Setup

Whether or not you have an existing Skype account, setting up the SOLO is quite simple. By default, the SOLO is configured for DHCP, so for most home networks, you merely have to connect the WAN port on the SOLO to a LAN port on your router. The initial configuration consists of selecting a language for the menu system, setting the country and area code, as well as the time and date. Once these initial parameters are configured, you’re ready to log into your existing Skype account or to create a new account.

Figure 2: Text input on the SOLO Skype Desktop Phone

You input text on the SOLO Skype phone the same way that you enter text on the dial pad of a traditional cell phone. For each character you input, you press one of the ten numeric keys the appropriate number of times. In the example above (Figure 2), I was entering the letter "o," so I pressed the "6" key three times. As I pressed the key, the drop-down box below the data field showed my current selection. To accept a character, you merely pause for a second. In the case of inputting the password, each character turns into a "*" as it’s accepted.

Once you’ve created or logged into an existing account, you’ll see the main screen that looks something like Figure 3:

Figure 3: SOLO Home Screen

This screen shows the familiar green check mark showing that you’re logged in, as well as your user name (blurred in the screenshot) and your Skype account credit balance (if you have one).

At the bottom of the home screen, you see "Menu" and "Contacts." These two entries correspond to the "soft keys" located immediately below the screen. A tap of the soft key corresponding to "Menu" brings up the screen seen in Figure 4, below:

Figure 4: Menu on IPEVO SOLO

While the SOLO’s interface provides you access to many of the features found in the PC Skype client, you don’t have all of the options. I’ll review each menu item briefly.

Search—the search feature lets you find other Skype users by Skype user name or email address. The PC Client also allows you to search by country, city, state, language, gender, or age range (if specified in the skype user’s public profile). Still, I was able to search for contacts and add them to my contact list using the search function.

Status—This menu entry lets you change your Skype status (Offline, Skype Me, Away, Not Available, Do not disturb, and Invisible), your mood message, as well as manage your public and private profile entries.

Services—This allows you to view the status of your Skype premium services, including your current amount of credit, expiration date, Skype In, and Skype Voicemail.

Add Contact—From this menu, you can add new Skype contacts or new Skype Out phone numbers.

Tags: IPEVO, Skype, VoIP,

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