"I'll skype you" is quickly replacing, "I'll email you," which ousted "I'll call you." Before any of these, of course, came "I'll send a telegram," which was supplanted by "I'll write you." The need to extend face-to-face communication launched industries around distance messaging, and Skype joins this chorus of change with a "voice" that resonates through the Internet. Skype, however, is not just another way to say hello. Skype combines the power of email, telephony, telegrams, and letters by providing an avenue for text, data, voice, and even video communication. Skype reaches across oceans but has tools to make the experience intimate. You can exchange files as easily as handing someone a piece of paper. You can see eye-to-eye through video conferencing. You can convene a group of friends with ease. Millions of people are discovering all this versatility with Skype. Skype For Dummies makes it easy for you to join them.
Skype is simple to download and start using, so why write an entire book about it? There's much more to Skype than simply calling someone from one PC to another, and Skype For Dummies opens your eyes to the many ways in which you can put Skype to use, with exciting possibilities for both your personal and professional development.
As is true for the world of technology in general, Skype technology is a rapidly moving and dynamically evolving target. So some of the software or gadgets we describe here may have already changed between our writing and your seeing this book in print. But we have tried to capture the spirit of where the technology is headed, and Skype For Dummies is loaded with the information and ideas you need to get skyping right away.
This book shows you how to
Get started if you've never used Skype and become an expert in no time
Find Skype communities to join
Pick out just the right gadgets for optimum skyping
Discover Skype-based solutions for your business
Explore, understand, and adopt a new set of ideas about communicating
Jump right in anywhere! We've designed this book so that you don't have to read it from front to back; it's a user-friendly reference tool that you can even start reading at the back if you're so inclined — you won't spoil the ending.
In writing this book, we've made the following assumptions about you:
You wouldn't mind making free or low-cost calls.
You can use a telephone, computer, or mobile device.
You are curious about technology and wouldn't mind trying a few new things.
You don't want to be left out of the communications revolution.
We've organized this book so that you can easily find whatever you need or want to know — whether you're new to Skype or are fast becoming a veteran skyper.
The first chapter in this part provides a snapshot of what Skype is all about. If you're ready to get skyping now, you can plunge in to Chapter 2 for everything you need to know about downloading Skype and setting it up to make your first call. In Chapter 3, we take you sightseeing through the Skype interface, detailing its menus and toolbar. As you continue to explore the world through Skype, use this chapter as a quick reference for whatever task you need Skype to do for you.
We've found that the more you fine-tune your Skype settings to suit your daily needs, the better Skype will serve you. To that end, Chapter 4 is full of information on how to make Skype behave concerning notifications and alerts, sound effects, protecting your privacy, and much more. Chapter 5 describes ways for you to broadcast your personality to the world, both for fun and as a business communications strategy. In Chapter 6, you can find out all about online chatting through Skype. Chapter 7 launches you into the exciting world of skyping with video and shows you how to choose the best webcam for your purposes. Finally in this part, Chapter 8 gives you the scoop on connecting Skype with ordinary phones using services called SkypeIn and SkypeOut.
Even if you're not a seasoned skyper yet, browsing this part of the book may make you eager to become one! Chapter 9 covers a host of ways to send and receive messages, perhaps in ways you've never imagined. And Skype makes conferencing easy, whether with one or many others and whether for business or social activities, as Chapter 10 reveals. In Chapter 11, we unveil a gallery of gadgets and add-ons that you can use to greatly enhance your skyping.
Skype is a heavy-duty communications engine for commerce, and Chapter 12 helps you consider whether it's time to join with the millions of business users who are already benefiting from Skype. But "professional" skyping doesn't just imply business-related topics, and Chapter 13 gives you a taste of the array of online communities springing up all over the world through Skype. Last in this part, Chapter 14 tells you how to both join and create your own Skypecasts, which are free, large-scale Web conferences.
We had fun brainstorming our lists of "ten things" in each of these chapters, but they are also very practical. You might want to start with this part first, just to get a sense what Skype is and how it's helping to change the world.
We use some conventions throughout this book that merit a little explanation. When you see a phrase such as "choose File
Whenever we tell you to click something (most likely it's a button or an icon), you use the left mouse button and click just once. On those rare occasions when clicking twice is required to get the job done, we tell you to double-click.
To select an item, you either highlight it or click in a check box or radio button, depending on the item. Text that we tell you to enter (that is, type) into the program, such as in a text box, appears in boldface type. Web site addresses and on-screen messages show up in monofont type. To signify hyperlinks, otherwise known as just plain links, we underline the text of the link. On your computer, clicking such a link transports you to another location altogether, such as a Web page.
Finally, to avoid confusion, we use title-style capitalization for option names and links when they appear in regular text, even when the program doesn't.
To flag special points we want to draw your attention to, we use the following icons:
Tip
This icon shows up next to a special tidbit of information or a trick to make something easier.
Note
This icon indicates information that we want to make sure you notice.
Note
Text next to this icon tells you something that you need to, well, remember.
Note
This icon signifies geeky stuff that may interest some, but certainly not all, readers.
Warning
When you see this icon, take heed; it signifies something you need to be aware of before you act.
Warning
This one doesn't show up very often, but it means be very careful — the stove is hot and you can get burned.
Without further ado, we urge you to start skyping. As you experience this extraordinary way to connect to the world, pay us a visit from time to time at the Web site for this book. We'll be posting updates, tips, tricks, new gear, stories, and more. Find us at
http://www.skype4dummies.com