...but is nice being mobile and being able to use your cell phone at less than $2.00/minute. The only catch is that you need wifi for it to work......
Another stupid question to follow here:
Please forgive my ignorance......I'm just curious and trying to figure out how using Skype or an application similar to it on an iPhone, is better/different than just using Skype on your laptop from your hotel room's internet connection.
(referencing international use, not in the States)
when you say "you need wifi for it to work" - doesn't that mean you're tied to a location where free wifi access is available - and you're not just walking around, say Paris, using Skype or surfing the internet on your iPhone while you stroll down the Champs Elysees?
how, exactly, do you connect (internationally) to wifi? and when you are able to connect, are there extra (out of network) fees associated with the wifi connection/usage?
I've seen several guys using the iPhone Stateside, and I've actually been quite impressed, but haven't seen it used internationally yet, and I can't quite grasp the concept......any help would be appreciated
....better/different than just using Skype on your laptop from your hotel room's internet connection? It is different in that you won't necessarily have to lug the laptop with you on your trip...or down to the lobby for WiFi, or down the street to wherever free WiFi is available.
doesn't that mean you're tied to a location where free wifi access is available? Yes, though I might add that WiFi "hot spots" are growing like weeds. Some are free and some may charge a small amount for a finite period of time. A few Euros for WiFi access would be a bargain to make an hour long call (for example) to the US while you sipped your latte outside some Parisian cafe'.
how, exactly, do you connect (internationally) to wifi? and when you are able to connect, are there extra (out of network) fees associated with the wifi connection/usage? See previous answer. There is no difference in connecting to an international WiFi access point. If it's free and does not require a password, then select it, connect and surf (or talk). Some establishments that offer free WiFi may still require a password just to prevent "squatters"...just as many hotels do also. Just ask an employee and they will give you the password if you are a customer....or if you pretend to be a customer.
I think the big deal is convenience, in that the iPhone packs the capabilities of your laptop into something that fits in your pocket.
By the way, I used truphone VOIP (free app) from Paris on Sunday on the "old iphone".
I've browsed the iPhone App Store online and cannot find the "truphone" application, I tried tru phone, true phone, etc, different spellings but nothing comes up - could you post a link to that application?
I've browsed the iPhone App Store online and cannot find the "truphone" application, I tried tru phone, true phone, etc, different spellings but nothing comes up - could you post a link to that application?
Please forgive my ignorance......I'm just curious and trying to figure out how using Skype or an application similar to it on an iPhone, is better/different than just using Skype on your laptop from your hotel room's internet connection.
Looks like someone beat me to it but I'll give you my version too.
First of all, it’s not a stupid question and I wondered the same just recently. The main advantage of Skype and similar programs on iPhone is that you don’t have to drag your laptop with you to “make a phone call.”
If you are sightseeing in let’s say Singapore and decide you want to make a phone call on your laptop you must find a store or a coffee shop with a power outlet (unless battery is fully charged), wait for the computer to turn on, look for WiFi availability, etc, etc – in other words you are wasting time just to make a phone call.
If you do the same on the iPhone, you simply check if WiFi is available (still waiting on my iPhone but I believe your phone “tells you” if it detects WiFi). If it is, you connetct through Skype or other program and that’s it.
Word of caution, as of now, the Skype software available through the App Store (http://www.apple.com/webapps/socialnetworking/imforskype.html) only allows “chatting” (text messaging) through WiFi. To actually Skype (or talk) you need to use a the actual network (roam when overseas) which internationally would get very expensive. I understand that Skype is working on it and eventually will offer Skype with voice when using WiFi, not sure when. Truphone application supposedly allows actual voice calls through WiFi but I haven’t found that application in their App Store yet.
Also, yes you will be tied to the location where it is available however, the same would apply if you’d use a laptop unless you are using broadband at you hotel to connect (sometimes free sometimes not free).
The only extra fees associated might be if WiFi is not free – for example Starbucks in Taipei charges approx $3 to access WiFi for 24 hours (if I remember correctly).
The other fees will be regular Skype or Truphone fees usually about 2¢ a minute (True voice little more) unless you call this person to his/her computer and they too have a Skype or Truvoice account – then it’s free.
It isn't a big deal to carry your phone with you while you are walking around Paris. Carrying a laptop is a pain. I plan on using skype (from my laptop) for most calls. The iphone will scan for wifi and let you know what is available (and if you need a password or not). It usually isn't that hard to find wifi these days. If you need to check in with Momma, it beats having to run back to the hotel just to make a call.
It certainly isn't something you have to have, but it is a convenience. This truphone application is very new (out last week), so unless people wanted to pay cellular rates overseas, most guys weren't using their iphones overseas. This is just another option, it is nice being mobile and having an affordable method to call home. I went on vacation a while back and it would have been very nice to not have to lug my laptop to a place where I could get wifi and then make calls.
It's listed under the "Travel" section of the App Store. I sent you a PM with a link that may work.
Thanks, but strangely enough I still cannot find it in the App Store http://www.apple.com/webapps/index.html under the "travel" section or the "productivity" section....
However your link should work for those who want to give it a try, I'm still waiting for my iPhone...
... Some establishments that offer free WiFi may still require a password just to prevent "squatters"...just as many hotels do also. Just ask an employee and they will give you the password if you are a customer....or if you pretend to be a customer.
Yeah, I also have "heard" that pretending being a custommer helps...
I think that's how they can tell who the pilots are... we all like free stuff
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