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Skype for iPhone 2.0 released with 3G calls supported!!
- Thread starter uberjason
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Calm down everyone...
I think it's funny how people feel a sense of entitlement to free skype calls. They're not running a non profit and calls over wifi remain free. As someone who spends well over $50 per month talking to family overseas, any "small fee" that skype MIGHT charge (remember they said we have until AT LEAST the end of August) will be insignificant in comparison.
OTOH competition will ultimately dictate what (if anything) skype will be able to charge. Everyone should take a step back breath deep and remember free skype calls over 3G is not a human right.
I think it's funny how people feel a sense of entitlement to free skype calls. They're not running a non profit and calls over wifi remain free. As someone who spends well over $50 per month talking to family overseas, any "small fee" that skype MIGHT charge (remember they said we have until AT LEAST the end of August) will be insignificant in comparison.
OTOH competition will ultimately dictate what (if anything) skype will be able to charge. Everyone should take a step back breath deep and remember free skype calls over 3G is not a human right.
The pipes may be free, but the pumps to get the data there and back (bandwidth) and the valves to precisely control it (servers) cost money. Google uses data mining and ads to cover their backend cost. Skype has elected to use fees to cover part of their backend cost.
I know. You can bet tons of Apps will update the following week of the 4.0 release, similar to what happened to Apps updating just after 3.0.
This thread is ridiculus.
Skype does not have a contract with any one of us so the can do what ever they want.
Nobody is forced to use skype. I know that if skype will charge subscribers I will cancel my subscription.
Skype is not the only voip provider.
Skype does not have a contract with any one of us so the can do what ever they want.
Nobody is forced to use skype. I know that if skype will charge subscribers I will cancel my subscription.
Skype is not the only voip provider.
I'm not missing the point.. the example he gave was flawed because all things being equal opening a store in a luxury area is far more costly on an ongoing basis (rent and maybe even utilities like garbage carting costs). Those higher costs MUST be reflected in the prices the grocer sells thing for.
Skype is flawed in thinking they can charge a monthly fee for piece of software that in ALL other environments cost ZERO to make Skype to Skype calls with.
Maybe not... with all of the people falling over themselves to defend their pricing THERE ARE A TON OF SUCKERS with their tongues hanging out and a big wad of money clinched in their fist just dying to pay their monthly fee.
Hmmm wonder what'll happen when Apple decides its not a bad idea to start charing a monthly fee for DAYTIME use of the Calculator.APP (why daytime? hey why NOT?)
It's so sad how the great unwashed can be so enamored with something that EVERYTHING is fully defendable... Some of you guys and gals MIGHT wanna read up about a quaint little place called Jones Town, it might be an real eye opener.
You are SO cute...
Skype has hundreds of thousands of people making calls for FREE each and every day for YEARS now... When they suddenly decide they NEED to fund their Skype operation and instead of doing a .49 per month fee to the hundreds of thousands of users they instead go with a monthly fee of $2.59 to 227 people who are ACTUALLY suckered into this 3G Skype monthly price plan.
REALLY?
(Oh yes, I made up that $2.59 - it doesn't really matter - coulda been .99 - coulda been 29.99)
this sucks.
i understand paying for skypeout calls, but skype to skype when it has always been free and will be on wifi? thats crap. other phones get it over 3g for free, so is it iPhone only that will pay?
Also, what about people with mobile broadband USB sticks, thats using 3G, does that mean people using that will get charged too? how would they even know the difference?
hopefully its a US only thing and us in the rest of the world are ok....
i understand paying for skypeout calls, but skype to skype when it has always been free and will be on wifi? thats crap. other phones get it over 3g for free, so is it iPhone only that will pay?
Also, what about people with mobile broadband USB sticks, thats using 3G, does that mean people using that will get charged too? how would they even know the difference?
hopefully its a US only thing and us in the rest of the world are ok....
Skype can do what they want, if the marketplace reject their methodology, then they may change. This is one of the great things of capitalism, the users are free to make or break a service offering.
