While these days I usually find myself talking on a cordless or mobile phone (whether I'm Skyping or not), sometimes it's really nice--even reassuring--to use a corded phone. You always know where it is and the sound quality is likely to be very good because it's never "out of range." That's why I like the Topcom Webt@lker 5000--it's a corded desktop phone that works with Skype and doesn't need a computer--you just plug it into your router and then instantly you've got a dedicated, reliable Skype line. I had the chance to try one out for a few days and found it to be well thought-out and easy to use. Read on for my full review.

###First Impressions

It certainly doesn't look like the rotary phone in your grandmother's house. The Webt@lker 5000 is attractive in a modern way, with a rather angular handset. It features a 2.4 inch color LCD screen which is very clear and easy to read--initially I thought this might be a little small but it was perfectly fine for regular desk usage. The screen is on a panel that angles backwards and forwards so you can adjust it to a good angle no matter where it is on your desk or how long your torso is. The handset cord isn't extraordinarily long but again I found it plenty long when I used it from my desk. The back of the unit has two ethernet ports--you plug one into your router and the other serves as an extension port for other ethernet devices. There's also the power jack and a somewhat mysterious USB port--the manual only says that it's "not used." In addition to navigation, dialing and number buttons, the phone also has volume adjustment buttons (adjusts call volume while you're on calls and ringer volume when you're not) and buttons for mute and speakerphone.

###Functionality

Using the Webt@lker 5000 is easy and straightforward. When you first turn it on, you need to accept the Skype agreement, choose your country and input the date and time. Then you're prompted to sign in. You need to tap in your name and password the first time, but you can have the unit sign you in automatically after that.

Once you're signed in you hear the familiar Skype sign-on sound and see a status screen that shows your Skype name, how much SkypeOut credit you have remaining, and the time. The big 4-way button on the keypad gives you access to your status (so you can change it quickly), missed calls, contacts, and the main menu.

The Webt@lker lets you use nearly all of Skype's functions--you can set mood messages and change your status, use SkypeIn, SkypeOut, and Voicemail, and even change your profile. The one notable feature missing is the inability to text chat. But really it'd be too slow to do from the keypad (there's no T9 like on mobiles), and the phone form factor makes it so easy to call that I personally wouldn't ever want to text chat on it. When other users send you text chats they're informed you're using a version of Skype that doesn't support chat, and you'll get the chats next time you sign on to Skype on a computer.

I found the sound quality of the phone to be very good--having a dedicated ethernet connection meant I didn't have to worry about being too far from a base station. I liked the design of the handset--it was easy to put on my shoulder to go "hands free"--though when I actually wanted to go hands free the speakerphone was very good. The phone has echo cancellation and while callers could tell I was on speakerphone, they said I was still loud and clear.

Another thing I really liked was how easy it was to upgrade the firmware. The unit I was testing happened to be using an older version of the firmware, so I just had to go into Settings -> General -> Software updates, and from there it was very easy to follow the instructions and the unit upgraded automatically.

###Conclusion

The Topcom Webt@lker 5000 is a great phone for your desk. I could see it working particularly well in an office--you can just have the phone on your (actual) desktop and use it whether your computer is on or not. You can easily set your status to let callers know when it's a good (or bad) time to call you. And adding a SkypeIn number would be a great way to add an extra office line. The Webt@lker 5000 has been widely available in Europe since June and will be available in the Skype Store very soon.