If the idea of Skype for Pocket PC floats your boat, take heed.Unless you're a virtual recluse, you've most likely heard of Skype.
Its desktop counterpart features free VOIP connectivity to place PC to PC based calls, with discounted rates for PC to phone calls.
Skype has recently released the Skype for Pocket PC 2.1 beta, which may be greeted with some cynicism.
Especially if you recall very first Skype for Pocket PC incarnation, which was greeted with a chorus of resounding boos by the Pocket PC VOIP community.
Reviewers of the first version experienced feedback and other strange problems reported like being able to listen to other people's conversations, like this early PPC Skype review of its predecessor by ExtremeTech.
Apparently, if you have a proclivity towards voyeurism this initial release will definitely come in handy.
Admittedly, my Pocket PC is used mostly for games. Not to say that I don't use Skype. Just not Skype for Pocket PC.
The desktop version of Skype has served my needs time and time again, with slight garbling during peak Internet hours over my broadband connection.
Version 2.1 is this clumsy attempt's successor, with animated emoticons and a series of bugfixes that will hopefully provide a more quality VOIP experience.
MSMobiles.com features an MP3 sample of the latest incarnation's audio output over a UMTS network.
The author attributes the relatively slower processor and network speed on the less than stellar voice quality for Skype for Pocket PC when stacked against its desktop PC counterpart.
UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System networks uses W-CDMA, dubbed one of the 3G or third generation of mobile phone technologies.
I haven't yet made the smartphone jump myself, finding the idea of a smaller screen than my PDA more than a little distasteful.
I would be a little disadvantaged while commanding units during my Age of Empires for Pocket PC real time strategy gaming sessions.
Still, both the smartphone and the PDA set can satisfyingly crushing enemy units.
Just not at a powerful, lag-free 624Mhz like my Dell Axim x51v.
Anyway, Skype for Pocket PC may turn out to be a contender after an initially wretched existence during its previous version.
As it's still in beta, the months ahead will indicate whether or not this turns out to be a new and improved VOIP champion of the masses.