Actually regrading your point about Apple charging to use calander.app - they do charge for the 'premium use' of calander.app - its Called MobileMe. They have been charging this fee for years. I pay the yearly fee to sync my calendars between my three macs, my iPhone and iPad. I view it as a premium add-on and gladly pay it for the many benefits if offers me. Likewise, some will pay a fee to Skype to make 3G phone calls for the benefits its provides them.
Even when Skype starts charging monthly for wifi.. the important thing is..
are my calls going to be cheaper by using Skype, than by making a regular cellular call?
And they might just be. Say I want to make a call form a mobile device in the UK to a mobile device in USA - that will cost me a small fortune to do normally. Now if Skype costs including the cost of data used making the call undercut that, then it's a good thing.
What we need instead of bickering is to get some idea of how much data a Skype call uses up and work out the cost of data per call, and then throw in the monthly charge on top of that and work it all out..
are my calls going to be cheaper by using Skype, than by making a regular cellular call?
And they might just be. Say I want to make a call form a mobile device in the UK to a mobile device in USA - that will cost me a small fortune to do normally. Now if Skype costs including the cost of data used making the call undercut that, then it's a good thing.
What we need instead of bickering is to get some idea of how much data a Skype call uses up and work out the cost of data per call, and then throw in the monthly charge on top of that and work it all out..
Huh?!!?
iPhone users PAY A MONTLY DATA FEE (to AT&T) for the privilege of connecting to the internet. Just like we pay a monthly fee to our cable systems for cable modem data connections to the internet.
What on EARTH does this have to do with Skype charging users a monthly fee for the ability to make normally and in all other cases FREE Skype calls over our 3G internet pipe.
I thought everybody here would be big on net neutrality. But a lot of people see to be OK with ISPs charging extra money to access specific sets of 1s and 0s. (Because that's what this is. Even though it isn't said, this is AT&T instituting an extra cost to stop competition with their minute plans.) Will everybody be OK with this when Time Warner Cable doesn't want competition with their cable service, so they start charging a fee for people who want to access Hulu or download movies off of iTunes over their RR internet service? We're already pay to get on the internet.
Re-read my post... I never said Calander.APP what I said was Calculator.APP... How would people feel if Apple turned around and said Calculator.APP will only be FREE from 6am to 6pm -- after that if you want to use the Calculator.APP you need to pay a MONTLY FEE TO APPLE.
---
And reading the rest of your example was POINTLESS since APPLE HAS TO FUND THE EXISTENCE OF THEIR .ME SERVICES. They pay salaries, they pay to have a data center constructed, they buy equipment, they pay for backup data services, backup power services, AC services with redundant emergency standby power, internet services with redundant backup pipes.
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.ME cost Apple money on a MONTLY basis and I'd FULLY expect them to charge me on a monthly or in the .ME case annual basis.
Does allowing someone to place a call over their own 3G cellular data pipe to the internet incur Skype ANY ADDITIONAL*** of the costs listed above.
*** I say ADDITIONAL since its clear Skype is paying for its operation now. The question is will the .0001% of the calls that come to Skype over a 3G pipe INCURE such an extreme increase in their monthly operating budget that allowing that call to go tru 3G justifies a monthly expense. The answer is NO.
Apple had to build and maintain the systems that incur monthly/ongoing costs (indicated above) in order for .ME to work and THAT is why you pay per year.
Skype has to ___________________ that incurs a monthly cost in order to allow the otherwise normally free Skype calls take place.
If the ONLY answer is ... "add a half dozen lines of code" to the Skype.APP - ONE TIME.
Then lets try again defending their action.
___OR____
Should we ENCOURAGE this business model..
Should ALL the iPhone apps start plucking out 'something' that if you STILL want that feature you don't buy the PAID APP cost but instead pay a NEVER ENDING MONTLY FEE.
Is this the kind of 'application design philosophy' we really want to encourage App Store developers to gravitate toward? I'm actually curious... What say you defenders? I was quite eager to upgrade me an my wife's 3G iPhones this summer but if the iPhone community is ACTUALLY defending, applauding and encouraging this kind of never ending monthly rental of otherwise FREE features then maybe I gotta reevaluate my platform choice.
