# Tell me about Skype **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242 "2015-08-29T02:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/1 "2015-08-29T02:34:20Z")
I’m a newb and lost. Microsoft owns it, yes? I have to buy time, yes? Does the person I’m calling (in Africa) have to buy time too? Do they have to have a Microsoft, or Skype account? What software or plug ins are needed? All other insight is really appreciated. Matt. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/2 "2015-08-29T02:38:43Z")
You have to buy time to call phone numbers if you’re using skype on your computer and the person you’re calling in Africa is using skype on their computer that’s free Microsoft owns it you have to download skype and you need a microphone and speakers to make calls and a webcam to make videocalls ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/3 "2015-08-29T02:50:48Z")
800 numbers are free. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/4 "2015-08-29T03:25:13Z")
It’s computer-to-computer phoning (if you want it to be free) and it works great. Excellent sound quality between any two people on the internet around the globe. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/5 "2015-08-29T03:34:06Z")
You can also do computer-to-computer video chat. And there are iPhone and Android apps, so you can talk or video chat phone-to-phone. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/6 "2015-08-29T10:22:11Z")
In some countries it’s throttled, so the quality will be horrendous when calling to/from there. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/7 "2015-08-29T12:04:21Z")
I used it a lot when doing international work: add the app to your smart phone, then Skype the person (you must already be contacts). No need to add money if you are going Skype app to Skype app. As already mentioned, money only comes into play if you are calling a _phone_ number from Skype. If it was a new contact, I’d ask them to disable video due to the data usage and subsequent possibility of buffering and lag. With video off, you can make a Skype to Skype call and have it perform just like a cell phone call. But again, that’s with video off. I never found a mobile service that could reliably provide video. Hard wired internet is a different story. I found it convenient for calling anywhere and not having to deal with international call rates. But to stress again, once someone tried using video, the call could go all to hell. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/8 "2015-08-29T13:33:26Z")
It used to be a much nicer app. Minimalist interface, no ads. Interacted with other apps and environments as the operating system’s handler of the callto:// URL type. Send attachments directly to the recipient instead of first uploading them to a holding-tank server and sending the recipient a download link. Microsoft may or may not intend to keep it alive and thriving. They already have their own app of this nature, a program called “Lync”, so I have my suspicions that they bought Skype in order to run it into the ground, although they may instead be dumping Lync as the inferior of the two. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/9 "2015-08-30T02:51:08Z")
Forget Skype. [Chrome](https://support.google.com/chat/answer/159499?hl=en) and [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/hello/) have free, builtin video chat capabilities with [WebRTC](http://www.webrtc.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/10 "2015-08-30T08:42:23Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > … They already have their own app of this nature, a program called “Lync”, so I have my suspicions that they bought Skype in order to run it into the ground, although they may instead be dumping Lync as the inferior of the two. They renamed Lync to “Skype for Business”, in April this year. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/11 "2015-09-01T17:54:43Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Forget Skype. > > [Chrome](https://support.google.com/chat/answer/159499?hl=en) and [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/hello/) have free, builtin video chat capabilities with [WebRTC](http://www.webrtc.org/). The one in Chrome appears to just Google Hangouts, with all the Google+ crap that entails. You have to have a Google account to make a call. And I’m pretty sure the recipient has to have one, too. Firefox’s one is better, it’s just kinda weird being hooked into a web browser instead of being a downloadable plugin like in Chrome. And only the caller has to have Firefox–the receiver can have Chrome or Opera, even the mobile versions. The main thing you need is a way to send them a link, which they can click on and start the conversation. Well, that a microphone–whether built in or external. Still, it’s a weird thing to just throw into your web browser like that. Especially when Firefox is now all about trying to become lean and sleek. And if people don’t use a browser that has WebRTC, it seems weird to have them download a web browser. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-skype/729242/12 "2015-09-01T18:41:19Z")
I use Skype a lot. Unlimited domestic calls for a year costs around $30. For a little bit more you can get a phone number so people without Skype can call you. You can share screens with someone else on Skype. In addition to using it for almost all my outgoing calls I do a lot of messaging with people at work, although we are now switching to Jabber. It works pretty well as an IM client, but can’t be a client for AIM Blast groups. I know a lot of people who just use the free version to text and call other Skype users.