Mobile & VoIP

Well, recently I’ve decided that I need a bit more organization in my life. I determined that a PDA would definitely help. Simultaneously. I’m hit with a $100 dollar cell phone bill leading me to conclude that Canadian cell-phone carriers are too expensive (understatement – trying very hard to keep the language clean).

Then it hits me – why not use VOIP on my wireless router at home and a WiFi enabled PDA when traveling about?

So I do a bit of searching and discover a VOIP service called Skype. I decided to give it a go and if it works good maybe invest in a WiFi enabled PDA.

Well – so far – so good. Skype works great my PC. The people I talk to tell me the voice quality is much better too – like I’m standing beside them. They sound better too

And the savings.. well, to put things into perspective, my phone bill is typically 50-100 CDN per month with Bell Mobility. I have to use it sparely during the day and for long distance to prevent it from going higher. And honestly – I don’t use my phone that much. With Skype I pay $3 CDN a month for unlimited US/CAN calling to any cell/landline — voicemail etc.. are included. An amazing deal!

Anyway – I digress. On with the question(s).

Can anyone impart some wisdom as to pros/cons of using VOIP on a PDA? Some questions are:

1. Is the voice quality acceptable on a PDA over public WiFi?

2. Can a blue tooth headset be used when connecting to WiFi hotspot without voice quality degradation?

3. Why on earth would I purchase a standalone VOIP phone (handset) for my home when I can accomplish the same thing on a PDA at home?

4. Any recommendations with respect to a good PDA? I’m currently looking at an HP IPAQ 110 Classic (I don’t think the Palm T|X is compatible with Skype). Does this PDA have enough memory and processing power to handle VOIP over WiFi and blue tooth simultaneously? I have XP Home and use OpenOffice (not MS Office Pro). Do I need MS Office to sync with MS Mobile 6?

5. This one is for the Canadian Skype users out there – how do people call you without a dedicated number?

That’s a lot of questions isn’t it?

Anyway – thanks in advance for any wisdom offered. Much obliged!

By: Voodoo
Posted on: 2008-03-02 18:08:57