Freetel

FreeTel -- FreeTel is a new real-time voice communications application in the Internet Phone mold. The product is free for non-commercial use (albeit with heavy advertising) or just under $30 for the commercial version (the price you have to pay to get rid of the advertising). Audio quality for FreeTel is surprisingly solid (though not quite in the same league as Internet Phone or WebPhone's audio quality). Additionally, FreeTel is currently the only Internet phone client to offer separate bass and trebel controls as well as microphone and speaker volume controls. While FreeTel does offer superior audio quality, the delays between sending and receiving messages do tend to be longer than in comparable clients. Like most high-end phone clients, FreeTel supports both full-duplex (if you have the necessary hardware) and half-duplex (if you don't) voice communications. Although real-time voice communication is FreeTel's forte, you can also communicate via old-fashioned text mode as well as send files to other users. Additional FreeTel features include CallerID, introduction messages, multiple user configurations, phone web links, and the Booster option. Booster is a feature designed to improve sound quality during peak time periods (when the Internet is overloaded or congested with traffic) at the expense of minimal delay increases. FreeTel's electronic phone directory is testament to the popularity of the client; unfortunately, there are often so many people on-line that it can take a while to get a complete listing of users. A major annoyance in the free version is the inability to fully minimize the program - attempting to do so will minimize the interface, but you're still stuck with the advertising! The free version also has a permanent 'stay on top' feature that provides further hindrance to your attempts at removing the advertising (or working on other programs while in auto-receive mode). If you can look past these quirks, or if you take advantage of the inexpensive price tag for the commercial version, FreeTel can be a surprisingly fun client to use; if not, you're better off looking elsewhere. Pros: Real-time voice communication once again achieved on the 'net, freeware status Cons: Quirky design in the free version due to advertising, lacks some of the competitions' features New: This is the initial review for FreeTel Version Reviewed: 1.00 Date of Review: 7/10/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud