Although most Net Phone apps have many more features than this, to meet our definition for inclusion here it simply has to have the capability for near real time point-to point streaming audio (voice) conversation between at least two people in different places connected to the Internet using a computer with a sound card, mic, and speakers or headphones. Most have other capabilities including streaming video, audio/video conferencing, text chat, voice-mail, video-mail, file transfer, whiteboard, collaborative browsing, browser plug-ins or ActiveX controls, web page link support, encrypted transmissions, on-line directory displays, and other unique features like sound effects, cartoon animations and more.

Talking to friends, family, and business contacts in distant places with no long distance phone charges remains the most appealing use for these apps, although a growing number of people are using them as an entertainment or educational tool similar to Ham Radio on steroids. With Ham Radio you can talk to distant people on a hit or miss basis, learning about people and life in far away places. With Net Phone audio/video "chatting" you have a lot more flexibility by being able to search through directories with listings of people all over the world desiring conversations with others. The downside to this anonymous "chatting" is that you may never know for sure who you are really talking to. Of course one must be careful about giving out too much in the way of personal details, or allowing unsupervised children access to this technology without a serious talk about the potential dangers. Having said this, with a few caveats, this technology is incredible fun and it can be quite useful and educational. In many ways it is far better than simply making long-distance phone calls on a standard analog line (in some ways clearly NOT) and the cost is right. The capability also exists to use your PC to call any phone number, obviating the need for the person you call to have a computer and Internet connection. This is usually more reliable and often has better audio quality than a PC to PC call, although the delay and some distortion is still present and may be confusing to the person at the other end. This service usually requires an account with per minute charges like long-distance and although in many cases the charge per minute is much lower, calls to some locations (including almost all US domestic calls) can actually be cheaper and certainly more convenient and of much higher quality using a discount long-distance 1+ provider. There are a few services which are now totally free for PC to phone calling and at least one of these is without conditions. You can find the details by checking out the menu at the left. You need to try each of these technologies and several of the apps to decide when Net Phones are the proper tool for your call.

As with most computer applications, this depends on the software and computer system, but most of all, the end users and how adept they are at handling themselves on a computer in general. For the most part, after a short learning curve, the apps are extremely easy to use for anyone who can install and run software on the same computer the Net Phone app will run on. The only problem might be developing a strategy (with those you speak with) for how to handle various transmission difficulties (delays, drop-outs, distortion, lock-ups, crashes, ISP disconnects, excessive network traffic, etc.) with a minimal amount of inconvenience.

Apps are available that are totally free! Some are honor-system shareware, some are nag-ware, some are crippled until bought, and others are crippled after an evaluation period or expire completely after the trial is over. A few of these apps are only demos which are non-functional, requiring the app to be purchased before you can try it out. Stay away from these even if your friends tell you they work great on their systems - they may NOT on yours. The prices for those requiring payment range from $10 up to $100, although most fall in the $20-$30 range for 2 licenses, allowing you to use one for the person you talk to most. You will have to evaluate the need to pay or not, but any app that proves to be useful to you will be well worth the small cost of purchase, as you can recoup the fee in less than a month of domestic calling and easily on just one international call.

In other words, can I use Iphone to call my friends with Web Phone or some other apps? While most apps conform to a similar set of standards and some use the same codecs, for the most part, the best results are obtained by all parties using the same version of the same app. Some apps are guaranteed to be compatible with some other specific apps, although this does not mean you can expect the exact same quality and performance as when not mixing apps. Any compatibility information in the app descriptions is supplied by the software developer, not from the results of our testing.

This depends on which app/provider combination you are using. Some apps will work with specific providers, even if they don't provide a "true" PPP Internet connection. We don't get into this area in our reviews. Almost all the apps have some type of free evaluation period - TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!!

Check out this page to see if we're on-line right now. If not, you can still leave a voice-mail and check out the next time we will probably be on-line and available to take your call. You can also check out the website for the app you're using. Many have test links for echo servers or jukeboxes and usually have an on-line directory web page with a list of other users with the same app looking for people like you. Almost all apps also have the on-line directory lists as an option from the menu of the app itself. Other on-line directories are available as well. Check any search engine and you'll get several pages of directory lists that are usually current.

Obviously each of these apps will require a short learning curve, and each will behave differently. Most people refuse to read manuals or check help files. Try the included documentation first, then consult the app's support web pages, then try posts to applicable newsgroups, or if you can actually make a call - just keep asking people you talk to - they are your best and usually quickest source of good information because you can try their suggestions and get immediate feedback.