Gizmo – A Free Phone For Your Macintosh
Gizmo is a cross platform (Linux, Windows and Mac) VoIP client. I’ve enjoyed Gizmo for the six months that I have had it, and suggest you give it a try over at www.gizmoproject.com. Gizmo is free computer to computer, and offers rates as low as one cent a minute to virtually anywhere on the planet. If you don’t own a microphone, do not fret, as it is usable with many of the built-in microphones that come on your Mac. I should note however, that I have always had the best luck (in terms of voice quality) when I use a USB headset. You can usually pick one of these up at a computer store for approximately twenty dollars.
Another feature in Gizmo, is the ability to record phone calls in .wav format, I find this useful when dealing with unruly customer service people. You can also opt to pay for a “call-in” number and pick from virtually all of the available U.S. area codes. Most people would pick an area code for the city they live in, but I ended up opening up a phone number in the same area code as a client I am doing a lot of development work for. That way my client gets to dial me at a local number… a nice touch, which didn’t go unnoticed.
