oreilly.com -- Online Catalog: Talk Is Cheap

Buy Print Book:
$19.95 USD

Buy Print Book:
£12.95 GBP

What is this?

Read it online

Read this book online
at the Safari Bookshelf.

What is Safari?

Tell a friend

Talk Is Cheap Switching to Internet Telephones

By James E. Gaskin
First Edition July 2005
Pages: 266 (More details)

Book description

More people are switching from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. While the cost savings are outstanding, there are some issues with Internet telephony. Are the connections reliable? Is the quality comparable? Will it include 911 services? Talk is Cheap is the easy-to-understand guide to the ins and outs of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other Internet telephone options (including P2P).
Full Description

Fed up with the high tolls charged by your ordinary telephone service? If you're itching to cut the copper cord with your costly, traditional phone service, you need Talk is Cheap, the new, easy-to-understand guide to understanding and using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other Internet telephone options. Technologies such as VoIP are gaining a great deal of attention these days as more people switch from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. But while the cost savings are outstanding, there are some issues with Internet telephony that you should know about. Are the connections reliable? Is the quality comparable? Will it include 911 services? James Gaskin's Talk is Cheap addresses these issues and many more by explaining how to make the switch and what the tradeoffs will be if you opt for Internet telephony over traditional phone services. Talk is Cheap focuses on the increasingly popular services from Vonage, which uses VoIP, and Skype--a free service that operates as a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with the ability to turn any PC, Mac, or Pocket PC into a telephone. The book explains your options; explores the background behind, the workings of, and differences between VoIP and P2P networks; and discusses the advantages and drawbacks of both technologies (including service offerings, quality, capabilities, completion rates, and more). Talk is Cheap then goes into detail on what you can expect in Internet service from traditional phone companies such as Verizon and AT&T.; In addition, you will learn more advanced techniques, including how to turn your Palm or Pocket PC into an Internet phone and how to work with Wi-Fi phones and videophones. A straightforward, quick introduction to the ins and outs of using Internet telephone services, this book provides everything you need to make informed telephone decisions--whether you're thinking about the switch from traditional phone service or have already made it and want to get the most out of your new Internet telephone.

Post-purchase benefits:

Browse within this book

Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter | Colophon

No time right now?

Email these links Customers who bought this book also bought:

Skype Me! From Single User to Small Enterprise and Beyond Read more	Switching to VoIP Read more	Asterisk: The Future of Telephony Read more
VoIP Hacks Tips & Tools for Internet Telephony Read more	Skype Hacks Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service Read more

No time right now?

Email these links Customers interested in this book may also be interested in:

Conference: Emerging Telephony Conference Feb 27-Mar 1, 2007 Burlingame, CA Read more	Article: What Is Vonage Read more	Article: What Is Skype Read more
Article: Top Seven Questions You Should Ask About Internet Telephones Read more	Book: Switching to VoIP Read more	Article: Top Ten Questions People Ask About Switching to Internet Telephones Read more

Book details

Title: Talk Is Cheap
Subtitle: Switching to Internet Telephones
First Edition: July 2005
ISBN 10: 0-596-00960-7
ISBN 13: 9780596009601
Pages: 266

Featured customer reviews

Be the first person to review this book!

Media reviews

If you are thinking about making the move to Internet telephony this book will provide you with sufficient background information to determine if it would be useful for your needs as well as how to shop intelligently for the appropriate product. Although the information also applies to small businesses this book is aimed squarely at the home market.

Written in a very non-technical style Talk is Cheap is easy to read and understand and suggested for anyone interested in learning about the subject.

"Using your internet connection (DSL or cable), you can switch to internet telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and go all digital. Gaskin does an excellent job in explaining exactly what this is, how it works, and the pros and cons of switching to a service like this... if you're an early adopter of technology, this is definitely an area you need to check out. And if you have no exposure to residential VoIP up until now, I'd recommend a copy of this book to get you up to speed quickly."
--Thomas "Duffbert" Duff, Duffbert's Random Musings, July 2005

Read all reviews