Yup. My dad just set it up and we got it running in a couple minutes. It works just like AIM or MSNMessenger, except you can call, too.
Do this for your mom (and yourself): (Apologies for uber-simplified instructions)
Setup:
1. Download.
2. Install.
3. Create a user.
4. Remember the username or email used in profile for the new user.
5. When your user is setup, search for your mom's user and add as a contact.
6. On mom's machine, open skype. Click OK to accept you as a contact.
Boom! You're connected.
Usage:
* Skype usually starts when Windows starts, so you don't have to have her start it.
* Email and tell each other when to be online. Or...
* Go to Tools > Options and have it set her status as Away when the computer is idle for 5 minutes (or whatever) so you know when she is online if you're not planning on having appointments for calling.
* When you want to call or instant message just do it when she's online and it will pop up a message. She will just have to click on it.
* If she wants to contact you, she has to double-click the green icon in the status bar, then double-click on your name in the contact list.
* For instant messages, nothing special is needed, but for calls you need speakers and a microphone and a webcam if you want video.
* If only one person has a webcam, that's fine, they can share video while the other just watches.
* Echo/feedback can be a problem, so test her speaker/microphone system before you leave. Consider a headphone/microphone combo if she's comfortable with it and you're having problems. Same for you.
* Consider adding a few dollars to your skype account. You can use it to call a landline. This helps if you want to call your mom (or someone else) and she isn't online. Calling the U.S. is cheap
I think about 2 cents/minute, and you can either tell her to get on her computer or just talk for a couple minutes for low rates. In fact, if it's cheap enough you might want to just do this to make calling your mom easier so she doesn't have to use the computer.
* If she knows how to work skype, she can call a landline in kuwait for cheap. The current rate
looks like about 14 cents. View > Call phones and then type in the phone number like you're on a phone.
