All-you-can-eat Skype...yum!

Skype announced today a new all-you-can-eat SkypeOut plan for U.S. and Canadian customers. For $29.95 per year, you can make unlimited SkypeOut calls to mobile phones and landlines within the U.S. and Canada. Even better, if you sign up for the plan before Jan. 31, 2007, you get a 50 percent discount so you only pay $14.95 for a year of unlimited SkypeOut calls, plus 100 minutes of SkypeOut credit for international calls. If you're like me and don't make even $14.95 worth of SkypeOut calls each year, you can still opt to pay Skype's per-minute rate to call non-Skype users (around 2.1 cents per minute for calls within the U.S. and Canada).

This news follows Skype's May 2006 announcement of unlimited SkypeOut calls for the remainder of 2006. This free plan seemed too good to last--and it was. The free calls were a push to drum up new Skype users and familiarize them with the SkypeOut premise, and according to the company, it worked. And while I like free better than $14.95, I suppose the company needs to make money. Why isn't it all about me?? Oh well.

[ari6126]

Doesn't make much sense

I don't know about other people but I'm sure not paying $15 for something I got free before. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

[ari6126]

Doesn't make much sense

I don't know about other people but I'm sure not paying $15 for something I got free before. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

[hassannkhan]

Yes, it's worth the ~$15

I use it to make International calls and with the 100 free International minutes, the U.S and Canada calling becomes free.

The voice quality has been very good and International calling rates are 1/2 of what Vonage charges me.

[hassannkhan]

Yes, it's worth the ~$15

I use it to make International calls and with the 100 free International minutes, the U.S and Canada calling becomes free.

The voice quality has been very good and International calling rates are 1/2 of what Vonage charges me.

[rabidsquirrel41]

I shall miss the freeness...ness

I found Skype to be a great alternative to racking up cell phone minutes. In fact it almost has better clarity compared to my cell phone. It sucks that it won't be free any more, but really, $15 for a year is nothing compared to Vonage or a regular land line. But if they are going to charge for Skype it would be nice if it came with an incoming phone number like Stanaphone or AOL instant messenger.

[rabidsquirrel41]

I shall miss the freeness...ness

I found Skype to be a great alternative to racking up cell phone minutes. In fact it almost has better clarity compared to my cell phone. It sucks that it won't be free any more, but really, $15 for a year is nothing compared to Vonage or a regular land line. But if they are going to charge for Skype it would be nice if it came with an incoming phone number like Stanaphone or AOL instant messenger.

[pjb515]

I recommend skype to everyone

I've used it for a couple years now, and since the Free-til-the-end-of-the-year promotion started, even more so. I will definately get the one year for fifteen bucks deal. How can you pass that up? Unlimited calling? And sound is way better too, no matter if you're calling to a phone or computer. Computer to computer is amazing sound quality, by the way, like the person you're talking to is in the room with you. I just showed an elderly woman how to set it up, she absolutely loves it! Long live Skype!

[pjb515]

I recommend skype to everyone

I've used it for a couple years now, and since the Free-til-the-end-of-the-year promotion started, even more so. I will definately get the one year for fifteen bucks deal. How can you pass that up? Unlimited calling? And sound is way better too, no matter if you're calling to a phone or computer. Computer to computer is amazing sound quality, by the way, like the person you're talking to is in the room with you. I just showed an elderly woman how to set it up, she absolutely loves it! Long live Skype!