See You on the Internet.

Most people by now are familiar with corresponding over the Internet using e-mail. This is by far the most popular way to communicate online with friends and family. It has become an indispensable form of communication in the business world. What is not as well known is how to actually talk to and see friends and relatives using the Internet rather than email or a regular telephone call. In this article Grandma is going to explain how you can easily turn your computer into a multimedia communications device right out of the Jetsons.

First of all, why would you want to speak with someone using your computer rather than placing a telephone call. Cost is the main reason. You can speak with people across the United States, in Europe, Asia and most anywhere in the world without paying long distance charges. The only charge you will incur is the local charge you already pay to the telephone company and the monthly fee you already pay to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) - such as America Online. You can talk as long as you want and pay no per minute charges. Some companies using this technology are already slashing their telephone bills by thousands of dollars per month. Grandma has been speaking to people using the Internet for over 3 years. During that time the quality of the sound has improved by leaps and bounds.

So you ask, "what sort of exotic and expensive equipment do I need to pull of this futuristic feat?" Well, as long as you have a typical Pentium type computer with Windows 95 or above, a sound card, simple speakers and a microphone you are all set. If you do not have the microphone you can pick one up for less than $15 at most any electronics store.

To set up your computer for telephony you simply visit the Internet and download software which includes telephony features. A couple of good ones are Microsoft's NetMeeting and VocalTec's Internet Phone. NetMeeting has the advantage of being free. The VocalTec software can used for free for 3 minute periods. When you pay for the software the limitation is removed. You can also purchase it on CD from your local computer superstore if you would rather not download it. To install either software you simply run the setup program and answer a few questions regarding the type of equipment you have installed on your computer. You are now ready to talk to people over the Internet.

If you know the IP address of the person you are trying to reach and you know they are online you simply input his or her IP address into the software much as you would his or her regular telephone number and click on the Connect Button. In a few seconds your friend's software will ring notifying him or her that you are calling. You then simply speak into the microphone and talk to your friend just as you would using a telephone. The quality of the sound is very good because of modern compression techniques. In the old days - 3 years ago - the communications was uni-directional meaning that you had to wait until your friend stopped speaking and then you would be able to speak, sort of like CB radio. Now, the technology allows you both of you to speak at the same time.

The telehony software also allows you to connect with central servers which act like phonebooks. You will see all of the people currently online and you simply click on a name to initiate a conversation with that person. They can then either accept or reject the call.

It is also very easy to use the Internet for videoconferencing. This enables you to SEE and HEAR the other person -- perfect for seeing long lost friends, relatives, the grandkids, holding business meetings and doing business demonstrations. Again, there is no per minute charge if you use the Internet as the transmission medium. The only additional piece of equipment you will need to send the video is a camera. Remarkably, a color camera enabling videoconferencing can be purchased for about $100 at your local computer superstore. I have used the Quickcam camera with numerous software combinations and it works very nicely. Installation is really simple as it plugs into either the parallel port on your computer or if you have a USB (Universal Serial Bus) you can purchase the USB version.

Videoconferencing cameras include software which you can set up in minutes. The aforementioned NetMeeting also supports videoconferencing as does Cornell Universities CU-See-Me. You can then communicate over the Internet or if you prefer point-to-point by using the software to dial the other person's regular telephone number which would have his modem attached and ready to accept a call. The advantage of using the Internet is that you do not pay the per minute charge associated with regular long distance calls. You can expect to get about 15 frames per second in image motion. Television uses 30 frames per second which is why it looks very smooth to your eyes. You will notice the image is not nearly as smooth at 15 frames per second. But videoconferencing is still very useful and a lot of fun. If your friend also has a video camera they will see you on their screen and you will see them on your screen. You will speak into the microphone for the audio portion of the call. If he does not have a video camera he can still use a free piece of software such as NetMeeting and he will be able to speak with you and see you but you will not be able to see him. This can be quite useful for product demonstrations.

GrandmaBetty looks forward to Seeing You on the Net!

Betty Fox is the Founder of Grandma Betty's Corner. She can be reached by email at GrandmaBetty@igrandparents.com. She welcomes all questions and comments.