Skype® for Dummies®

Chapter 3. Getting Familiar with Skype's Interface

In This Chapter

• Finding your way around Skype's menus and toolbar

• Announcing and changing your Skype status

• Getting help

So, now that Skype has found a home on your PC, you need to get in gear so that you can drive Skype with precision and ease. As with a new car, the console might be seem a little confusing at first. When you know where everything is, though, you'll find Skype to be a smooth ride. This chapter eases you into the driver's seat.

These pages familiarize you with the six main menus and toolbar in Skype so that you know right where to go for whatever task or activity you want to engage in. Consider this chapter as your tour guide for getting around in Skype. If we don't cover the full details of a given feature here, we tell you where in the book to go for more details about it.

You also find out about the various status icons that Skype uses to indicate a user's status (online, offline, and others) and how to change your status. Finally, we tell you about where to find the help you might need on occasion, steering you in the right direction both within the software and on Skype's Web site. The creators of Skype want you to go from 0 to 60 mph in the shortest amount of time so that you can feel comfortable and productive. The menu is designed to help you become a player in the Skype global community as quickly as you can say "Skype Me!"

Understanding the Skype Menus

Just as Skype is a breeze to install, Skype is equally easy ...