Internet phone calls are economical.
Long distance phone calls from your land line are notoriously expensive, and may not be the most economical approach when you want to call friends and family members from across the globe. Instead, consider using your computer as your phone and using the Internet to make phone calls. Websites dedicated to connecting people make it easier than ever for you to utilize the Internet to save money on your phone bills.
Hardware
Before you find a website from which you can make Internet phone calls, you'll need to make sure that you have the correct hardware with which to do so. You'll most certainly need a microphone. Most laptops come with microphones installed, but desktops might not. You can purchase a microphone from any electronics or computer store, and connect it easily to your computer. You may also want a webcam. Although it's not necessary, Internet phone companies make it easy for you to connect and see who you're talking to. For some applications, you'll need a home phone handset.
Skype.com
Skype.com is considered the world's leader in making Internet phone calls from your computer. With Skype, you simply create a user account, and you're ready to begin. If the family member or friend that you're contacting also has Skype, then you can talk from your computers for free. If you need to use Skype to call someone without it, you pay a small per minute fee, or you can purchase an unlimited plan and talk as much as you want. You can even get a Skype number, so that friends and family can dial you directly. Plans go from $2.95 per month for U.S. and Canada, and go up to $12.95 per month for anywhere in the world.
Magic Jack
The Magic Jack is a device that plugs into your USB port to create a jack that you can plug your home phone into to make phone calls using the Internet. With Magic Jack, you don't need a microphone, only a standard home phone. It works just like a regular jack, only the computer must be on and the Internet connected in order to use it. The cost for a Magic Jack is $19.95 a year, after purchasing the initial device for $29.95. It's a great way to harness the power of the Internet to make calls -- however, some users have reported that the program was difficult to remove from their computer, so install with caution and be sure to read all agreement terms (see Resources).
Tags: phone calls, Internet phone, Magic Jack, from your, home phone, Internet phone calls, your computer