With a few dollars worth of credit you're now ready to make a call. Here's
how it works:
1. You can either click the Call Phones icon or select the Dial tab to open
the soft phone dial pad, shown in Figure 13-5.
2. Enter the number you want to call.
To call any number, no matter where it is, even if it's your next door
neighbor, you must dial the complete number including the country
code and area code. The country code for the U.S. is +1. To dial the plus
sign on the Skype dial pad you need to click and hold the 0. After a
second the plus sign appears near the bottom of the dial screen; you can
then release the mouse button and continue selecting numbers.
Figure 13-5: Dial the number you want to call.
3. Click the green Call icon and the connection process begins.
After your call is over, the Add a Contact screen appears and you have
the option to include this number with your other contacts. The number
you dialed is already entered.
4. If you choose to save the number as a contact, type a name in the text
entry field and click Add Number.
Note that the caller ID displayed on the other end of the call will be unfamil-
iar to the party you're calling. When I make SkypeOut calls, they're routed all
over the country but most often, it seems, east coast area codes are dis-
played. At least, that's what most people tell me they see on their caller ID
screen when I call.
Part V: Taking Care of Business
Page 268
