Why do you use Gizmo?

[the_french_canadian]

Hello All,

I was wondering why you use Gizmo over Skype? Both are available for Ubuntu/Linux, but i believe that Skype has a larger user base. Any particular reason??


PS. I LOVE you're podcast!!!!!!!!!!

[Rexbron!]

AFAIK, gizmo is only for voicemail, everythings else is done through skype.

[lwr]

Hello All,

I was wondering why you use Gizmo over Skype? Both are available for Ubuntu/Linux, but i believe that Skype has a larger user base. Any particular reason??


PS. I LOVE you're podcast!!!!!!!!!!

'Tis true that they use Skype to record the show and Gizmo for voicemail. Personally I prefer Gizmo because it looks nicer, and doesn't take all day to load. Skype is aweful in that respect - you click to launch it, go away, make a cup of tea, perhaps a sandwich, read the paper, and it still hasn't loaded!

[the_french_canadian]

On the oter hand, Skype is MUCH easier to install than Gizmo. Skype installed like a dream because it came in a .deb package. I tried Gizmo and all i got was problems. Wel, i suppose you can't have you'r cake and eat it. lol

[lwr]

On the oter hand, Skype is MUCH easier to install than Gizmo. Skype installed like a dream because it came in a .deb package. I tried Gizmo and all i got was problems. Wel, i suppose you can't have you'r cake and eat it. lol

I didn't have any problems installing Gizmo. There are just 3 .deb packages to install (maybe they've improved it since you tried to install it). What is also rubbish about both programmes, though, is that they seriously neglect Linux users, and Linux versions are well behind windows and OSX versions (although OSX skype is nearly as far behind the windows version as linux skype). I guess the big deciding factor, though, is what do most people use, and at the moment it's skype.

[3rdalbum]

I think Skype actually loads very quickly.

On my computer (prelinking and preloading active), it takes about 6 seconds for the main window to appear, at which point it has connected to the Skype server. The GAIM window appears much quicker, but when you check how long it takes to connect to MSN and Yahoo and load the buddy list, it's actually 12 seconds give or take.

If you're running KDE, Skype would probably load even quicker.

And yes, Gizmo comes in three packages (use the packages for Debian), but the main package doesn't explicitly depend on the other two; you must install those first, then the main package.

The only problem with Skype is all the strange Chinese and Taiwanese people who try to call you without first introducing themselves. Oh, and the fact that it freezes up for a couple of seconds before getting a message from a stranger!

[lwr]

On my computer, which to be fair isn't amazing but also isn't ancient, Skype takes 36s to load. I take your point about connecting to the network though, but I think that's far too long for any programme to load. Even OpenOffice, which is notoriously slow, only take 20s to fully load Writer.

[3rdalbum]

OOo Writer: 7 seconds on my machine.
Skype took 7 seconds to load just now, with an additional 3 seconds until it connected.

1.2 gigs of RAM, preloading and prelinking active. Otherwise, an entry-level computer. Before I made these modifications, Skype took probably 20 seconds; your milage may vary. In any case, we know it's usable from a Live CD :p

[flummoxed]

Does anyone know how much the Skype subscription is gonna cost at the end of the year?

[FISHERMAN]

Probably because most of us have friends who only want to use Skype(same goes for MSN, Windows,...), and don't really care about the alternatives.

[Dinerty]

I use gizmo to voice with windows friends, have skype installed, but find my friend (female) gets messaged about 20 times a minute from guys who want to ... lets say chat in a adult fashion ;)

[OoooMatron]

Gizmo's out going rates are cheaper than skype.

i usually use gizmo just to call out to my parents so we can meet on skype.