… if only people would use SIP instead.

But the new skype beta at least doesn’t crash on startup anymore. The previous version needed a wrapper to work with my GNOME:

#!/bin/sh
unset SESSION_MANAGER
exec /usr/bin/skype

The current Linux version number is 1.3.0.30, so way behind the current windows version, though I have no idea which features are missing. I havn’t actually made a call with it for a year. From time to time I use it for file transfers, since many Windows users don’t have more comfortable applications ready…

If you want to try internet telephony, I’d suggest getting a SIP software instead, for example Ekiga. (Windows users might want to try Gizmo). In fact, most DSL modems sold in germany include SIP internet telephony, and you can just hook up your regular analog or ISDN telephone to your DSL modem and use internet telephony. You could call me for free over the internet, and it will ring my regular phone.

You can get a german phone number (01212/01213) for free at freephone.web.de among others, or 100 minutes for free to german landlines at iphone.freenet.de. Other providers (e.g. GMX, 1&1) offer telephony flatrates etc.