OUTSTANDING: mmmmm VERY GOOD: mmmm GOOD: mmm Reviews FLAWED: mm UNACCEPTABLE: m VoIP Applications Is Internet Phone Service Right for You? BY TED WALLINGFORD Voice over IP, or VoIP, is an emerging person using technology that allows you to use your traditional broadband Internet connection to place and standard phone receive voice and videophone calls. Internet- high-speed phone line server phone line based calls are less expensive than tradi- (operated by the tional calls (sometimes they’re even free), VoIP service) phone and many VoIP-based communication ser- company vices are compatible with the old-fashioned global phone network, so you can use these new VoIP tools to place calls to and receive them from traditional phone numbers. By adding some desktop VoIP software tools to your Mac, you, too, can take advantage of Internet Internet calling. We’ve reviewed four Mac-compatible desktop VoIP applications: Apple’s iChat AV 3.1.4, SIPPhone’s Gizmo Project 1.3.2, SightSpeed 4.5, and Skype 1.4. We also computer-to- checked out a unique product called Wengo- computer-to- phone call Phone; still in beta for the Mac, this VoIP computer call plug-in for Mozilla Firefox lets you make and receive calls via the browser. While each program has strengths and weaknesses, they all do basically the same computer-to-computer thing: they present you with a buddy list like conference call the one in an instant-messaging (IM) pro- gram, and they allow you to communicate by voice (and sometimes video) with the folks in that list. Perhaps the best thing about these VoIP apps is that they’re free downloads and aren’t shareware, so they won’t time out or periodically nag you to register. Since these programs are free, their makers do charge for From Your Desktop Desktop Voice over IP software allows you to interact with other VoIP users, and some some premium features. VoIP tools even let you call traditional phone numbers from the comfort of your Mac desktop. To get started using VoIP, you’ll need a broadband Internet connection (cable or Cross-Platform Connections these simple desktop VoIP apps can make DSL) and a Mac running OS X 10.3 or 10.4 Some VoIP products, including Skype and conferencing easier—and more affordable. (some of these tools—iChat AV and Skype, Gizmo Project, run on Windows and Linux, All of these applications allow you to call for instance—offer additional functions to while Apple’s iChat AV runs only on OS X. other Internet users for free. But if you Tiger users). You’ll also need a microphone Skype, SightSpeed, Gizmo Project, and want to call somebody using his or her tele- and a pair of speakers or headphones. Seri- iChat AV allow you to host either multi- phone number, as permitted by Skype, ous desktop VoIP users will opt for head- party voice or videoconference calls. Unlike Gizmo Project, and the Wengo plug-in, phones or even a headset-microphone to expensive high-end conferencing systems you’ll pay a basic, per-minute fee. At this eliminate echo, one of the negative side designed for large businesses, which are writing, neither iChat AV nor SightSpeed effects of using freestanding speakers. often connected to a telephone system, permits computer-to-phone calling. ILLUSTRATION BY COLIN HAYES 24 MACWORLD July 2006 www.macworld.com 24 VoIP Applications 34 More Reviews 36 iPod Gear 42 Mac Gems 46 Top Products REVIEWS YOU CAN TRUST Macworld rates only final shipping products, not prototypes. What we review is what you can actually buy. Advanced Features Cost Money channels on the Internet if all participants Internet will cost you a lot less than placing While you can make basic calls for free, are .Mac subscribers. international long-distance calls. more-advanced features will cost you. For Once you become accustomed to a desk- instance, Skype’s voice-mail feature carries top VoIP tool, you may find that VoIP call- Some Downsides a small monthly charge. Obtaining a per- ing becomes a part of your daily routine. Despite the benefits of VoIP software on the manent phone number from Skype (called After all, it’s a lot easier to dial a Skype buddy Mac, a traditional phone is still necessary in a SkypeIn number) involves an additional by double-clicking on a name than it is to some situations. Chief among them is emer- fee. Also for a fee, Gizmo Project allows look up a number in Address Book and man- gency calling. None of the apps we looked you to forward your incoming calls to ually punch it in on your telephone’s keypad. at can properly route a 911 call to your local another telephone, such as your cell phone, If you’re into multiplayer Internet games, emergency dispatcher, though they’ll prob- and SightSpeed offers extended conferenc- using a tool like Skype to keep in touch with ably have this ability in the future. Some ing and