skype on pandora

[diligentcircle]

I can't wait for Skype's pseudo-monopoly on VoIP to die. Then we can all use standard VoIP protocols rather than Skype's proprietary one, and we won't be dependent on a single proprietary program. (Of course, when I say "we", I mean "people that use Skype"; I don't use it myself.)


Of course, you can help accelerate the death of Skype's position by using VoIP software that uses standard protocols as much as possible. And of course, don't use it for instant messaging as that's just pointless.

 

[Wootson]

Maybe Skype itself can be contacted to ask how much it will cost to get a fully working application ported over to a PND? They could surely use the standard Linux code and port that over to a PND?


Skype via Android might be another option. Don't know if that works.

 

[TrashyMG]

Skype over Android on the Pandora seems to launch fine, can send text messages. However it fails when making calls, It appears to dial, but never completes a phone call. I haven't tried skype to skype communication though.

 

[diligentcircle]

Maybe Skype itself can be contacted to ask how much it will cost to get a fully working application ported over to a PND? They could surely use the standard Linux code and port that over to a PND?

Consider that Microsoft is the company you're talking about.

 

[Wally]

Maybe Skype itself can be contacted to ask how much it will cost to get a fully working application ported over to a PND? They could surely use the standard Linux code and port that over to a PND?

Consider that Microsoft is the company you're talking about.

Meaning not a hope in hell.

 

[Binky]

^i.e. they own Skype and have a stranglehold on Nokia

 

[diligentcircle]

Maybe Skype itself can be contacted to ask how much it will cost to get a fully working application ported over to a PND? They could surely use the standard Linux code and port that over to a PND?

Consider that Microsoft is the company you're talking about.

Meaning not a hope in hell.

Exactly.

 

[ekianjo]

Skype over Android on the Pandora seems to launch fine, can send text messages. However it fails when making calls, It appears to dial, but never completes a phone call. I haven't tried skype to skype communication though.

I tried, does not work at all.

Maybe Skype itself can be contacted to ask how much it will cost to get a fully working application ported over to a PND? They could surely use the standard Linux code and port that over to a PND?

Consider that Microsoft is the company you're talking about.

Consider that they released Skype 4.0 for Linux after the Microsoft acquisition.

 

[WizardStan]

I can't wait for Skype's pseudo-monopoly on VoIP to die.

This is one of the things I don't understand. There are other alternatives. We have VoIP software on the Pandora, people (not myself, I haven't actually tried so I'm using basing this on second and third hand information, take with a huge grain of salt) have claimed they made calls to phone lines, and yet people come along and they NEED Skype. No other program will do, even if it does the exact same thing. Why is that?

 

[diligentcircle]

Consider that they released Skype 4.0 for Linux after the Microsoft acquisition.

GNU/Linux for x86 is a completely different boat than the Pandora. There are only around 4,000 or so Pandora users; compare that to the millions of users of GNU/Linux on desktop computers (about 19 million according to one site I visited, but I didn't check it). Also note that they only bothered creating packages for the most popular distros, and I can tell you from personal experience that getting the Fedora package to work with 64-bit Fedora is annoying (i.e. they didn't put much effort into it).

This is one of the things I don't understand. There are other alternatives. We have VoIP software on the Pandora, people (not myself, I haven't actually tried so I'm using basing this on second and third hand information, take with a huge grain of salt) have claimed they made calls to phone lines, and yet people come along and they NEED Skype. No other program will do, even if it does the exact same thing. Why is that?

It's Skype's goddamn proprietary protocol. Skype doesn't support standard protocols, so the only way to talk to someone using Skype for VoIP is to use Skype. And a lot of people only use Skype. Doesn't affect me personally, but I can see why this would make other VoIP software useless to people who chat with friends using Skype all the time.

 

[Wootson]

I'm one of those people that uses Skype for instant messaging and Skype-to-Skype calls. Never use it for VoIP calls, as I can use my home phone for telephone calls.


Skype on Pandora would be a huge plus.

 

[ekianjo]

I can't wait for Skype's pseudo-monopoly on VoIP to die.

This is one of the things I don't understand. There are other alternatives. We have VoIP software on the Pandora, people (not myself, I haven't actually tried so I'm using basing this on second and third hand information, take with a huge grain of salt) have claimed they made calls to phone lines, and yet people come along and they NEED Skype. No other program will do, even if it does the exact same thing. Why is that?

