Um, no. Neither party to the call needs use a phone. Strictly speaking neither party would have to OWN a phone, even. However, both parties in order to use google voice WOULD need to "own" a phone NUMBER --something that can be secured with a payment of just...like $30 for 4 months.
How one could do it is go to skype, then go to their billing area. Using a CC, you'd put $30 or $50 in your skype account under your user name.
Then you'd go to their shop and go about buying a SKYPE telephone number --they permit you to chose an area code, and so on. Also you have a little leeway in asking for a specific phone number (although to think of a one super easy for others 2 remember and that proved avaiable this took me about 2 hours).
OK so now you have a skype telephone number --which means you have reserved an absolutely REAL telephone number, just that you don't have a phone....OK
Now go over to google voice, knowing that "having a phone number" is a requirement. OK...so sign up (I already had gmail so for me this was easy), and then designate your skype number as the number you will use as your google voice number --OK?
What this means is that THAT is the number that will be rung when people call you (your computer makes a ringing sound), and that is the number shown when you call other people in the world.
The one weird thing is that when you initiate calls, the extra 7 seconds of waiting time comes into play when:
1. GV (google voice) calls your computer....
2. Then GV calls your call target...
3. Then hooks you guys together
The other side never suspects you are using a computer --the call seems just like you called from a $ucker phone.
And then you set up your voice greeting, and all that (you can have a different greeting played for each and every person who calls you. What this means is that when Chuck calls and you're away, your greeting says, "Hi Chuck..! Leave me a message, OK, ya slob..? BEEP..!"
Or when lovey calls, it says, "Thanks for your call, lovey! You're so sweet..! BEEEP..!"
Oh, if you're away, GV will also use voice reconition to TRANSCRIBE your voicemail into email, then email you that email (with a delay of about 15 min or so) --free.
Oh! And unlimited (short) texting to your friend's text-capable cell phones..! After using this, I NEVER send texts that I have to pay for --NEVER.