Skype Adds To The Gadgets On Your Desk With A Cordless Skype Phone

from the ooh,-single-purpose-phone...- dept

Skype has been talking about a Skype handset before, and now it's apparently coming out. Tom Keating has the scoop and a detailed review of the new Skype cordless phone built by Linksys. From the description, it certainly sounds like they did a lot of things right for what was being built. However, what remains to be seen is whether or not the Skype revolution needs its very own proprietary handset. Most people already have a phone. In many cases they have more than one: a landline or a VoIP line and a mobile phone. This new device has to be separate from all that. So, now you have a third phone that only works if your computer is on and has to work through Skype. This isn't convergence... it's just adding to the pile of gadgets.
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  • identicon
    Joey, 11 Oct 2005 @ 6:11am

    no linux, no mac. no buy

    its pretty safe for me to say that if they can't put out a product to support the user base that skype has put effort into to support then I could care less about the product. i will stick to my corded logitech headphones w/ mic.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jesse, 11 Oct 2005 @ 7:37am

    Linksys?

    I can't believe that Linksys would do this, especally since they make routers with Vonage phone adapters.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Scott, 11 Oct 2005 @ 8:51am

    What, No WiFi?

    Is it too difficult to make a WiFi phone? A WiFi phone would have been WAY more marketable, because you wouldn't be bound by a PC, Laptop, or PDA, and the user would have the almost limitless range of their home WAP or city-wide free WiFi (or at least Boingo hotspots).

    Vonage is already working on a phone like this (it's out in Beta), so maybe this isn't too far out into the future for Skype.

    http://vonage.com/wifi/

    Come on, Skype! You cahn do eet! (Say it like the requisite Mexican acting dude on Adam Sandler's movies, with all due respect to Caddy Shack.)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      steve, 11 Oct 2005 @ 9:50am

      Re: What, No WiFi?

      no problemo a cell to cell call can be made with skype
      a cell ro fixed can be made with skype
      you make a cell call to your local skype number be it cee or fixed and enter the net
      you call the skype number of your friend . If hes connected to skype then u talk.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Steve Lancaster, 11 Oct 2005 @ 9:54am

    One more mobile device

    All of this talk about another device to add to my already over burdened collection used to really get me fired up (mad). Why can't all of these stinking thing be compatible, my cell, my company cell, my VoIP phone, my PBX Deskset... Not to mention the number of voicemail systems that goes all with all of this non-sense. But 3 months ago I was turned on to a product called PowerConnect by a company in San Jose CA call Ascendent Systems that actually tied together everyone of my devices and gave me one phone number and one voicemail, the best part is I still have all of my PBX functionality from any of my devices. Example, I get a call on my single number on the way to work, all of my devices ring simultaneously I answer my cell phone, even though I'm on my cell phone I have all of the same functionality I would have if I was on my deskset, conference, transfer, 4-digit calling, send call to voicemail, full ANI caller ID, everything it is awesome. So all of my animosity towards propriety handsets and limited systems has vanished. I have full enterprise voice mobility. There are a ton of other cool add-ons and features also like controlable outgoing ANI, adding phones on the fly from anywhere, but the mobility and device consolidation was the biggest seller for me. Here is their web address:
    http://www.ascendentsystems.com
    Thank you,
    Steve

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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