Commoditization Does Have Its Advantages

I've been noticing that prices are starting to drop for a range of consumer VoIP devices, particularly for phones and kits that support Skype that have been around for a while.

Case in point: the Linksys CIT200 handset, first introduced in late 2005. Although the device lists for @$100, I've seen it priced for $50-60 on places like buy.com and newegg.com. There are also rebates available that knock the price down even further.

In fact, when I found it available on buy.com at a total price of $50 with free shipping, I jumped. And I'm glad I did. The phone works flawlessly, and sounds incomparably better than the headset I was using before. And I love the fact I can wander far away from my PC and enjoy crystal clear calls (honestly, they sound better than my mobile and are indistinguishable from a POTS call).

I won't go into a full review here since it's already been covered before -- see this review by Jim Crane of the Associated Press, or this comprehensive testdrive by gadget king Tom Keating.