The future of Ubuntu Linux.... Will it make Micky$oft go bankrupt?

[H.S.]

Dotan Cohen wrote:
>> Well, in that cases its up to the Linux community to educate them.
>>
> 
> Some people just don't care until you show them a better product. I'm
> one of them.
> 
>> I don't mind paying for an application if it works, but what I dislike
>> is the limiting of my freedom with regard to the software I use, and
>> that is why I dislike the fact that the Skype protocol is bound to the
>> one brand of software.
> 
> So either reverse engineer it, or provide a better alternative. Better
> must include video, voice, chat, file transfers, and Paypal money

For the record, I use Ekiga and video calls, voice calls and chat all
work fine. In my experience, Ekiga has given me better performance
(perceptually) than Skype. This is on a connection half a world away on
a 32 KB/s connection on one end, *while* all other transfers are going
on (scp, vnc viewer, etc.). YMMV.

I think file transfers are also supported, but I have never tried those.
I use SSH, scp and https for those things for privacy and security.

Paypal: I am not sure, don't know.

Oh, Ekiga "just works" through firewalls, at least in the situations I
have used it. This is same as Skype.

What Ekiga is still lacking is encrypted calls, which Skype has.
However, there have been quite a few news stories about Skype providing
backdoor keys to various entities for the purpose of monitoring or
eavesdropping. In this case, once Ekiga get encryption (when, ekiga
devs, when? you said it will be 3.0, but now you are on 3.2!), it will
be better than Skype.

Finally, Ekiga plays quite nicely with pulseaudio, so I can switch mics
and headsets on the fly!


> transfers at the very least. Oh, and a pony would be nice.


Regarding the pony, if Skype provides it, I think it might be enough
bribe for some to keep using it :)



> 
> Show me a client that has the above features, and can be installed
> with click-click-click with no cost to the user and I'll help you
> spread the word.
> 

er .. Ekiga? I did not have to type any command in a terminal to set it
up and start using it. Even registering on ekiga.net was quite straight
forward ... but it requires touching your keyboard, mind you. :)
Have you even tried installing and using Ekiga at all within the last
one year? You appear to be out of touch with its current status.


At present, the main argument people make in favor of Skype is "oh,
everyone else is using it", as you did. Perhaps you can show some
enlightening leadership to your friends and nears ones to convince them
of the inherent problems with Skype and to try other alternatives?


-- 

Please reply to this list only. I read this list on its corresponding
newsgroup on gmane.org. Replies sent to my email address are just
filtered to a folder in my mailbox and get periodically deleted without
ever having been read.