A Beginner's Guide to Skype
Before you attempt to use Skype, make sure you have the right equipment.÷ You"ll need a microphone and a set of speakers at the very least.÷ The best option is to buy a headset which has comfortable headphones and a microphone.÷ That"s the best way to reduce interference and make sure your friends hear you, not your neighbour"s dog.÷ Almost every headset is compatible with Skype, so no need to shell out extra for one that brags about it.First things first: how to install Skype?÷ That"s easy.÷ Just point your browser to Skype.com and click on the link to get Skype now.÷ Follow the instructions to install it completely and sign up with your unique user name and password.÷ People will add you based on your username, so don"t choose anything embarrassing.÷ Pick something memorable that will remind people of you.
Once you have Skype open, take a minute to explore.÷ There are menus along the top and along the side.÷ You"ll probably end up using the side menus most often.÷ The first thing to open is your list of friends, called contacts.÷ You"ll only have Echo/Sound Test Service at the moment.÷ Before you try adding any friends, give the service a call.÷ It"s automated and will check that it can hear you before you call your friends.
Directly below Contacts is the "Call Phones" tab.÷ You"ll only use this if you intend to call regular landline or mobile phones.÷ This service is not free, although Skype gives every new user one test call to a landline just to try it out.÷ This tab simply displays a dialpad like you would see on a normal phone.÷ You can also purchase your own local phone number for Skype if you have friends who do not use it.
Below Call Phones is the Directory, where you can find users and businesses.÷ Underneath that is the Shop, where you can buy minutes to call regular phones or upgrade to a monthly pay plan, if you plan to use Skype a lot.
Now let"s get to the fun part and add some friends.÷ Head back to the Directory tab on the left.÷ In the top box, you can type in usernames that you know, email addresses, or full names.÷ You can also arrange to import your contact list from Gmail, Facebook, and a whole host of other domains.÷ Feel free to choose one of them or add in all your Skype friends manually.÷ You can also add people through the top menu by clicking on Contacts, then New Contact.÷ You"ll see their names start to pop up under Contacts instantly; they"ll have to add you to their contacts list before you"ll see them as online.
Once your friends add you and they"re online, small green check marks will appear next to their names in the Contacts list.÷ All you have to do to call them is to double click on their names and chat away.÷ It"s that easy.÷ Why not give it a try?