# Tell me about Skype **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348 "2010-03-13T14:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/1 "2010-03-13T14:47:31Z")
Is it good for IM? Does it load up the PC too much? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/2 "2010-03-13T14:55:17Z")
Are you perhaps asking about [Skype](http://www.skype.com)? My wife uses it for making international phone calls to her coworkers (we’re in the US; most of the rest of the firm is in the UK). Lots cheaper than making international calls over conventional phone lines. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/3 "2010-03-13T14:58:30Z")
I use it as an IM chat client as well as for voice calls, it’s completely unobtrusive and has some decent features. The only downside is that a lot of people don’t use it for IM chat, so you might find yourself in a minority if you want to. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/4 "2010-03-13T16:29:25Z")
I use Pidgin for all of my IM needs, but have Skype installed as some clients prefer it over the telephone. If it wasn’t for the VOIP, I don’t think it would still be very prevalent (pure opinion). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/5 "2010-03-13T16:41:27Z")
I’ve used skype for international phone calls, and it worked great. Just make sure to keep it turned off when you’re not using it. FTR, all my phone calls were planned, so I knew exactly when to turn it on. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/6 "2010-03-13T16:45:56Z")
Fixed spelling in thread title (originally “Skpye.”). Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/7 "2010-03-13T16:57:19Z")
It is very unobtrusive. If those you wish to IM are using Skype, it is great for that purpose. It automatically keeps an easy-to-navigate history of chats (although I suspect most IM applications do that these days). I use it for hands-free phone calling when I’m at my laptop using only the microphone array and speakers in the laptop. Sound quality over a reasonable Internet connection is usually better than cell phone sound quality for me. Skype-to-Skype voice calls are free, but Skype-to-phone calls are $0.021/min plus connection. I charge my account with $25, use voice for a couple hours a week (for work, mostly), and recharge every couple of months. For International calls, the rates are usually quite good. A handy example usage: I was in the Rome airport with some time to kill. While my cell phone was a brick in Italy, I connected to the airport wi-fi with my laptop and made some clear Skype calls back to the USA for about $0.02/min. The other direction (USA–\>other country) is just as good, if you have the need. [Some rates here](http://www.skype.com/prices/callrates/#allRatesTab). > [@John Mace](#): > > Just make sure to keep it turned off when you’re not using it. Why this recommendation? I leave Skype on in the background all the time (necessary for incoming IMs), and it never has been a problem. Resident size in memory: a negligible 25 kB. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/8 "2010-03-13T17:33:50Z")
I use skype as my primary business phone number. I have a SkypeIn number which is a regular phone number - people calling me don’t know they are calling me on skype. I also use it for international calling - it’s cheaper than most calling plans. My wife has managed to get all her international friends using skype and she uses it for free video conferencing to her family for about 5 hours a day. Call quality is noticeably worse than a landline and often much worse. About once a week, I have to apologize to the caller and call them back on a landline. I almost never use it for IM - even with my friends who use skype a lot. There is nothing wrong with it - I just never think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/9 "2010-03-13T17:49:49Z")
For a while, when my wife and I were working in different countries, we used Skype all the time. It was great. We used it much more for voice calls than IMs (although we did IM pretty often). As someone pointed out above, Skype-to-Skype is free, including, I think, video calls, although we didn’t use that feature. Sound quality was better by far than a cell phone call, and equal to land line calls (although hardware may have a lot to do with this, so your mileage may vary). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/10 "2010-03-13T17:54:27Z")
I use it for most of my telephony needs: I can auto-dial from within my database thanks to the callto:/ URL type that it registers, I can record conversations or voicemails to .MP3 files. Use it less but sometimes for IM’ing. I don’t have a video cam but at my last temp workplace they used Skype extensively for letting a consultant remote in and be part of the morning meetings. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/11 "2010-03-13T18:33:28Z")
Thanks, all. It seems worth trying. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/12 "2010-03-13T22:17:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Does it load up the PC too much? It does have fairly high CPU usage when you’re making voice calls. (I’ve noticed that my CPU usage is about 12%.) However, I have no idea how this compares to other VOIP programs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/13 "2010-03-13T22:22:04Z")
Is it possible to send a message to someone who is not logged in? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/14 "2010-03-13T22:29:39Z")
We use it to “talk” to our daughter who is away at college. It’s wonderful. We use it on a laptop and can “take” her with us to show her the new couch or whatever. And she can take us to show us stuff in her dorm etc. I highly recommend it. I think it may open a window if someone is logged off, but it’s a message, not a connection. I’m not sure about that and your computer would have to be on for even that much to happen. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/15 "2010-03-13T22:30:03Z")
I use it to make phone calls to other countries (mainly, Brasil). For webcam and computer to computer voice messaging, I prefer MSN. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/16 "2010-03-13T22:33:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Is it possible to send a message to someone who is not logged in? Yes. They’ll get it the next time they log in. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/17 "2010-03-13T22:44:38Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Yes. They’ll get it the next time they log in. How do you do it? I logged in and looked, but didn’t see anything. I did try opening Chat and using the Leave Message under the Tools icon (the one that looks like a cog). I got a female voice informing me that my party is not logged in, and to leave a message after the tone. Only there was no tone. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/18 "2010-03-13T22:46:05Z")
Are you talking about voice messages or just typing? I’ve left and received messages that way. I just click on the name in the list, and type what I wanted to say. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/19 "2010-03-13T22:52:43Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Are you talking about voice messages or just typing? I’ve left and received messages that way. I just click on the name in the list, and type what I wanted to say. Either one, though for a message I’d prefer typing. OK, I clicked on the name. There’s no place to type. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348/20 "2010-03-14T00:13:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Either one, though for a message I’d prefer typing. > > OK, I clicked on the name. There’s no place to type. If you right click the name, there should be a “Send IM” option. If you send an IM to someone who isn’t logged on, they will get it when they next log on. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/532348.md?page=2)