Travel Technology - VOIP Phones

I'm looking to purchase a phone to hook up to my computer to use Skype. Looking at their website, their cordless phone is 130+ euros. Can I use other generic VOIP phones (I assume there are such phones) and make it work with Skype or whatever VOIP software I have installed on my computer?

Why not just buy a set of "gamer" headphones that have a separate mic and earphone plug to insert in the appropriate sockets on the computer. Cost is about $20-25. Its a little bulkier, (not a lot, if you get the folding type) and works fine with Skype, Voipbuster, etc.

For example:
http://www.bizrate.com/buy/products__cat_id--482,keyword--headphone%20mic.html

Don't have a cordless solution yet. Here's what I use now:

AT THE OFFICE I use the Cyberphone K (purchased from the Skype webstore). Works perfect. Around 50 €.

WHEN TRAVELING the least bulky solution I could think of so far is this: ZIP-LINQ retractable Mono Headset with Microphone (ZIP-AUDIO-PC1 ) (23 €) + TURTLE BEACH AUDIO ADVANTAGE USB audio adapter. 35 €. The latter I use, because it allows me to hear the Skype ringer (eg when walking around in my hotel room). If I plug the headset straight into the analog audio port on my Thinkpad X40, I can't hear the Skype ringer, (even when I check the checkbox in Skype's settings).
I just purchased the TRUST PH-2200 Internet Phone (probably Europe only - www.trust.com). Around 45 €. A lot bulkier to carry around than above headset solution, still I want to try it on my next trip. Size like mobile phone. And works and feels just like a plain old telephone.

AT HOME I use a Plantronics DSP headset. With a USB connection, again because - contrary to an analog headset - it allows me to hear the Skype ringer.

CORDLESS Next move is a cordless Skype phone. Bagold, keep me posted when you find one that works.

What you want is a VoIP ATA. You can configure that to work with SkyPE and
then use a standard cordless phone which will connect to the POTS port on the ATA. Sipura makes quite a few models that will work perfectly. Then you needn't use the computer at all.

What I'm looking forward to is a Wi-Fi VoIP/GSM phone. I carry an access point when I travel and even a WiFi phone would work well. I just haven't found one yet that looks advanced enough to splash out on. Those USB phone/handsets are available here, I just haven't gone there yet.

My current VoIP solution is Avaya's IP Softphone software combined with a Bluetooth headset. Thus far it's worked fabulously all over the world although in some more farflung places I've had to drop back from the G.711 codec to something a bit more 'tolerant'. The ability to have internal PBX access on the road is SUCH a boon. Also, I rather like the ability to bypass the PSTN in certain places (China, f'rinstance).

I dont know a lot about SKYPE from a user stand point b/c I'm not a subscriber.
However, I do run my own VoIP server (Asterisk) and have played with several SIP solutions.

That being said, Skype is locked and only equipment provisioned for them will work- from what I understand. Thus I cannot connect my Asterisk server to a skype account (much to the dismay of many asterisk users). They are using a variant of SIP but there is no way to provision your own device.

That being said... in case you are willing to consider other providers here is what I like:

The best of the best is currently the Hitachi WirelessIP 5000 which I think you can get at voipsupply.com . Battery life is great and reception comapired to my vtech analogue phone. However, thats not saying much. I have a small cape cod style house with 3 APs and cannot venture far outside at all (then again, its a true brick house). It has all the features you'd expect although early firmware still had a few Korean characters in menus.

ZyXel (same as some others out there... most in fact).
Works fine but has zero features... no hold, no transfer, no mute, no call waiting, nothing.

Note: none of the wifi sip phones on the market support WPA currently, just WEP... i use MAC filtering and RADIUS to keep safe.

What I do a lot for traveling is pair my bluetooth headset to my laptop. Not sure if the skype client supports changing the input/output device, but I feel like it must.

I just ordered a Sprint pocketpc 6700 which supports WiFi and EV-DO and I have high hopes about running a SIP client on it.

I think for skype a USB "phone" or bluetooth headset is your best bet.

For those interested: Asterisk is a GREAT solution for people who travel, espically abroad. I have 3 SIP, 1 IAX and 2 POTS lines coming into my Asterisk box which is connected to 5 hard phones and 2 wifi phones. All of this runs flawlessly on a 233mhz box with 256mb of ram!
Ebay an old pc, get a BYOD lite account from www.broadvoice.com and never pay for skype again (of course you pay for Broadvoice).

I was in Ireland for the last two weeks. I got a pay as you go SIP account from www.blueface.ie with a dublin number then got a O2.ie sim card for my unlocked GSM phone. From the phone I could call a local dublin number which connected to my asterisk server, detected the caller ID and gave me a dialtone like I was sitting in my living room in Richmond. People from the states could call my home number and press a password and be connected to my Irish cell just like they were calling Virginia. It was GREAT. Of course I didn't tell anyone at work about this!