First, point me to any VoIP software on Pandora that works. And please don't tell me to use the crappy Linphone, because nobody I know is EVER going to be able to use it even on their computer. I tried before. Ekiga is the same breed: a shitty piece of software.


Plus, Skype has been around for AGES and all my friends are on it. If I want to call them, I WILL use Skype over anything else, because that is where my contacts are. Nobody is going to keep two different softs running at all times just because I ask them to. Net, Skype is a MUST. It has critical mass, it's easy to setup, easy to use, and has excellent audio quality.


There is NOTHING equivalent out there, but believe me, I wish there were open-source alternatives and so on.

 

[ekianjo]

GNU/Linux for x86 is a completely different boat than the Pandora. There are only around 4,000 or so Pandora users; compare that to the millions of users of GNU/Linux on desktop computers (about 19 million according to one site I visited, but I didn't check it). Also note that they only bothered creating packages for the most popular distros, and I can tell you from personal experience that getting the Fedora package to work with 64-bit Fedora is annoying (i.e. they didn't put much effort into it).

I think I was not answering the point about architectures, but the point that someone else claimed that "since it's Microsoft, they will not support Linux or something". Well, that point has been proven wrong since they did release a Skype update for Linux users.


Now, regarding the architecture, the work has already been done on ARM. Nokia N900. There is probably very little work to be done to adapt that build for Pandora (read earlier comments in this thread... or another).

 

[WizardStan]

Plus, Skype has been around for AGES and all my friends are on it. If I want to call them, I WILL use Skype over anything else, because that is where my contacts are.

So your biggest reason for using Skype before anything else will be considered is because that's where your contacts are? How hard hard is it to move phone numbers? Have you never had to change phones? If nothing else, Skype can export vcards which you can then import back into pretty much anything.


You can say that Ekiga is shit software but it IS an alternative. If you want things to change then you need to help make it so. Tell the authors what is wrong with it and how they can make it better.

Nobody is going to keep two different softs running at all times just because I ask them to.

Except they won't be running two applications because we can't run Skype at all. You want to use the Pandora to make phone calls Skype is not an option. Present choices are Ekiga and Linphone.

 

[ekianjo]

So your biggest reason for using Skype before anything else will be considered is because that's where your contacts are? How hard hard is it to move phone numbers? Have you never had to change phones? If nothing else, Skype can export vcards which you can then import back into pretty much anything.
You can say that Ekiga is shit software but it IS an alternative. If you want things to change then you need to help make it so. Tell the authors what is wrong with it and how they can make it better.

I need Pc-to-PC calls mainly. Moving phone numbers for Voip is not a problem, but for IP-to-IP calls, you need to be on the same network, and noone in my contacts is going to install something else than Skype just to satisfy my request. Net, if Skype does not happen, I have no good solution of doing this.


And Ekiga does NOT work. I tried several times on Opensuse and Ubuntu, this software is broken... either does not recognize audio drivers properly, or video drops, or it crashes all together. I really tried to use it at some point, but it's just a piece of garbage, really. I have never heard of anyone using Ekiga as a replacement of Skype, so that tells a lot of how "good" of an alternative it is. And let's not mention the hyper-convoluted way to register your ID in Ekiga, that virtually eliminates all non-geeks users out there.


I would give feedback to the Ekiga team the day they have something working. I do not give feedback to software that does not even handle well its most basic functions.

Except they won't be running two applications because we can't run Skype at all. You want to use the Pandora to make phone calls Skype is not an option. Present choices are Ekiga and Linphone.

One option would be to find out how to make skype work on Android for Pandora... that would be an acceptable option, if nothing else. Linphone and Ekiga are not alternatives, for the reasons mentioned above.

 

[WizardStan]

I need Pc-to-PC calls mainly.

In that regard there are even more options. Off the top of my head, Pidgin with the google-talk plugin can communicate with other XMPP clients. Mumble, Empathy, Teamspeak, Ventrilo. I'm sure there are more. There shouldn't be any problems with PC-PC communication other than "we use this because this is what we use". The problem people keep asking about is PC-Telephone communication and for that we have a very limited selection.

One option would be to find out how to make skype work on Android for Pandora... that would be an acceptable option, if nothing else. Linphone and Ekiga are not alternatives, for the reasons mentioned above

But then you're just propagating dependence on Skype.

