I honestly didn't know where to put this thread so I started it here in the hopes someone technologically minded would see it. Feel free to move it to somewhere more appropriate.

So my boyfriend and I are long distance and use Skype to talk to each other only recently he's had a long string of computer problems, possibly with his sound card? Which means we can't Skype on the laptop anymore, we're using Skype on his iPhone instead.

At the moment he doesn't have a headset for his iPhone, just one that plugs into the laptop...I'm not very computer minded but it's the kind of headset that has two pins at the end, one for the mic and one for the earphones. Obviously this doesn't work on his iPhone which just has the one headphone input on the top.

So my question is, is it possible to buy something that he can plug into the headphone input that he can then plug his headset into? I'm thinking of something like a splitter only to consolidate the two jacks? I have no idea if anything like that even exists, so failing that is there a headset we can buy that doesn't have the two outputs on the end? Something less than say £20 or so...

I really hope that post wasn't as confusing as I think it is.

xXx

Places like Radio Shack have headset/microphone adapters for just about every conceiveable permutation of sizes. Most headphone alone plugs come in one of two sizes...1/8" diameter and 1/4" inch diameter, the latter now more common in radio communications applications. They also come in stereo an monaural varients.

If his laptop sound section (this is usually an area on the main motherboard...very few contemporary computers, even desktops require a separate sound card unless you are into Thumpba-thumpa game applications) is bad, he likely DOES have a problem as that area of the motherboard in all likelihood drive both the speaker and the headphone output. Take the laptop to a computer store or a Radio Shack and have them check it out.

Sadly repairs to laptops are VERY expensive...usually not worthwhile.

Jon

You will probably have to buy a new headset. The problem with the one you have now is that you have 2 jacks, one for input, one for output. A straight adapter that makes those 2 jacks one will probably not "know" how to keep the signals straight. You can get headsets made for handsfree talking on cell phones. Either wired or bluetooth should work. I don't have an iPhone though, so I don't know specific headsets.

Jon; Yeah, his laptop has more than just a sound problem. It's probably on it's way out the door to be honest. We went away for 2 weeks and it was working fine before we left but when we got back it would barely even start up. He got it working to a point where he can (just barely) play games on it but the sound is fudged (when we Skype I can hear him but he can't hear me, otherwise the sound comes out crackly and distorted sometimes and perfect others).

Mirrim; I figured that might be the case.

I don't know jack about iPhones, but let me give this a try, it seems simple to me but maybe that is because I am wrong. His headset has a mic and earphone jack, understandable. But his iPhone is, well, a phone so it already has a place for him to talk into. He should be able to plug in the ear phone jack to his iPhone and let the other dangle around. He can then hear through the headset and just talk "at" the iPhone and the iPhone will pick up his voice. If he specifically wants to use the mic on the headset, then I really don't know.

You don't need a new set of headphones. You can find the correct adapter at any electronics store and at many office supply stores. You're going from dual 3.5mm(1/8") to single 2.5mm(3/32"). It shouldn't be difficult to find locally, but you could order it online.

www.amazon.com . . .

Panic; Thank you! That was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Going to go and see if I can find the same kind of thing on the UK site!