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bluebird3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 29, 2013
233
0
I have a Power Mac G4 MDD with Mac OS 10.5.8 which is the max. for this machine... And currently have a Skype version 2.8.0.866. Installed.

I have a family over seas just got windows 8 and want to communicate via Skype. The audio was super clean and we could talk live, but no visual. I could see how my isight was working since I could go to the video tab and see myself ( not in the Skype video chat window) in the video setting window. My family said they could also see themselves just for a sec. on their screen, but goes away immediately after being logged on to the Skype.

Could you tell me what's happening and how to resolve the issue so that we could video chat?
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,660
26,604
There's no fix based on your versions.

At some point after Microsoft bought Skype they killed the ability for older versions (particularly PowerPC Mac versions) to use video with newer versions of Skype on PC or Mac. If your family overseas wants to see you you will either need to get an Intel Mac that is capable of running the latest version of Skype, or your family will have to rollback to a much older version of Skype.

Even then I am not sure if it can still be done or not. There was a report here that Skype simply switched off video for older versions.

None of it is a compatibility issue, it's simply Microsoft/Skype trying to drive people to upgrades.
 

Volkstaia

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2012
133
2
East Coast of the US
There's no fix based on your versions.

At some point after Microsoft bought Skype they killed the ability for older versions (particularly PowerPC Mac versions) to use video with newer versions of Skype on PC or Mac. If your family overseas wants to see you you will either need to get an Intel Mac that is capable of running the latest version of Skype, or your family will have to rollback to a much older version of Skype.

Even then I am not sure if it can still be done or not. There was a report here that Skype simply switched off video for older versions.

None of it is a compatibility issue, it's simply Microsoft/Skype trying to drive people to upgrades.

Just google "Old Skype Versions" and you can get an older version. Not that hard, I actually have 2 versions, an older one for audio calls and a newer one for video and when I need to share my screen (e.g. Co-Commentary)
 

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,953
508
Inside
Just google "Old Skype Versions" and you can get an older version. Not that hard, I actually have 2 versions, an older one for audio calls and a newer one for video and when I need to share my screen (e.g. Co-Commentary)

The newer version doesn't work on PowerPC Macs. Hence the phrase in eyoungren's post: "There's no fix based on your versions.".
 

bluebird3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 29, 2013
233
0
Thank you all for the answers.. I thought my skype was already an old version ?

May I ask which exact version of Skype I need?

My family just bought a brand new computer PC with windows 8. I think they are using the latest version of Skype. Arnnn how does it go if I purchased a brand new just released Mac book pro or older Mac book pro with mountain lion. ?
 

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,953
508
Inside
You're already using the latest version of Skype for that machine. If you want to do video sharing, you need to use a Skype 6.X client on an Intell machine.
 

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,953
508
Inside
I meant for him to get his family to use an older version.

Windows 8 cannot use an older version. The lowest version it can use is too new for anything but text chatting with the PowerPC version. It may be able to do audio, but I don't think so.
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,660
26,604
Windows 8 cannot use an older version. The lowest version it can use is too new for anything but text chatting with the PowerPC version. It may be able to do audio, but I don't think so.
What about compatibility mode in this case? Or is an older Windows version of Skype just too far back to work on W8?
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,660
26,604
I don't think that would be enough to get a PowerPC compatible version of Skype running on Windows 8.
Yeah, I know I had to rollback to XP on one of my PCs in order to get some old games working under compatability mode. Win7 was too new and they wouldn't work under it's version of compatability mode. Seeing as 8 is even newer than 7 I can see that it wouldn't function.
 

bluebird3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 29, 2013
233
0
Time to toss my power Mac..... :(

It's loud and bulky anyway, i guess I'll soon pull the trigger on Mac book pro or something.

Thax again.
 

bluebird3

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 29, 2013
233
0
Thank you. That's a good idea. I'll clean up the HD, well.... Get me the new computer first and transfer the data first, then clean up to sell....

wonder how much it worth tho.... I didn't know if anyone would want such an ancient machine.
 

Intell

macrumors P6
Jan 24, 2010
18,953
508
Inside
Thank you. That's a good idea. I'll clean up the HD, well.... Get me the new computer first and transfer the data first, then clean up to sell....

wonder how much it worth tho.... I didn't know if anyone would want such an ancient machine.

I'd take it. I'd even take a machine older than that. But I'm pretty sure the shipping would be more than the machine's worth.
 
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