Photoshop $999.99 however if you want 'WARM RED' that will cost you 28.99 per month forever.
Apples Software Keyboard ... included with the OS... however if you want the letters F and U that will run you 45.21 every quarter.
Apples Software Keyboard ... if any keys typed are sent OVER the 3G connection the monthly cost is an additional 99.99 per quarter we call this will be billed as "THE SKYPERIFFIC Software Keyboard Monthly Fee" on all electronic or paper bills. **(This fee does NOT enable the F or U keys see above for the monthly rate plan)
Safari ... included with the OS no charge! however if you want to surf to and web sites whos name resolve to 117.0.0.1 or HIGHER then the cost is 19.72 per 1000 block of ip addresses per month with a max charge no higher than 99.99 per month.
Wheee
You are SO cute...
Skype has hundreds of thousands of people making calls for FREE each and every day for YEARS now... When they suddenly decide they NEED to fund their Skype operation and instead of doing a .49 per month fee to the hundreds of thousands of users they instead go with a monthly fee of $2.59 to 227 people who are ACTUALLY suckered into this 3G Skype monthly price plan.
REALLY?
(Oh yes, I made up that $2.59 - it doesn't really matter - coulda been .99 - coulda been 29.99)
You're point? Because they have done something fore free in the past means they should do a premium version of it for free in the future? Wow, what a childish view of the world. It has always cost them money to provide the service, they are just choosing to use their position in the marketplace to recoup their cost more actively. This is standard business practices; offer something free with 'no-frills' then add to the cost by offering extra options. For example, I get water for free at the local Chinese place, but I can choose to upgrade to soda for an extra fee.
I guess I can expect you next retort to be nenny-nenny-boo-boo eat my doo doo?
My point is there is free use of calander.app and premium use of calander.app - just like there is free use of Sykpe and premium use of Skype.
If Apple did do this and charged for its use, then I would be free to use another program. Nothing say that I have to use calander.app; I'm not under any contract to do so. I have the option to discontinue use at any time and move to another program. This is how capitalism works. Go to your local elementary school for a book on the subject.
I pay £101.95 a month to Movistar here in Spain for internet 5Gb of traffic iPhone/iPad (Shared quota), 9 euros of calls and 10MB internet at home! so to pay for something that I can use for free does not make sense!!! this is just another jump on the iPhone band wagon and charge for services... but people like myself will give feedback to Skype like never recharging call time with Skype and deleting there apps.....the beautiful thing of capitalism is you can take it or leave it! I choose to leave it and never promote the Skype service, time will tell how long this will last...IF it is even implemented....
This is absolutely amazing...my guess is that 99% of the people complaining here dont pay skype anything for the service they use. Now someone makes some statements about small charge in the future FOR 3G CALLS and people start demanding things, unbelievable. no one knows the cost associated with 3g transmission but it seems the majority of the posters think Skype should absorb it, oh thats right, those are the people that have never bought any credits and simply use it for free while not having a clue as to infrastructure cost or carrier agreements. Mom and Dad arent paying Skype so someone has to. Get a life children, this company saves me, yes even after paying them, about $1200 a month in international long distance cost. Yep, i pay so you get it for free. Go play in your sand box because the only intelligent statements made here are from adults who are in business or understand a P&L.
I have no problem with that business model none what so ever. My question to you is are you paying that Chinese restaurant a monthly fee for that cup of soda?
Now if your argument is that Skype is a service and it cost MONEY then YES I agree 100000%.
They have EVERY right in the WORLD to charge their users ALL OF THEM to use their service. If they have the testicular fortitude to pull such a stunt then I'd back them all the way or if they charge on a per call basis only then that too is fine but anyone trying to explain to me that Skype is doing this to fund its operations is just full of crap. Would any service really be able to fund itself by only charging .001% of their total user base?
