World’s First Skype Video Phone Disappoints Asus should've stuck with just the Eee PC Asus and Skype have teamed up to create what they have called the world’s first Skype video phone. At first glance, it seems like a neat new product. It’s a small device with a webcam, speaker, microphone, USB port and Wi-Fi which lets you make Skype video calls without requiring the use of a PC. However, a closer examination of the product finds it disappointing for most users: "The battery only gives twenty minutes per charge, the camera has a pitiful 640 X 480 pixels of resolution and, worst of all, it will cost $300. If you consider that Asus itself makes the Eee PC, which costs the same and has all the functions of a proper computer, then this product seems even more inexplicable." For people who want to decide on the value of this product for themselves, it’s expected to be released sometime next month although no official release date has yet been announced.
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 | | | That's professional An unattributed quote, that's professional! | |
|  | | | Re: That's professional Um, it's a quote from the Wired article referenced by the link just before the quote. News blogs do that all the time (provide a link to an article followed by a quote from the article). Who peed in your Cheerios this morning? | |
| | | | | Re: That's professional Let me fix your post 
News Editorial blogs | |
| | | | | "Everybody else does it." That's no excuse! If you are satisfied for amateurish moderators, that all you will get. | |
| | | | | | Come on... You're demanding higher quality from a free service? Get real. | |
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 mrchrisOut and aroundPremium
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY | What Wow, what crappy drawbacks! 20 minutes of battery life? | |
| | | | Re: What said by mrchris:Wow, what crappy drawbacks! 20 minutes of battery life? It's a Ebay product! Batteries can be bought on Ebay you know.  
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Saving the world keeps me busy. However, I find Earth very primitive from my home planet of Krypton.
-Supergirl | |
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| | 640x480 640x480 isn't bad at all for skype video calls... considering that all my skype video chats are 320x240. And to get 640x480 you need a dual core processor (I think I high performance single core would work, but apparently skype limited it).
20mins. ugh. give me a couple hours atleast.
Hope to see improvements soon, this sounds like an awesome product that just needs a little more time to mature. | |
|  dadkinsCan you do Blu?Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
kudos:18 | Battery? What? No AC adapter? | |
| |  fireflierCoffee. . .Need CoffeePremium
join:2001-05-25
Limbo | Re: Battery? My thoughts too. The guys that designed this thing with the foreknowledge that it would have 20 minutes on a full charge should have planned to at least allow it to run indefinitely off AC.
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Tradition: Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid. --despair.com | |
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 RexterYeeHaw
join:2002-11-17
cloud 9
1 edit | Skype needs better quality Control. I have a Netgear WiFi Skype phone. It also is a disappointment. Great phone in concept, but when using it the poor quality, and lack or attention to detain really gets to you. Skype needs to pay closer attention to what they are willing to put their name on.
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With every new wave of optimism, or pessimism, we are ready to abandon history, and time tested principles, but we cling tenaciously and unquestioningly to our prejudices. (Benjamin Graham) | |
| | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| stupid idea. wouldn't adding the function to th Eee Pc be a better idea?
now that other makers seem to want to get into the micro-computer space (dell, gateway, hp, etc) they need to make their produt more valuable to the consumer. we don't need new "from scratch devices".. that was so "80's and 90's"
today, multi-function is very popular. the key is getting the right combination of functions and price to have a hit. sometimes scamartist style marketing helps too... (apple's ipod comes to mind). the point being, apple didn't get where they are to today solely on the merits of the quality of it's products/services. | |
| | | Video phones will never work in the US People are too self conscious out here. Japan would likely eat it up as would other Asian countries, but the US, you've got fat people, dirty people, cheaters, hookers, etc...who don't want to be seen while in their home. | |
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