I have read what I could on the Skype website, but is there a site that anyone is aware of that explains Skype in real basic terms.

Here is what I think I know: Skype is a program which you download onto your laptop that allows you to make telephone calls over a broadband internet connection wherever you are in the world. You fund it presumably by leaving a balance via credit card or PayPal. You can call landlines or cellphones. You can either hook a headset/mike to your laptop via the jacks or via USB. You can buy relatively inexpensive USB phones to use instead of the headset/mike combo. And you can buy more expensive phones that actually are pre-loaded with Skype and some sort of web browser that allow phone calls to be made without your computer from any WiFi hotspot.

Am I missing anything important here? How is the quality of the sound? Is attempting to make a call a hit or miss thing or is it pretty reliable (recent outage not withstanding)?

SkypeIn? SkypeOut?