Alternative to Skype for PC

jim · 24. Mar 2014, 08:22 PM

My son and I regularly chat with fingers (and often with voice), PC to PC, and we normally use Skype. Now, however, it is becoming very unreliable and gets bogged down with ads and unwanted contact requests. We need a good, free service as above but NOT on a mobile device. There used to be loads but they were all slow or distorted or unreliable. Only Skype was acceptable. Is there any alternative now? (I looked at Viber but you have to install it on a mobile device first).

Jojo Yee · 25. Mar 2014, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim

My son and I regularly chat with fingers (and often with voice), PC to PC, and we normally use Skype. Now, however, it is becoming very unreliable and gets bogged down with ads and unwanted contact requests. We need a good, free service as above but NOT on a mobile device. There used to be loads but they were all slow or distorted or unreliable. Only Skype was acceptable. Is there any alternative now? (I looked at Viber but you have to install it on a mobile device first).

Other than Skype, give Hangouts a try, available on both the mobile and the PC.

jim · 25. Mar 2014, 03:58 PM

...except when you go to the "For computer" link it wants you to download Chrome.
Thanks but no thanks.

Anupam · 25. Mar 2014, 08:43 PM

I too don't like Skype nowadays, but people seem to still prefer it. And there are not many choices out there either.

You can give ooVoo a try.

http://www.oovoo.com/home.aspx

I haven't tried it myself, as I can't find anyone who uses it. But, it's a good alternative to Skype.

Yahoo Messenger also works quite great for voice and video chat.

Google Talk also has the option too, I think.

Joe A.TT · 25. Mar 2014, 09:52 PM

Jim, I came across this recently...

https:\\appear.in\

It is suppose to work from your browser and doesn't require installation, registration or login. It currently supports Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

Basically, you have to create a "room" that you invite people to chat in by sharing a link with them. You can "claim" and take ownership of a room and set a password. As the owner you can lock the room or kick anyone out. More in the FAQ here.

I haven't tried it so I can't say how well it works. Nevertheless, I think you could give it a shot. Let us know the results if you do.

sicknero · 25. Mar 2014, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Google Talk also has the option too, I think.

I lose track of their name changes but yes, whatever it's called, the chat function that you get with Gmail also allows video/audio chat.

I use the Gmail chatbox a lot for 'chatting with fingers' (great phrase that

) but I've not tried the video/audio. It's definitely there as an option though.

Jojo Yee · 26. Mar 2014, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sicknero

I lose track of their name changes but yes, whatever it's called, the chat function that you get with Gmail also allows video/audio chat.

Google Hangouts is replacing Google Talk. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Hangouts#History

eyeb · 27. Mar 2014, 04:40 PM

I like google voice. So I can have choice of texting from phone to continue talk or when I'm at computer, use the webpage

edit: I know you said not mobile, but google voice isn't really a "mobile" app. you can text each other's google number from computer just fine

jim · 28. Mar 2014, 11:49 AM

Just me probably but I don't trust anything Google or similar. I use Google as a search engine but don't use a Google account. Anyway, I am trying Oovoo at the moment. Have only used fingers so far but it seems just the job. Trying voice tonight so we will see. I have downloaded TeamSpeak but that seems very complicated and mainly for voice communication by a larger group of people all at the same time. (For gaming I am sure it is great). We have been using Skype for years now but it is so full of ads now and I am always getting unwanted contact requests despite my security settings. Plus the calls are always dropping, feedback comes and goes etc...... We usually chat with fingers 3 evenings a week and with voice 1 evening. This is a regular family routine and suits us fine and is all that we want. It is just that Skype is getting bad now with voice. Almost every week now they are "Improving my Skype experience" with more updates that just make things worse. I started this query in the hope that, as we haven't changed from Skype for a few years because it gave us the best voice/video quality, someone may just have said to try something they found better.

vandamme · 04. Jun 2015, 04:02 AM

SIP is the open alternative to Skype. There are SIP clients for Linux (Ekiga), Windows, and Mac.

You can also use a WebRTC website which uses a browser. You don't need to register or log in, just send a link to a bunch of people you want to videoconference with, and when they click on the link you're connected. vline, appear.in are two I've found.

24. Mar 2014, 08:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
jim Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: near Ashford Kent England Posts: 466	Alternative to Skype for PC My son and I regularly chat with fingers (and often with voice), PC to PC, and we normally use Skype. Now, however, it is becoming very unreliable and gets bogged down with ads and unwanted contact requests. We need a good, free service as above but NOT on a mobile device. There used to be loads but they were all slow or distorted or unreliable. Only Skype was acceptable. Is there any alternative now? (I looked at Viber but you have to install it on a mobile device first).

25. Mar 2014, 08:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Anupam Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 15,277	I too don't like Skype nowadays, but people seem to still prefer it. And there are not many choices out there either. You can give ooVoo a try. http://www.oovoo.com/home.aspx I haven't tried it myself, as I can't find anyone who uses it. But, it's a good alternative to Skype. Yahoo Messenger also works quite great for voice and video chat. Google Talk also has the option too, I think. __________________ Anupam

25. Mar 2014, 09:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
Joe A.TT Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,028	Jim, I came across this recently... https:\\appear.in\ It is suppose to work from your browser and doesn't require installation, registration or login. It currently supports Firefox, Chrome and Opera. Basically, you have to create a "room" that you invite people to chat in by sharing a link with them. You can "claim" and take ownership of a room and set a password. As the owner you can lock the room or kick anyone out. More in the FAQ here. I haven't tried it so I can't say how well it works. Nevertheless, I think you could give it a shot. Let us know the results if you do.

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25. Mar 2014, 03:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
jim Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: near Ashford Kent England Posts: 466	...except when you go to the "For computer" link it wants you to download Chrome. Thanks but no thanks.

27. Mar 2014, 04:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 882	I like google voice. So I can have choice of texting from phone to continue talk or when I'm at computer, use the webpage edit: I know you said not mobile, but google voice isn't really a "mobile" app. you can text each other's google number from computer just fine

28. Mar 2014, 11:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
jim Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: near Ashford Kent England Posts: 466	Just me probably but I don't trust anything Google or similar. I use Google as a search engine but don't use a Google account. Anyway, I am trying Oovoo at the moment. Have only used fingers so far but it seems just the job. Trying voice tonight so we will see. I have downloaded TeamSpeak but that seems very complicated and mainly for voice communication by a larger group of people all at the same time. (For gaming I am sure it is great). We have been using Skype for years now but it is so full of ads now and I am always getting unwanted contact requests despite my security settings. Plus the calls are always dropping, feedback comes and goes etc...... We usually chat with fingers 3 evenings a week and with voice 1 evening. This is a regular family routine and suits us fine and is all that we want. It is just that Skype is getting bad now with voice. Almost every week now they are "Improving my Skype experience" with more updates that just make things worse. I started this query in the hope that, as we haven't changed from Skype for a few years because it gave us the best voice/video quality, someone may just have said to try something they found better.

04. Jun 2015, 04:02 AM	#10 (permalink)
vandamme Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 9	SIP is the open alternative to Skype. There are SIP clients for Linux (Ekiga), Windows, and Mac. You can also use a WebRTC website which uses a browser. You don't need to register or log in, just send a link to a bunch of people you want to videoconference with, and when they click on the link you're connected. vline, appear.in are two I've found.