zolcos
join:2010-05-19
Houghton, MI
1 edit | Fring was great This is the most upsetting news I've seen here in a while, albeit not very surprising. I've been using Fring since way before this new feature -- the selling point for me was that with a cheapo Skype subscription (and Fring's free app) I could have unlimited voice calls to and from landlines, using my smartphone, that only go over my WiFi. I didn't even need a SIM card, thereby avoiding the need for expensive things like voice minutes or a wireless data plan.
On one hand, it kills me that the introduction of a feature I didn't even have a use for is the reason my phone now doesn't work. On the other, Fring was just innovating, and Skype has a history of being evil, especially since their relationship with eBay. (Funny how "innovation" is often used as a magical defense for evil rather than something to be demonized.)
The kicker for Skype is that unless this decision is reversed, I'll have no reason to continue my Skype subscription. This isn't just a halfhearted "disgruntled customer" situation -- Skype really is useless to me now. Part of me is glad to be forced into an alternative due to the fact that I've lost so much information because of their shoddy unreliable voicemail system, but the other part raises an important question:
Is there another cheap, unlimited (or practically so), landline-capable VoIP service with an S60 client? If not, I guess I'm SOL. |
