

The Indy Realty Shop - Indianapolis, IN

I remember trying out voice-over-ip back when I had a 56k connection in 1995 a few years into college, things have changed so much since then. I can't seem to remember the name of the program I used, but I don't think it's around any longer.

Dec 27, 2006 01:41 PM

Nima Rezvan CT Lender CT Senior Mortgage Broker

Nima Rezvan Prosper First Funding Corporation NMLS#110681 - Fairfield, CT

First Time Home Buyer Expert - CT FHA Loans - FHA

Hmmm, maybe its worth checking out. I still haven't gotten a GSP for myself yet.

Dec 27, 2006 02:11 PM

Nima Rezvan CT Lender CT Senior Mortgage Broker

Nima Rezvan Prosper First Funding Corporation NMLS#110681 - Fairfield, CT

First Time Home Buyer Expert - CT FHA Loans - FHA

Hmmm, maybe its worth checking out. I still haven't gotten a GSP for myself yet.

Dec 27, 2006 02:12 PM

Nima Rezvan CT Lender CT Senior Mortgage Broker

Nima Rezvan Prosper First Funding Corporation NMLS#110681 - Fairfield, CT

First Time Home Buyer Expert - CT FHA Loans - FHA

Hmmm, maybe its worth checking out. I still haven't gotten a GSP for myself yet.

Dec 27, 2006 02:12 PM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Did I read this right? Just wondering...What did you guys talk about for 2 hours?

Can you explain this in more detail, please.

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md

Dec 27, 2006 02:25 PM

Kristal Kraft

Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO

Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

LOL Margaret! Did I detect sarcasm there? In a nice way of course...

Skpe is amazing. My daughter is talking to her boyfriend in Australia daily...times have changed.

Dec 27, 2006 02:47 PM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

No sarcasm, I really can't imagine a 4 way conversation for 2 hours in the car with the SAME people. I need my car time for multiple calls. Now it is I who is LOL.

Dec 27, 2006 03:01 PM

Randy L. Prothero

eXp Realty - Hollister, MO

Missouri REALTOR, (808) 384-5645

The Sprint Card is what makes it all work. I couldn't live without mine.

Dec 27, 2006 07:38 PM

Craig Bartels

The Indy Realty Shop - Indianapolis, IN

Margaret,

Actually I played soccer for 2 hours, i didn't talk to them for two hours. I only talked for 20 minutes.

At 10:30pm at night, there isn't any client that I would want to bug:)

I also couldn't imaging talking to the same person for 2 hour straight! hahah!

Dec 27, 2006 09:56 PM

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400

HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD

Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Thanks for clearing that up, Craig. Technology is wonderful.

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md

Dec 28, 2006 12:05 AM

Paul Korodaj

Overland Park Real Estate :: Keller Williams Platinum - Overland Park, KS

Overland Park Real Estate

WOW! I'm more impressed that Sprint didn't drop you while you were driving...imagine that.

Dec 28, 2006 01:00 AM

Jeff Turner

RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

Rock on brother man!

Dec 28, 2006 01:31 AM

marti garaughty

garaughty.com - Montreal, QC

a highly caffeinated creative type...

Hi Craig... yes Skype has become a power tool for the information age. Aside from free long distance, for some reason my calls on Skype to far away places like Dubai are much clearer than on a land line. Go figure!

Dec 28, 2006 03:15 AM

Craig Bartels

The Indy Realty Shop - Indianapolis, IN

we have a client that is in Europe in school, we use skype to make calls back and forth. Since we both have skype, it's free too!

Dec 28, 2006 05:29 AM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

It's been around for a while - guess it's time to try it.

Dec 28, 2006 08:58 PM

TeamForss Temecula Real Estate www.come2temecula.com

Allison James Estates & Homes - Temecula, CA

I use skype daily and has done so for years. I talk for free and I primarily talk to my relatives in sweden - skype was actually invented in sweden and sold to skype. Niklas (the founder) became a rich man overnight. Anyway, I have a laptop with a built-in cam and it works terrific. My mother can see my whole family and the voice quality is terrific, most of the time.

Last week my brother was in South Afrcia and I was in a cabin at Big Bear in Southern California. We had a skype conference call with our mother in northern part of sweden. And it was free!

Jan 01, 2007 04:17 AM

Lee McFatridge

The Wells Team at Keller Williams Realty, Augusta Partners - Augusta, GA

Maybe if you have time you could discuss a little about what skype really is. I have voip at home and have now for over a year and love it. However, I am not sure what skype service really is. Is it just voip or is it computer to computer? Can you talk with anyone or only others who sign up for skype? Thanks for any info you can provide, because it sounds like you may have some you can share.

Jan 03, 2007 09:39 AM

Craig Bartels

The Indy Realty Shop - Indianapolis, IN

Lee,

What you have is exactly what Skype is. The only difference is, most installations of Skype is as a "softphone". A softphone is using software as the phone, and a headset as the speaker/microphone. For my installation, I have skype installed on both my laptops and my pc at home. Any place I am at, even at a wireless hotspot somewhere besides my house, I can make calls.

If you want to use skype with a regular phone setup, you can do that to. Just buy a skype wireless phone. You can then take this phone anywhere there is a wireless hotspot, connect to the internet with it, then make calls like normal. It is no different then the voice over ip phone you have at home, only much more flexible on use.

You can buy skype with either outgoing calls only or can also get a number assigned for people to call in with. I use it just to make calls out, then have people call me back at office or mobile. No one can tell I am on a "soft phone".

You can make calls to anywhere, anywhere in the world, to any phone. Right now through the end of the month, there is a super deal on skype. $14.95 for the ENTIRE YEAR for unlimited calls in the United States. That is a great deal.

My wife uses this for all outbound calling while working at her pc, we have saved about $200/month in cell phone bills because of it.

Skype has won numerous awards and is considered the defacto standard for making calls with voice over ip.

Jan 03, 2007 11:19 PM