I’m afraid the Keystone phone was a bit of a disappointment. Lacks a few features and some poeple have said the sound on the other end is low. The best option if you’re on the computer is still something like a logitech headset. Although just a pair of earplugs to cut down the echo effect works great.

Re still being on Windows 98 all I have to say is, “Any day is a good day for a tech purchase.” Have you considered starving your loved ones?

At least with Vista you’ll be getting Mac ‘98.

Apologies, I couldn’t resist.

How can you get skype then?

I spent some dough on a Linksys PA3000 and after some fiddling I now have my home phone set up to use either a VoIP service or Optus (my landline carrier), depending on the number dialed.

A plus of using the SPA3000 is that I have a log of all calls I make and receive. Great for checking if my kids are prank calling Yemen or if Optus is scamming me on the bill!

Frankly, the thing that amazed me was how simple the setup was. And the point of it all is that I am now using VoIP and paying those sorts of rates, from my normal phone, in the normal way.

Did I mention the bill will be less than half what it is now?!

– Alister

Since moving to Singapore a year ago, I don’t have a land line. Our primary phones are our mobile phones. Then we have a Singapore phone number that comes free through our broadband internet account. We have a second number, a USA phone number, that is also connected through the internet. It functions like a phone number in Seattle, where my family is from, but it rings wherever we set it up. In our case Singapore. When we call friends in the States they look at their caller ID and see a local Seattle number, but I’m actually calling from Singapore. All that for $6.99 a month and less than two cents a minute!