EQO Mobile adds support for BlackBerry
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Oct 27th 2006 6:22AM
posted Oct 27th 2006 6:22AM
No, it's not really VoIP, but the creative folks at EQO have rigged a way to get Skype (sorta) onto all manner of phones that don't natively support it; newest on their compatibility list is the BlackBerry, a platform that commonly gets overlooked when it comes to the latest and greatest software goodies. If we're understanding this all correctly, getting EQO set up involves installing apps on both your phone and your PC, with the PC module being responsible for placing an actual voice call to your phone when placing or receiving calls via Skype. Therein lies EQO's secret to supporting handsets with scrawny data speeds (most BlackBerrys included): the PC's 'net connection still does all the heavy lifting, while the phone's data connection needs to do little more than show your buddy list and initiate the SkypeOut. If anyone gets around to checking this out on their Pearl, be sure to give us the lowdown in comments!
In response to user demand, we're adding support for the most popular smart-phones.
Ego is nice but the design is not very sound. iskoot does the same thing but you don't need to use your PC which is very important because when you are traveling you can't be sure the modem at home is working.
If you want cheap service, check out minowireless too. I am currently comparing iskoot, mino and voyp/gizmo combo on my Treo 700p.
I just installed EQO on my Pearl - my experience in brief:
Installing the client on my phone was easy, but it hung trying to connect to the service. (I'd already installed the desktop client installed and created an account.) Worse, I switched to the messaging app to check email and then couldn't switch back to EQO. A reboot of the phone solved the problem.
Once I'd rebooted, I was able to connect. I successfully called another skype user. Worked pretty much as advertised - the app complained about an error while I was talking, but it didn't seem to affect the connection.
The annoyances: EQO mucks with your sound preferences. I noticed my PC's sound was muted, but didn't make the connection until I un-muted and heard my own voice echoed out my PC headphones. Periodically the Skype sound preferences window would pop up unannounced as well. Oh, and they stick an EQO ad in every text chat.
So, it works, but it's too annoying to use on a regular basis on a work PC.
Oh, and the phone app hung my phone again as soon as I shut down the desktop component. Had to pull the battery. Blackberry support still needs some work.