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Skype on Your iPad
The most popular VoIP service is Skype. The current Skype app for the iPad is really an iPhone app. This is not a big deal, and most iPhone apps will function correctly on the iPad. To fill the whole screen, you can double the size of the app.
It is not a big deal for Skype or any other VoIP app because you do not spend much of your time looking at the iPad once you have made your call.
It is very easy to register your copy of Skype on the iPad. All you need is an active Skype account (you can get one by going here). The first time you run Skype you will be asked for a user ID and password. Enter them and you are good to go.
Skype comes with some great features. For instance, all your Skype contacts are available on the iPad. You also get access to your call log and the ability to update your personal preferences, including adding features such as voicemail to your account.
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The most important feature of the Skype app is its capability to make phone calls. The calling feature on Skype is very similar to the native iPhone call feature. Calls can be made in two different ways: Skype-to-Skype calls and traditional landline calls.
Skype-to-Skype calls are all free. No matter where you live. You can live in England and call a Skype user in Australia for free and talk as long as you like.
Traditional landline calls are not free, but the cost is very low. For instance, you can call most of Europe's landline phones from anywhere in the U.S. for less than 3 cents per minute. In contrast, AT&T charges over $1.00 per minute when you use a standard mobile phone.
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There are features missing from the Skype app, however. The current version does not support video chat—there is no forward-facing camera on the iPad.
Another common Skype activity is sharing documents. This, too, cannot be done on the iPad.
Finally, something out of the control of the Skype developers is multitasking. You cannot jump out of your Skype call when the person on the other end of the line tells you to go and check your email. The iPhone OS does not currently support multitasking. The good news is that the iPad is getting multitasking functionality sometime in November.
All in all, Skype for the iPad works very well and the price is right: free. There is no charge for the Skype app.