I've never heard of OoVoo. Have you asked over on the computer help forum? They may have lots of info on it.

I've noticed that Oprah uses Skype now on her show. My thinking is that if OoVoo is better, she'd have the best. No? Yes? Maybe?

Bottom line, I have no clue hahah!

I've not heard of Oovoo either, but I'll try and ask DS, our computer guru. But in the meantime, would a Google phone work? A friend at work who makes loads of long distance calls is using one all the time.
OT, how's your daughter liking her new school situation?

Is anyone else using Skype? Our niece in Korea uses it to communicate with her sister and my sister in Texas, and I was thinking of setting it up to communicate with my parents on Thanksgiving, which will be at my sister's house. She is sending me a Skype invitation, but I have no idea how to use it. Kevin has a new laptop that Sony bought for him so that he can work from home (and on week-ends), and he picked up one for me at the Sony sale this week, although I have not started using it yet, due to time constraints.

We have some serious business to discuss concerning our DF's health/safety issues. He's 88 and has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. We hope he can get in-home care from the VA, but if that is not possible, he may need to go to the VA assisted living home, which would of course be a very last resort and only if his life is in danger.

Anyway, does anyone have some Skype tips? I guess I'll look at the computer forum as well.

Lars

It's pretty easy, especially on our new laptop. Hopefully Kevin's has a camera and a microphone, I imagine it does.

FYI- SharonCB is a pro! I suggest you contact her on FB and ask all about it!

We love OOvoo and use it regularly. One of the things my DS likes is that you can easily multi-chat with up to 5 other people.

Alexa

Both are free, try each and see which one you like best. Only big difference I can see is Oovoo supports multiple chats, like Alexa says. Oovoo has ads, skype doesn't. I know that skype credit gets 'eaten' away over time - they make you keep your account active by making one phone call every six months for a few cents.

Here is a link that might be useful: oovoo paid plans

I'm having trouble responding here, but I wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I can't visit Skype of Oovoo here at work, and so I'll check these out this week-end. I think I would like multi chats, and so I would want to try both out.

Our laptops are new, and so they have the cameras and microphones necessary for video conferencing, although I have not yet used my laptop. I want to get a small mouse for it first, to make it easier to navigate through the setup.

Lars

Yesterday Kevin bought a camera for his desk computer, and then we set up our Skype accounts. For a test, we skyped each other across the dining table, which caused some feedback in the speakers, and so I turned my microphone off and told Kevin that we should use headsets. He replied, "I can hear you already - we're in the same room!" and so we just turned off our speakers. I could see him in the room too, but that wasn't the point - I wanted to be able to calculate how much delay there was. I think the delay is fairly minimal, but it was noticeable to me.

From where I was sitting, there was behind me, and Kevin had in view behind him, which I thought looked nice. I made the drapes myself and painted a large design pattern on them, which you can sort of see in the distance, but he had them closed at the time, which looked better.

I did get a small mouse for my laptop, but not as small as Kevin's, which I thought was too sensitive. I'm still in the process of getting everything set up and updated on my laptop, and it is a much more involved process than I had expected.

I will probably wait until I have gotten used to Skype before I try ooVoo; it's difficult to imagine six people on a video conference call - three perhaps, but more than that and people will be talking over each other.

Lars

Hi Lars....

I�ve been using Skype for years now, since it came out. I have a schedule to meet every Sunday at 12 noon Pacific time (which is 8 pm my time in Tenerife) with my brother and one daughter on Vancouver Island and my other daughter in Calgary, so we have a 4-way conversation going. Most of the time we have perfect sound and conditions.

We don�t yet pay for video conferencing, but when there are just two of us starting up the conversation we can see and hear each other with our videocams. For a three-way or more people video conversation, Skype wants you to pay for the service, so we just talk without seeing each other, sometimes for over two hours.

If one of us has a problem with their microphone, they can still type in the lower part of the box to communicate their problem with the rest of us until they get sorted and are back on voice. My daughters still use headsets on tabletop computers. At the moment I�m on a laptop with video and mic incorporated, as my big computer is in the repair center.

International phone calls to landlines are also very cheap. I use Skype to telephone friends in England from Tenerife and the cost is just pennies for a ten or 15 minute chat. You just dial in the number from a numberpad on the screen and the sound is even better than using a standard phone.

If I can help in any way Lars, just ask.
Nice to talk to you again,

SharonCb

Thanks for the info, Sharon. It would be fun to Skype with you at some point, if you are interested. I could even set my laptop up in my back yard.

Thanksgiving Day our sister Skyped Kevin, and fortunately he had his computer turned on with Skype running so that we could tell. We got to see and talk with several family members, including our parents, brother and sister, BIL, and one niece. Our grandnephew walked in briefly to ask for a toy and then left after he got it, but pretty much otherwise ignored us, which was okay. Our other niece is still in Korea, and we did not conference with her. For me, four people in a conversation is enough.

We had a few moments when sound did not come through, but they mostly occured when our niece was trying to be annoying, and so it was okay that we couldn't hear her. Our conversation went on much longer than a phone call would have because no one had to hold anything, and people walked in and out of the picture, including me, since I was trying to cook at the time. My sister and I were wearing aprons.

I don't talk much on the phone any more - I guess I do not have very talkative friends (except for Maartje) and so I do not even have a cell phone any more. My mother would like to Skype with us more often, but she does not even have a computer, much less internet connection.

Lars