Internet Telephone Applications

If you are tired of chatting with your friends using "text" on #Chiro-Chat, do not dispair. With these programs you can now call them up and chat real time using "voice", anywhere in the world, with no toll charges (just what you pay for your internet connection). Telephone applications are progressing fast and have become very popular. They are working better on the slower 14.4 modem speeds and the sound quality is coming close to an actual telephone.

Surprisingly, some programs will also allow you to chat using text, transfer files,conference with several participants at one time, and more. My favorite, "NetMeeting" (which is still in beta and designed for Windows 95), will even let you share your programs real time. I tend to lean to the "shareware/freeware" applications, which pay for themselves with little advertisements on your screen. But for a few dollars you can buy a program and not be subjected to such blatant capitalism :)

To get connected you will need a sound card, microphone and speakers. The phone will work similar to a "speaker phone". If your sound card is "full duplex" you will be able to talk and listen at the same time, just like your ordinary telephone. If you have a "half duplex" card, which is probably the case for most of us, it will work more like a CB radio, where you must stop talking before you can listen to what your other party is saying. If you have two half duplex cards, you can use one to listen and one to speak, simulating a full duplex. Do not worry if this sounds complicated, most programs will automatically detect your card on set-up and configure you accordingly.

So browse through the software selection below and choose a program that fits your needs. I am partial to Microsofts "NetMeeting" (if you are running Windows 95). Pow-Wow, CoolTalk and Freetel are all very popular (and as the name implies "free"). Televox and GatherTalk are also freeware and have "teleconferencing" capabilities. Be sure to read the "system requirements" on each page before downloading. If you have a problem or need a suggestion, drop me a line at dpre@chiro.org and I will do my best to guide you in the right direction. Or, you can go to the Communicate HyperNews Forum and ask a question, share an idea, or generally add your 2 cents. Thanks!

Internet Telephone Software

TeleVox: " TeleVox allows real-time voice communications over the Internet. You can place a call anywhere in the world for free! We're very different than other Internet telephone products on the market starting with our unique servers and including a long (and growing) list of features and supported platforms. Version 2.0 adds teleconferencing capabilities."
DigiPhone: "DigiPhone is the de facto voice communication software for the Internet. It's fully compatible with the world's most popular sound cards, and it was structured to provide a direct connection between parties, without the assistance of an IRC server."
NetMeeting: "Don't just "chat" online - call a meeting! Here is an internet telephone tool that combines voice and data communications, real time application sharing, file transfer, full featured whiteboard (paint) and text based chat. See why a recent review in c/net said 'the competition is crushed by NetMeeting'. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out"
FreeTel: " FreeTel enables you to conduct real-time full-duplex voice conversations via the Internet. You can talk to friends and relatives around the world, free of long-distance charges. FreeTel includes full-duplex (including Sound Blaster 16) audio support, an Electronic Phone Directory, Advanced Caller ID, Superior Audio Quality, and a keyboard (text) communicator."
Internet Phone: "Internet Phone is a revolutionary software product that opens a new and exciting dimension for Internet users. With Internet Phone, you can use the Internet to speak with any other user, from any point in the world! Yes, real-time voice conversations over the Internet, at the price of a local phone call or even less!"
CoolTalk: "CoolTalk is an Internet telephone tool included with Netscape Navigator 3.0 that provides high-quality audio conferencing, a full-featured whiteboard, and text-based communications using the chat tool. With CoolTalk you can now talk and work collaboratively with friends and colleagues anywhere in the world via the Internet. And because CoolTalk works seamlessly with Navigator 3.0, you can send and receive calls directly from any Web page."
NetPhone: "NetPhone is software for the Apple Macintosh that lets you place audio calls over the Internet. NetPhone was designed to work great over 14.4k modem connections, letting you speak to any other NetPhone user, anywhere in the world, for no cost beyond what you already pay for your net connection. "
Pow Wow: "PowWow is a unique Internet program for Windows that allows up to seven people to chat, send and receive files, and cruise the World Wide Web together as a group. Version 3.0 Beta x adds "voice" chat capabilities. PowWow currently works with all versions of Windows (Windows 3.x, 95, and NT)."
Pretty Good Privacy Phone: "PGPfone (Pretty Good Privacy Phone) is a software package that turns your desktop or notebook computer into a secure telephone. It uses speech compression and strong cryptography protocols to give you the ability to have a real-time secure telephone conversation via a modem-to-modem connection."
Speak Freely: "Speak Freely is a program for 80x86 Windows machines, Sun, and Silicon Graphics workstations which lets you talk to other people across a local network or (with a fast enough link or enough compute power to compress and decompress audio in real time) the Internet."
GatherTalk: "GatherTalk is more than just a phone on the Internet. It allows interactive 'teleconferencing' voice conversations around the world. You can teleconference with 3 people using 14.4kbps modems and 5 people conferencing using 28.8kbps modems". It will only work with full duplex cards. If you have only a half duplex sound card, you can try the point-to-point version, Internet CALL which has no conferencing support.
WebPhone: "ITEL is the developer of WebPhone(tm) , the consummate, full featured real-time voice communication system for the Internet and other TCP/IP networks. "

Send mail to: dpre@chiro.org