Mac as telephone: I don't get it

My needs are much more modest. I have video and audio chats with friends, family and collegues around the world from both my powerbook and desktop. Somesimes I do it from airports, hotel lobbies, etc where I have to talk and listen quietly. All i need is a headset that plugs into both the microphone and speaker plugs on my Macs so I can conference quitely. Any suggestions?

I only wish you could call Gizmo users from Skype and vice-versa. I'm big on compatiblity and I figure if they two can call each other, a lot more people would be open to and using internet telefony. Any thoughts on this? To answer the question: Cell + Landline + Skype, but in 3 weeks when I move to Israel, I'll have a local cell and a US-based SkypeIN number for people to call me. My US-based cell will be there, but only for emergencies and the occasional voicemail... I'm sure the roaming would kill me.

Cell. Don't always have a computer handy and don't like the idea of my phone hanging on the wall, at home, ringing when I'm not there. Have thought about a landline when going through hell to get my TiVo set up, but ended up throwing it in a large messenger bag and taking to a friends to use theirs while I was cat-sitting. That was one weekend and haven't wanted it since. I'm hoping to get the family on iChat before long, so we can all use iSights and not have to phone.

Vonage and a cell phone is all I need. I still like to use Gizmo and Skype because sometimes the people I'm calling only have a cell phone at their disposal and calling them still costs minutes even if with Vonage it costs me nothing. I'm also considering getting a SkypeIn number to forward calls to while I'm on the road because firewalls/proxies may wreak havoc on the Vonage phone adapter's connectivity.

What do you need a headset for? I use Skype all the way long without a headset just using the internal speaker and microphone of my 12" Powerbook. It works fine...

I live in Cambodia, and if I had to call my friends at home using a telephone it would cost about $7/minute, which means that a 20-minute call would cost as much as my monthly rent. With SkypeOut, I can call people in the US for pennies a minute, and with SkypeIn, they can call a number in the US and talk to me, as long as I'm online (otherwise, they leave a message). Maybe it makes little sense for US-to-US calls, but for those of us who aren't bounded by the US borders, VoIP is a real godsend.

I'll be using Gizmo with a bluetooth headset while I'm in middle-of-nowhere northwest Connecticut this fall, with limited landline access and zero mobile wireless signal.

I prefer the idea of cell and IP calling with no computer... Until then, I'm IP all the way... Its kinda like email way back in the day. There was a time when people didn't know what it was or how to use it. Granted, SKYPE and Gizmo are a bit more involved b/c they require additional accessories (headsets, etc), but its worth it. I call using a bluetooth headset and my computer is usually on anyway. So, I walk around my house and chat to friends and family for free or for 1.8 cents a minute. I've reduced the cell phone usage and I don't even own a home phone anymore. Home phones are kind of outdated to me. The expense ($25+ a month) is unjustified. They're only good for 911. I'm looking forward to this technology driving the cost of communication down. We've been paying too much for too long... and these cellphone plans are ridiculous.

Landline - I like the fact that people can't contact me all the time. Sometimes. going incognito is a good thing.

Skype on the desktop I sometimes use.. but mostly when I want to get contacted... when I want to contact I use my WinMobile Cellphone which has a Wifi card... whenever I find myself at home or at a hotspot I can use Skype to contact any desktop skype user or use it to make foreign calls... very usefull and pretty cool. :-) Otherwise I just use my cellphone for everything else or if I can't find the user online.