[Asterisk-Users] SoftPhones: Bad, or just bad QoS?

[Ed Pastore]

Hi again, folks. I've been getting feedback from this list and  
elsewhere that softphones are generally not considered good enough  
for hardcore business use. Can someone point me to where I can find  
more detail on this debate?

Is the problem that the technology isn't mature, that the load on the  
computer is too high, or simply that it doesn't work well in a poorly  
designed network?

Any time I mention VOIP and network, people tell me to make sure that  
I have QoS capabilities. If I do, and can tweak it appropriately,  
will that eliminate (or at least greatly minimize) problems with soft  
phones?

I am really loathe to rewire my building, and I really have to move  
to gigabit for unrelated reasons, so I would like to be able to use  
the single gigabit port in every office to serve both the computer  
and the phone. That seems to mean either soft phones or putting a  
small gig hub in every office, no?