Korean Job Discussion Forums

[twavelingteacher]

Hi,
I need to use skype to contact someone in another country. My computer has no sound. Are there internet cafes with skype in them? Where can I find a computer with skype here?

thanks

[JustJohn]

I find it VERY unlikely that your computer has no sound. More likely, it doesn't have speakers or you muted it or something. You want headphones for skype anyway. Get some headphones, plug them in, profit.


Otherwise, you could go to a pcbang and install it very easily, but again you'd need a headset to use it properly. You might get some funny looks, and might annoy some people as well.

[Dome Vans]

Yep, pay 10 000 won get a pair of cheap speakers and plug them into the headphone socket. Then you're ready.

I bought some bigger stereo speakers so the sound is great and the little microphone on my laptop means I don't need a headset. Works really well.

God bless, nice cheap Skype!

[Easter Clark]

Even better (but slightly more expensive), get yourself a skype phone. It's like a cell phone that plugs into your USB port and the call quality is the same as talking on the phone (maybe even better, actually!). If you really want to splurge invest in a cordless version.

[teachergirltoo]

If you have to go to a PC room though just get a USB plug and install SKYPE on it. Then you can have SKYPE wherever you go. One of my school computers doesn't have speakers either so as the previous posters said I just got a cheap headphone set and the problem was solved.

[myamata]

otherwise there are some special numbers to call abroad for less expensive, like :
http://www.00321.co.kr/e_index.asp

[sojourner1]

Oh yes, Skype works better than a land line as long as you have adequate bandwidth from your ISP.

I use a really small earpiece that has a microphone built in and it works perfectly. The only thing broken about it, is the 14 hour time difference making it unusable when I feel like calling home. I could bring it to work and use it since Korean morning is the time to call home.

[seoulteacher]

When I didn't have my own computer, I would almost daily download skype - a 3-5 min procedure - at either of 2 of my neighbourhood PC Bangs (they would often delete skype overnight). No one ever seemed to mind at the PC Bang.

[teachergirltoo]

Exactly. When you plug it into a USB port on any computer just look in the USB folder and see the SKYPE icon. Click on it and it will open on any computer. All your contacts and calls will be all kept updated on the USB stick rather than in an individual computer. Many people use this method if they don't have their own computer, or are not allowed to download programs at work, or if they are on the road traveling.

[seoulteacher]

Thanks teachergirltoo! You've just taught this old dog a new trick: I'll take skype with me on my memory stick .

Also , you've got me thinking that the same portability can be used when I'd like to use PC Bangs to create or access Word or Excel files - but often their computers don't have Word or Excel. So I'll also download openoffice.org (the free equivalent to, and offering seamless integration with, Word, Excel, & Powerpoint) to a 4 GB memory stick, and I'll then be able to create & access Word & Excel-type files at whatever computer I use.

[Skippy]

wrong discussion forum.

But check out www.portablefreeware.com

I use a USB drive (thumb) for all my prog needs.
- Browser with bookmarks (firefox portable)
- Yahelite for Messengering thru many progs available to connect to many network that are portable
- Abiword for my document editing does MSWORD docs.
- Foxit for 99.99 percent of PDF viewing
- KMpplayer for watching most videos
and many others

checked out SKYPE and there is a portable version.

PM me if you want mor details on portable progs and PC bangs

[seoulteacher]