Using IP-based telephony isn’t exactly new to me. I used my ISP-provided IP telephony for over a year before I moved to my new apartment.
And with my new apartment I switched ISP, and by switching ISP I couldn’t use that ISP’s phone service any longer. I first meant to use my new ISP’s phone, but they suddenly threw a $100 expense at me, expecting me to swallow which I didn’t. Instead I canceled my order to use their phone service, and bet all my cards on Skype.
Because see, I have an internal sound card on my computer’s motherboard, which Skype hates with a passion. Hiss snort. And then I have my old SB Live card from my old computer. To get Skype working, I had to use my old SB Live card, so I disabled the internal one. The fact I have two sound cards in my machine becomes important later on.
So, I got SkypeIn firstly. People need to be able to call me. I got a number in Sweden, in Stockholm. Yay and all that.
So then I got 100 SEK (Swedish crowns, ~$15 or something) worth of SkypeOut. So I can call regular phones using my Skype (and it’s actually really cheap).
That was a few weeks ago. All worked well, except for one little issue. Whenever someone calls me — or I decide to call someone — I have to tweak cables. Namely, I had to put my headset “in” into the logitech Z4 control’s “headphones”, and then move the control over to the computer, because the headset’s “mic” out was “tied” to the “in” cable, and then put the “mic” into the computer’s “mic in” port. And then I could finally “pick up the phone.” Shucks.
Then I realized what many others have already realized. Use one sound card for Skype and one for “everything else.” That effectively puts your Skype input/output in its own separate location. Which means I can sit and listen to music, and when someone calls, I just put the headset on, click “answer”, and start talking. The two sound cards worked together without any configuration aside from setting Skype to specifically use the SB Live card instead of the internal one. I can play music and talk on Skype without a single problem.
In celebration, I bought another SkypeIn number, this time a USA-based one (510 area code). If you wanna give me a call, lemme know and I’ll give you my number. 
Cool! Glad you got that working, sounds like a hassle really. You should check out those Skype phones, they’re apparently pretty good. BTW – you know there is free Skype long distance to all US and Canada numbers through the end of 2006 right? You should give a call to your Texan buddy once in a while *not so subtle hint*
Have fun with your new Skype line.
I have considered getting one of those. In fact, there’s even a “phone” that works entirely separately from a computer, but so far I haven’t seen one that actually uses Skype. But that would be seriously intriguing, to have a separate unit for Skype calls. I always dislike the necessity to have my computer on just so I can be called, though I tend to have it on anyway.
As for my Texan buddy, I would love to call her, except for the tiny fact that I have no clue what her # is.