 

[ekianjo]

In that regard there are even more options. Off the top of my head, Pidgin with the google-talk plugin can communicate with other XMPP clients. Mumble, Empathy, Teamspeak, Ventrilo. I'm sure there are more. There shouldn't be any problems with PC-PC communication other than "we use this because this is what we use". The problem people keep asking about is PC-Telephone communication and for that we have a very limited selection.

As far as i Know the piding we have in the repo does not feature the google talk plugin, unfortunately. And even when I tried the audio on my desktop, it was very disappointing vs anything I have seen before on Skype or even MSN. And I am talking audio only. Not mentionning the numerous crashes during the conversations, too, or the sudden black-out of all audio needing a system restart...


Mumble is not an option : "Mumble only supports its own protocol which has been specifically designed to give you the best user experience." - great but best user experience goes with connection to standard networks, at least...


Empathy -> no version for Pandora.


Same for Teamspeak and ventrilo...


Honestly, I do not see where the "alternatives" are, out there. Is anybody using something to replace Skype they are happy with ? Like, seriously ?

But then you're just propagating dependence on Skype.

We need to propagate dependence on GOOD software. I am 100% with you if we can promote great and open-sourced/free software such as Firefox and Chromium because they are clearly the best there is to offer out there. But I will not recommend anyone to use something free software just because it is free software. It has be working as well, and have comparable features and quality. There is no way they will build user base with the current situation of their software. It's just too broken.

 

[WizardStan]

Honestly, I do not see where the "alternatives" are, out there. Is anybody using something to replace Skype they are happy with ? Like, seriously ?

Honestly, you're the first person in many years who I've heard still uses Skype for PC-PC calls. Everyone I talk to uses gtalk, ventrilo, or teamspeak. I've never had any problems with them. No crashes, no quality issues, no problems at all, they just work.


They aren't built for Pandora but that's probably because no one has asked for them, I think. On the occasions when someone has asked, it's always been "Skype or nothing", and that's the attitude I still don't understand.

 

[diligentcircle]

I'm one of those people that uses Skype for instant messaging and Skype-to-Skype calls. Never use it for VoIP calls, as I can use my home phone for telephone calls.

VoIP doesn't refer specifically to use for telephone calls. What you say is your main use of Skype is VoIP.

First, point me to any VoIP software on Pandora that works. And please don't tell me to use the crappy Linphone, because nobody I know is EVER going to be able to use it even on their computer. I tried before. Ekiga is the same breed: a shitty piece of software.

I don't know what you mean by "shitty", but that's subjective and has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the software works. There is far more VoIP software than just Linphone and Ekiga. Jitsi looks to be a good one.

And Ekiga does NOT work. I tried several times on Opensuse and Ubuntu, this software is broken... either does not recognize audio drivers properly, or video drops, or it crashes all together. I really tried to use it at some point, but it's just a piece of garbage, really. I have never heard of anyone using Ekiga as a replacement of Skype, so that tells a lot of how "good" of an alternative it is. And let's not mention the hyper-convoluted way to register your ID in Ekiga, that virtually eliminates all non-geeks users out there.


I would give feedback to the Ekiga team the day they have something working. I do not give feedback to software that does not even handle well its most basic functions.

Honestly, I do not see where the "alternatives" are, out there. Is anybody using something to replace Skype they are happy with ? Like, seriously ?

We need to propagate dependence on GOOD software. I am 100% with you if we can promote great and open-sourced/free software such as Firefox and Chromium because they are clearly the best there is to offer out there. But I will not recommend anyone to use something free software just because it is free software. It has be working as well, and have comparable features and quality. There is no way they will build user base with the current situation of their software. It's just too broken.

There is a lot more VoIP software than just Skype and Ekiga. Not only tons of free VoIP software, but also a lot of other proprietary VoIP software. There's a huge list on Wikipedia comparing them all.

Everyone I talk to uses gtalk, ventrilo, or teamspeak. I've never had any problems with them. No crashes, no quality issues, no problems at all, they just work.


They aren't built for Pandora but that's probably because no one has asked for them, I think.

All three of those programs are proprietary.

 

[Ian J]

The need for Skype for me is due to the fact that everyone I contact uses Skype as they run Windows & Skype is their voip of choice.


Far easier for me to use it than try to educate everyone to change to other software.


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