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Personally I’ve been using Google Voice for quite a few years when it was originally called Grand Central before being acquired by Google.
I use both Skype and Google but in the past for different reasons.
Google Voice offers a free local telephone number which can forward calls to up to seven separate phone numbers including any landline or cell phone. Includes voice mail and email alerts that you have a voice message waiting.
You can now place outbound calls for free to any landline or cell phone within the US and Canada along with very competitive rates overseas for as little as .02 a minute. The cost is slightly cheaper than Skype overseas calls.
The service is free and calls to the phones in the U.S. and Canada are free, at least through the end of the year. The company said it has no plans to start charging for calls to the U.S. and Canada but was clear that some of that is dependent on making some money on international calls.
Google voice can be used as a stand alone or access via Gmail, if used as part of Gmail caller ID will appear when placing calls to other phones.
Free is always good, but don’t expect the same quality of calls as with a cell phone and certainly not a landline.
Given the choice between Skype and Google, I prefer Skype at the moment.
