Return to Reviews
Peer Me Version:0.9.21-RC36-Build 334
by Rick Elnor
March 2006
SCUG Linux SIG Leader

PeerMe, Inc. Website: www.peerme.com
Tech Support:www.peerme.com/support.php
and support@peerme.com
Price: Free
Minimum System Requirements:
Pentium(i586) or better x86 based processor Windows 2000 or XP (Home or Professional)
128 MB RAM
5MB free hard drive space
56KB modem or faster Internet connection (although I recommend a high speed connection)
Sound card, speakers and a microphone or a headset with an integrated microphone

Introduction
Most Internet users think of on-line communication as E-Mail or Instant Messaging. Although these are valid methods of on-line human interaction there has been a new wave of desktop applications in recent years challenging the way we think about Internet communication. These applications utilize recent advancements in data transmission methods allowing us as end-users to experience voice chat over the Internet, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). There are many VoIP clients and networks to choose from, some are free and some charge a fee. Each solution is implemented in its own way with its own set of features. One of these solutions and the application in which I am reviewing in this writing is PeerMe.

Ease of Use
PeerMe is extremely easy to use and is geared towards your average computer user. Installation was a breeze, it contained easy to follow prompts and straight forward text. The menus and functions contained within the program are labeled clearly and concisely with an emphases on User Interface (UI) simplicity. The downside however is that some of these features such as the link to it's games website named ".boonty" need an external browser to view. This can be frustrating if you click the "feature" while working on something important in your browser as it will navigate away from said activity.

Features
PeerMe is what I refer to as a "bare-bones" VoIP application. This program gives the user the ability to make and receive calls, search for contacts, text chat, and file transfer. This is an extremely small feature set for such a program. With that in mind lets take a look at each feature.

Send/Receive Voice Calls:
Both send and receive voice quality was excellent while using a higher end sound card. While testing the software package on a system which contained a onboard sound card the sound quality drooped noticeably.

Search for/Add Contacts:
The Search for Contacts feature uses the PeerMe website to find contacts which you can add to your contact list. This feature uses an external web browser as discussed previously and should really be coded directly into the program. Adding contacts is straight forward and only requires that you know the contacts PeerMe ID. You simply type in the name, add a optional message, click "ok" and wait for the contact to accept.

Text Chat:
The text chat in PeerMe really disappointed me. There were some obvious oversights when the developers coded this function. The chat does not allow web links and outputs text incorrectly when using the Windows "copy/paste" function. The fact that the PeerMe developers didn't filter certain text characters implicates that there are probably other more serious issues with the program.

File Transfer:
The file transfer uses a direct IP to IP connection and was stable. It provided decent speeds. It worked well overall.

Looks and Appeal
The User Interface of this program is big and bulky by default with no obvious reason. Without manually modifying the size of the window it was extremely hard to multi task. This interface although easy to navigate was dull and unappealing. There was no flow to the UI design and what felt like no thought put into the visual appeal of said interface.

Conclusion
When I considered the amount of high quality VoIP client software available already for free it made me wonder why another company would enter such a crowded market. Now that I have tested this product I am baffled as to the answer to the above question but also why a company such as PeerMe Inc. would release such a poorly designed and tested program even if it is in beta. Not only did this product lack many major features which its competitors included, an example being voice conferencing but it also implemented its base features horribly.

This program gets points for the excellent voice quality when using high quality sound hardware and the file transfer feature. Beyond that it is my belief that PeerMe Inc. made a mistake by releasing this program and needs to go back to the drawing board.

I do not recommend the use of this software.
If you want to try free VoIP desktop software, try Skype, Yahoo Voice or Google Talk. I guarantee a better experience.
Score: 1 and 1/2 stars
Related Link:http://www.peerme.com
Return to Reviews