video-messaging features for paid your teammates is nice, as it relieves you services that require entering digits—such subscribers. iChat AV users can’t call tradi- from having to type text-chat messages dur- as telephone banking or certain corporate tional phone numbers, but they can call ing the game. And if you have relatives in phone menus—may not work properly with each other, using securely encrypted audio other countries, talking to them over the continues VoIP SOFTWARE COMPARED COM- PERMITS PUTER- SUPPORTS PRICING CALLS TO SYSTEM VIDEO TO- CALLS TO METHOD OTHER PROD- REQUIRE- CONFER- ENCRYPT- PHONE WINDOWS FOR PAY WEBCAM VOIP VOICE UCT COMPANY RATING MENTS ENCING ED AUDIO CALLING USERS FEATURES SUPPORT SERVICES QUALITY PROS CONS Gizmo SIPPhone, mmmm OS X 10.3 H G G G prepaid N/A G Good Can record No videoconfer- Project www.giz (Panther) credits calls; can cus- encing; inferior 1.3.2 mopro or 10.4 tomize hold implementation ject.com (Tiger); music; party- of computer-to- Universal line chat; can phone confer- dial SIP URIs; ence calling. simultaneous ring options; computer-to- phone calling. iChat AV Apple mmmm 10.4 G .Mac users H G .Mac, $99 FireWire H Good Simple, easy No support for 3.1.4 Computer, (Tiger); only per year only user interface; computer-to- www.apple Universal compatible phone calling; .com with Mac and no built-in sup- Windows AIM and Google port for USB Talk; no cen- video cameras. tralized service necessary for conference calls. Sight- Sight- mmmm OS X 10.3 G H H G fixed USB and H Good Cool pan-tilt- Un-Mac-like Speed Speed, (Panther) monthly FireWire zoom camera interface; limits 4.5 www.sight- or 10.4 fee features; use- on video mail are speed.com (Tiger); ful parental unrealistic for video blogging; Universal controls; nifty can use only a video mail; Webcam snap- works with shot for thumb- Windows and nail image; no Mac. computer-to- phone calling. Skype Skype, mmmmh OS X 10.3 H G G G prepaid N/A H Excellent Excellent No videoconfer- 1.4 www.skype (Panther) credits sound quality; encing support .com or 10.4 computer-to- for Mac version. (Tiger); phone calling PowerPC ability; conve- nient call his- tory; search- able user directory; abil- ity to sync with Apple’s Address Book. N/A = not applicable. G = yes. H = no. www.macworld.com July 2006 MACWORLD 25 REVIEWS the computer-to-phone features of Skype and MacBook Pros), iChat provides the you know if it’s a good time to call or text- and Gizmo Project, due to differences in the richest videoconferencing experience avail- message them. iChat also offers something way VoIP supports dialed touch tones. able on an OS X machine. unique among these VoIP tools: icons Discovering which VoIP app is right for iChat also supports Jabber, an open- accompanying each buddy in the list tell you you involves a combination of research, source IM protocol, so you can use iChat whether he or she has the right hardware— experimentation, and (hopefully) a little fun. with Google Talk (a Windows-only IM pro- in this case, a camera and a microphone—to gram). And Bonjour, Apple’s zero-configura- accept video or voice calls. iChat AV 3.1 tion networking technology, enables iChat In addition to offering one-on-one call- Most Mac OS X users already have a great to seamlessly discover potential partners ing, iChat supports multiparty cross-plat- VoIP tool installed. Apple’s iChat AV comes connected to your LAN. iChat also works form conferencing for voice and video. with every Mac and, as of the current version with Apple’s iChat Server, so you can main- Voice conferences can include up to ten (3.1.4), offers good voice-chatting and vid- tain your own private network of iChat participants. While iChat is limited to four eoconferencing features. This program users. This is ideal in an office setting where video participants at a time, it’s hard to beat began life as a simple text-messaging tool for you don’t want private communication tra- iChat’s cool 3-D video display, which makes use with the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) versing the public Internet. it appear that the people in the conference network, but it has evolved into a full-blown iChat’s user interface resembles that of an are actually facing one another. Apple’s desktop teleconferencing tool. When used IM application. Like Skype and other IM adoption of the H.264 video codec means alongside Apple’s excellent iSight video cam- apps, iChat has a buddy list that tells you the that you’ll see very clear, high-quality era (now built into new iMacs, MacBooks, current status of each of your buddies, so continues Internet Telephony and VoIP—What’s the Difference? If you want to dive into the world of Internet tele- Though it’s easy to confuse soft phones with a devastating effect on Internet telephony.