Are you as sick of high phone bills as PC World columnist Dan Tynan is? If so, be sure to read his latest Gadget Freak about Skype and other VoIP services. Many readers shared their Skype stories and offered suggestions on alternative programs.
A substitute teacher in Connecticut is facing prison time because of a malware-infected PC that exposed the students to pornographic pop-ups. Should she be going to jail, or is she a victim too? Read Steve Bass's Tips & Tweaks column and then let us know what you think.
Will Microsoft release another OS in 2009? It sure seems that way. Some readers don't think it's possible, while others say they will skip Vista entirely and wait for the new version in 2009. What do you think? Can Microsoft release another OS in just two years? Will this change your upgrade plans?
Steve Jobs made waves when he indicated that iTunes would drop digital rights management features if record companies are willing. If online music was DRM free, would that change your purchasing habits? Take our Community Poll and let us know.
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Sick of High Phone Bills? I Hear You
offthegrid says: I've been using AIM Phoneline Unlimited for two months without a snag. You can even use it from your cell phone once you've set it up. There's a delay when answering/making a call initially, but no echo like I have had with Skype. You can add multiple 911 locations also.
jamesm says: I am using Skype at the moment and get crystal clear voice each way. I am using it for my long-distance carrier for just $68 a year! Also Skype is on my laptop and I can get or receive calls on it as well as at home.
riskyrob says: Being overseas I've found Skype to be invaluable. I use it to call home and it only costs me 2 cents a minute from Germany. As long as I don't have major uploads or downloads going while I'm Skyping out, there is no problem with the call clarity.
Ferengi says: I am using VoIPBuster from Belgium; it is crystal clear to the U.S. and the rest of Europe and cheaper than Skypeout.
Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.
Teacher Faces Prison for Pop-Up Infested PC
kakubei says: This is truly unbelievable and idiotic in the case of the prosecution. How can you convict a person with a computer that is not even theirs? And even if it were, as Steve points out, malware and spyware are pervasive elements in the Windows world. Even the most expert of computer users are victims of it. I shudder to think what the U.S. is coming to.
mcbarker says: My guess is that some school kids hacked into the system, or knew the password, and decided to check out some porn sites... and you know that they aren't going to come forward and admit what they did. Is it any wonder that people are becoming cynical about the justice system?
ogman says: Somebody needs to contact the Justice Department or Congress (actually, I wrote to Congress). This is stupidity gone mad! Obviously the school district dropped the ball here and they are railroading this poor teacher.
scarborought says: As a CISSP from San Diego, all I have to say is the IT manager for this school (district) should be fired. They should have all computers taken off the public network until they are cleaned up. I certainly hope this works out for her in the end.
Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.
Microsoft: Vista Follow-up Likely in 2009
runninron69 says: 2009? Yeah, right. This just proves that they really do think we're as dumb as a box of rocks. They will still be running around in circles, chasing their tails, trying to work all the bugs out of Vista in 2009. Just a repeat of all the lies and BS we had to put up with after XP came out.
getit29 says: I really doubt that they will even have SP1 for Vista out by 2009 let alone another new operating system. It doesn't really matter to me because I'm sticking with XP as long as I can--so it's no Vista for me any time soon.
btrotta says: If you're running a stable enterprise system on XP now, Microsoft has just eliminated any need for you to even consider switching to Vista. They've just made it obsolete less than two weeks after releasing it. I'll wait for the new OS now, because by then they will have worked out most of the bugs in Vista, and added some new eye candy and toys to make it actually worthwhile for me to consider the upgrade. Thanks Microsoft, you've just saved me a lot of money and made your new OS a white elephant all in one shot.
illiniwatcher says: When it hits the market, I bet it will be called "Vista 2009" or whatever year it's released. Giving it another name will confuse consumers and businesses still getting accustomed to the Vista name.
Read all the posts in this thread and contribute your own opinion.
Community Poll
Steve Jobs said that he would drop DRM from music downloads at iTunes if the record labels would let him. Would you buy more of your music online if it didn't have DRM restrictions?
- Yes, I would buy more music online if it were DRM-free.
- No, I would buy the same amount of music online as I do currently.
- No, I would buy less music online than I do currently.
- Other (please post to tell us).
Vote now in the PC World Forums.
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