I'm done discussing this with such an uninformed individual. However I will leave you with this.
CAPITALISM is NOT the concept of charging only .001% of the users for a service that is given away FREE to the rest of the 99.999 users.
You can google for the finer details.
Hmm, to me capitalism is charging what the market will bear for a particular service
I think you are just bitter, as am I but Skype can do whatever they want. Don't like it? Don't use it
mommy, mommy Skype is going to make me pay!!!!
"Thats ok, we will take it out of your trust fund"
"Thats ok, we will take it out of your trust fund"
I just checked the calls work with skype over EDGE. However, only when I am getting really good signal. When I have 4 bars it jumps between green and orange and works without cutting out. When I go below 4 bars it starts cutting out a little bit and goes to red. Still usable but not great.
incoming DATA on the internet from CABLE-MODEM is the same as...
incoming DATA on the internet from DIALUP is the same as...
incoming DATA on the internet from DSL is the same as...
incoming DATA on the internet from 3G is the same as...
incoming DATA on the internet from FIBER is the same as...
incoming DATA on the internet from SATELLITE is the same as...
Do you really think an email that came from 3G actually COST the receiver MORE for THAT email then it did from an email that came from DLS, CABLE, ETC?
It's all just INTERNET DATA and YOU (the 3G device owner) are paying for the traffic and once it gets past the cell tower is just ordinary internet data. There is NOTHING complex or magical about it. AT&T owns the frequency and given only a finite amount of data can be squezed into that frequency they (AT&T) have every right to charge whatever the market will pay for using that very costly frequency. Once the tower gets the data AT&T then must pay a monthly fee for an internet connection at the base of each cell tower and those too needs to be paid for by the people using the 3G data service but thats it... once it gets to the bottom of that tower to that 'DSL line' at the bottom after that ... your data is zipping along the same internet as the cable modem in the house across the street from the cell tower oh and yes I clearly simplified the tower-internet connection but this get the point across.
Skype wants to charge IT USERS more power to em...
Let me ask you this...
How about Skype only charging users with an income over 40k a year how about only 30k a year hmm 20k a year 10k a year maybe 5k? Or hey how about they just charged people who had an odd number in their street address.. or maybe only people in the UPPER 1/3 of the US.
This is EXACTLY what Skype is doing... 3G is just the 'odd thing' Skype used to impose this monthly fee.
Hey maybe they'll ONLY charge this monthly 3G calling fee to iPhone devices!!!
Android should get a free pass.... YEA!! SURE!!, why not? iPhone users SHOULD PAY for their 3G Skype calls with a small monthly fee cause its a known fact THOSE JERKS ARE RICH... Android users are poor college kids and they shouldn't be charged a 3G monthly fee... HEY! We'll just increase that small monthly fee to those rich iPhone jagoffs.
And it's also sad that so many people that grace this earth end up as nothing but spoiled brats with a sense of entitlement for something they don't have to work or pay for.
No spoiled brat here.... I'd be 1000% behind Skype charging their users... for the services they consume!
Awesome, you put up an operation like Skype and ill be ready to use it for free....what do you figure the server alone would cost...oh thats right it just goes into the "cloud' and magically finds its way
I think that would end up costing the Skype users more if they paid for the services they "consumed". It's better to pay a monthly fee for unlimited use. Just look at some of the iPad threads from people that say the use up the 250MB limit in less than a week.
My thing is, it's not about defending a company for wanting to charge fees, it's about people here who think that they are entitled to live for free in this world. So many kids today are clueless as to what's it like to live without computers and the internet so they are spoiled with instant access to free content, torrent downloads of free music, games and software and free wifi at just about any local public place. Skype is running a business and they are no longer a small time mom and pop and they have a right to charge.
I personally pay for Skype right now. I have a yearly subscription that includes Skype calls to any phones, receive calls from any phones and I have a personal number and the price for the service was extremely fair.
Sheesh, honestly, when I saw the news about the 10 million posts from Macrumors yesterday I wondered if at least 5 million of them were the usual people that complain about what they are entitled to.