Linksys provides a rather light recharge cradle. It may feel slightly flimsy, but it's well designed, providing a good stand for the handset, which fits onto it smoothly and flawlessly. However, it's for desk mounting only - you can't fit it to the wall as you might with a cordless phone's base-station. Linksys does bundle a belt clip, though.
Calling worked fine, the slight lag notwithstanding. Lag is part of the Skype process, of course, its effects depending on the quality of your broadband connection, how many folk are sharing it and the data's route out onto the net. Calls to other Skype users went through quickly and smoothly. Trying a SkypeOut contact number failed, generating an internal error, but keying the number in manually and pressing the handset's green call-make button connected me flawlessly. The speakerphone worked.
Linksys claims the CIT200 provides up to ten hours' talk time or 120 hours on stand-by.
High-activity Skype users will get more out the CIT200, particularly if you find you want to make calls and are getting fed up of going back to the computer. It's a pricey initial outlay, but with your desktop running all the time it's cheaper than, say, a Windows Mobile device that connects separately via Wi-Fi - unless you have one already, of course. Anyone who only Skypes while they're at their desk is probably better off with a cheaper USB-connected device or - my favourite - a Bluetooth headset.
Verdict
Linksys' CIT200 works reasonably well when you're making Skype calls. It's limited to operating with a PC, though thanks to its use of DECT you may be able to use it to access a PSTN-connected cordless base-station if you have one, and talk to other handsets walkie-talkie fashion. That didn't work for me, but with its own base-station I could easily make and take calls, and walk around the office at the same time.
What it doesn't do is replace the Skype app - you still need to use your PC to check on your SkypeOut minutes, add new contacts, do instant messaging and so on. Until the CIT200 does all that too, for me it won't be a compelling purchase. ®
