Used
to be there were telephones, mail, and television. The phone came in any
color, as long as it was black, had a round dial, no buttons, and was used
to place or receive calls. Then it came in Princess, colors, push buttons,
touch tone, extra services like call forwarding/waiting, and was smart
enough you needed an operator's manual. The computer, which had been lurking
behind the scenes, also made it's way into the household, and lines started
to blur with the onset of convergence.
Internet PHONE is software that lets Internet users talk with each other in real time. It is not a text "chat" program: you can speak with other I-net users from all over the world with your own voice.
VocalTec, Inc., 157 Veterans Dr., Northvale, NJ 07647 produces this pro- duct and can be reached at (201)768-9400, (210)768-8893 (FAX), e-mail: info@vocaltec.com, or http://www.vocaltec.com. Version 3.0 is being reviewed although 3.1 Beta, build 19, 12/15/95 is available on their Web site for download as a demo.
This product seems like a logical progression from individual computer to telnet, to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) with voice now added without the long distance telephone. The usage of it will certainly evolve from novelty, to family, and then, business. Right now, you'll need an Internet Service Pro- vider (ISP) using a Winsock 1.1 compatable TCP/IP connection, an IBM compat- ible 486, 8MB RAM, Windows 3.1 or 95, 14.4 modem, and Windows compatible soundcard, microphone and speaker. The system used in testing is a 486DX100, 20MB RAM, Win95, 33.6 modem, Creative Labs (Soundblaster) 16 bit CD, and Radio Shack 33-3009 microphone (NOTE: I also had to make another trip for 1/4" to 1/8" mini jack adapter).
Installation was very simple and followed the manual. Online registration was easy and e-mail confirmation was received the next day. Set up is a little more involved, but it too is clearly explained in the manual, which looks pretty spartan, but covers all the necessary points. CAUTION: After you've registered and setup the software, be careful what you put in for your personal information, as your exposure will be similar to that in IRC or news- groups.
The program works! Pretty amazing stuff, talking worldwide through your computer without long distance charges. Yes, it's half duplex, meaning only one can speak at a time, but so's most conversation anyway, and with two sound cards, or one that supports it, you can get to full duplex if that's an issue. I found the time of day and server selection important. A list of servers is provided and experience will help you optimize performance. The manual and screens make the program user friendly, although those familiar with IRC will probably adapt faster. I recommend downloading the demo to glimpse a new dimension in PC computing.
The suggested list price is $69.00, PC Mall catalogue (Vol 17s
p. 72) has it for $59.99, but couldn't find it locally (Egghead, Best Buy,
Computer City) when calling around.