Telephone calls via computer?

Carmen

Hello everyone,
Could someone please explain how I can make free calls to landlines (worldwide) via my computer? Do I need a special phone or is it just using instant messenger or skype?
Sorry to be so untechie (is that a word )
Many thanks
Carmen xx

Chippy_Minton

No, you don't need a special phone. Just your computer, speakers and microphone or a telephone headset.

Skype calls to landlines aren't free. See http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/

Carmen

Thanks Chippy.
So it is basically puter to puter using the above?
Carmen x

Carmen

Opps sorry! I use a headset for Im and games but I do not know if it is any different to a telephone headset!
Carmen x

Mercenary

Carmen wrote:

Thanks Chippy.
So it is basically puter to puter using the above?
Carmen x

A headset is a headset. As long as you can speak to and hear from someone else it's fine

For free calls you can use Skype from PC to PC if the other person has it also installed and set up on their PC with the use of microphone and speakers or headset.
Skype does have an option to phone from PC to landline but, as Chippy_Minton said, it will cost you extra to do that.

There is also the free Googletalk which operates from PC to PC in the same way, and which has voicemail and IM too. You have to have a (free ) Gmail email address (which has 2783Mb storage space and counting...) to operate it though. Someone with a Gmail account can send you an invite to open one, then you can use Googletalk very easily.

Info here: http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about.html

tawnyowls

Do check out some of the override providers, though. As Chippy said, if you have to ring an actual landline, calls aren't free, and using something like SkypeOut can actually work out more expensive that using an override provider (which you can use with your normal telephone). Rates published on https://www.call18866.co.uk, https://www.call1899.co.uk, and https://www.18185.co.uk. Check all three, because they can vary in cost, depending on the country, and recheck regularly, because they do change (down as well as up).

Also,if you sign up to TalkTalk broadband, phone calls to 28 countries worldwide are fre (for 70 mins at a time anyway) - all depends which countries you want to call.

Lemmy_Caution

Has anybody here heard of 'jajah'? From what I understand you register with them, as does the person you are calling. Instead of talking over the Internet, you use your house phone. 'jajah' phone you and the recipient up, and you can speak for up to an hour for free. I have not had the need to use the service myself, so I don't know what it's like. Put the name into one of the search engines to read about yourself, and see what you think.