Skype and Polycom?

JohnR · « **on:** 28 Apr 2007, 04:59 am »

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has experience with Skype and the Polycom Communicator:

http://polycom.com/products_services/1,1443,pw-34-14993,00.html

Also, how's your experience with Skype conferencing?

Thanks

JohnR

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 05:06 am »

John....Pretty sure that Occam/Paul has used Skype...I once posted about it...he responded. Might do a search...

Chris

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #2 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 05:08 am »

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=20531.0

JohnR · « **Reply #3 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 05:24 am »

Thanks, I already read that thread but am asking about the Polycom and conferencing

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 05:38 am »

Quote from: JohnR on 28 Apr 2007, 05:24 am

Thanks, I already read that thread but am asking about the Polycom and conferencing

You might check CNET or ZDNet for user reviews if they have any posted...

Found this...

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 05:41 am »

SKYPE is fantastic for both talk and IM chats.

At the Radio Shacks (maybe there is Aussie equivalent...you guys already have Woolworth's, KMart and Targets copied down under) here there is a little USB conference device that costs all of $6 or something. I leave it with my wife and daughter and we conference like I'm right there when I'm away anywhere in the world. All for free...fantastic service....my previous option overseas was often cell phone calls at $2.99 per minute.

Urgh.......hurt my budget bad and fast (my daughter is a talker

)

A couple of our China-based agents even have the webcam, so I can see them while talking (maybe 60 frames per minute - pretty close to 'real' time), but I haven't gone that route yet.

JohnR · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 11:43 am »

Hey, we invented Woolworths

-- or at least, I think we did....

Oh, actually, the US Woolworths and the Australian one are unrelated... Wikipedia says "The similarly named Woolworths supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand are operated by Woolworths Limited, a separate company with no historical links to the F. W. Woolworth Company."

How about that.

Anyway, so yes we got Radio Shack. I'll pop in there tomorrow and take a look.

Wolfy, thanks for the link. I've now discovered on the Skype site that it's not Mac compatible

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #7 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 02:16 pm »

I was only half joking about Radio Shacks in Australia...that, too, probably has nothign to do with one another except concept.

I don't see the one I bought, the voice quality on mine is pretty good and it was only $6 or something (now that I am thinking harder at it, it might well have been a closeout originally priced orignally at $11.99). This is the one they have now, but the one review is not a positive one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2260772&cp=&sr=1&origkw=usb+speakerphone&kw=usb+speakerphone&parentPage=search

You might have better luck is Oz in finding a good one.

fyi, F.W. Woolworth's closed up shop here many years ago....at least 10, I'd guess.

EchiDna · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 Apr 2007, 03:01 pm »

Quote from: JohnR on 28 Apr 2007, 11:43 am

....Wolfy, thanks for the link. I've now discovered on the Skype site that it's not Mac compatible

not true... my parents use a mac and we video conference via skype every weekend for hours at a time... singapore to melbourne, clear as a bell

I'll be speaking to them in the morning and can find out the version they use then if you like... I use a sony DR-260 usb headset adapter, so do my folks, but i think it's a japan only model

http://www.skype.com/download/skype/macosx/

JohnR · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Apr 2007, 12:23 am »

Quote from: EchiDna on 28 Apr 2007, 03:01 pm

not true... my parents use a mac and we video conference via skype every weekend for hours at a time... singapore to melbourne, clear as a bell

Sorry, I meant the Polycom Communicator is not Mac compatible. I'll go to OfficeWorks and RadioShack soon and see what they have, maybe I'll get a headset.

EchiDna · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Apr 2007, 12:56 am »

Quote from: JohnR on 29 Apr 2007, 12:23 am

Quote from: EchiDna on 28 Apr 2007, 03:01 pm
not true... my parents use a mac and we video conference via skype every weekend for hours at a time... singapore to melbourne, clear as a bell

Sorry, I meant the Polycom Communicator is not Mac compatible. I'll go to OfficeWorks and RadioShack soon and see what they have, maybe I'll get a headset.

ah ok I'm up to speed now

there are plenty of USB adaptors these days, but many are not cheap - if i had my choice today, I'd search for something bluetooth and USB like this: http://www.blueant.com.au/X3micro_Bluetooth_Headset_voice_over_ip_voip.htm

stereo would be better but you can't have everything!!

JohnR · « **Reply #11 on:** 29 Apr 2007, 10:02 am »

Hey that looks pretty cool. Anyway at the moment I got going by buying a USB microphone... I already have USB speakers (which I had forgotten about). It seems to work. Now I just need someone to call

JohnR · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 May 2007, 08:47 am »

So for my laptop/traveling I got a Nokia bluetooth headset. Tandy had them on closeout for $30. I wasn't sure if it would work with my laptop (actually I wasn't even sure it had Bluetooth), but it works great