I wonder what is the percentage of us Mac users who are staying with version 2.8. Now that MS owns Skype, I am really not holding my breath for MS to put too much effort to assuage our interface grief.
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Skype 5.3 for Mac Adds HD Video Calling and Full OS X Lion Support
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I only came in to this thread to make this statement. Absolutely horrible user interface. Now that Microsoft owns Skype, its actually streamlined with the rest of their products.
For the people who accidentally Skype 5, and want to go back:
Skype 2.8: http://www.skype.com/intl/nl/get-skype/on-your-computer/macosx/2-8/
Skype 2.8: http://www.skype.com/intl/nl/get-skype/on-your-computer/macosx/2-8/
Skype actually has a very good group chat system. It caches texts from the different people in a group chat and transmits them to people who were away once they join again.
God I should really put the dmg file of Skype version 2.8 on a hard disk and put it in a vault in my bank!!! It would be a real treasure when they remove the link of version 2.8 from their website. They were deaf and now with MS they are also blind. Guys seriously do you really give a sh** to your customers ??? Change that stupid UI. With every new version you become dumber and dumber. Who makes an IM client full screen???
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You know that Microsoft has not actually finished buying Skype, right? The deal finishes by end of the year. Only then, will MSFT have control over Skype.
I'm thinking Metro is pretty much on par with what they currently have. Metro is just nasty. It's a horrible UI, which is probably part of the reason it never caught on.
It looks the way it does because the last thing MS wanted to do was get involved in UI patent disputes, especially considering their record. That's the penalty for being such a slow mover with a "me-too" device. When you're slower than molasses in January you're going to have to make some sacrifices.
The only way consumers will actually care about that UI on mobile devices is if Google is dealt a serious blow and their partners hit with some major injunctions. It's in the mail, that's for sure, but to what degree no one really knows and as to when it'll all take place, no one really knows.
MS can't design their way out of a paper bag. It's just not in their culture. Ballmer *really* needs to go.
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Thanks for the link to the 2.8 version - I agree with all the comments about the UI.
However, I completely disagree Skype is for novelty: it's effectively my landline. Neater than a separate phone, and lower call costs. I even Skype from my phone for international calls.
However, I completely disagree Skype is for novelty: it's effectively my landline. Neater than a separate phone, and lower call costs. I even Skype from my phone for international calls.
is it me or did they just remove the "list online contacts" option? (you have to go to list view and list by status, to put the online friends to top) a feature that exists in the ipad version they have released a week ago. boy the skype UI strategy sure is a clusterf*ck.
Does it make any difference? Do you know that there are people who left Skype just because of MS? Do you really expect from MS to buy a product and makes it better? I'm not here to discuss Mac Windows stuff. I'm really tired of Skype versions and based on the experience from MS products that I had till 5 years ago and things that I now see on other people's Macs (e.g Office) I don't see any good future for Skype. MS has never done a good UI and the problem of Skype 5.x is the UI. Just read the comments to see how many people are sticking to version 2.8 because of this crappy UI.
I upgraded from 5.1 to the latest. UI still sucks.
Pre-5 Skype UI was much better. 5.x UI is a textbook example of something not broken being fixed. The new features are cool, but they really need to downgrade the UI back to what it was before.
I like the Windows version better. Eek.
Pre-5 Skype UI was much better. 5.x UI is a textbook example of something not broken being fixed. The new features are cool, but they really need to downgrade the UI back to what it was before.
I like the Windows version better. Eek.
Remember when Apple bought Nothing Real and made Shake better?
Easy on the anti-MS knee-jerk.
Anyway, great to see HD Skype on the Mac. The UI isn't all that hot, but it doesn't bother me - it's made to be full-screen always. You can of course make the video full screen and the window full screen - though it doesn't support Apple's silly Lion full-screen mode.
In fact, it is even a curiosity why that exists. Chrome had full-screen on the Mac long before Lion ever existed. It's not a feature needed or wanted system wide.
There's a floating contacts palette in Skype 5.3 which is pretty convenient, perhaps it was there before, but I just noticed it now.
I use Skype a lot, sometimes every day, always for video chatting - unfortunately the Mac I have doesn't have an HD camera, just a VGA one. On a Mac made some 3 years after Steve Jobs claimed: the year of HD.
Easy on the anti-MS knee-jerk.
Anyway, great to see HD Skype on the Mac. The UI isn't all that hot, but it doesn't bother me - it's made to be full-screen always. You can of course make the video full screen and the window full screen - though it doesn't support Apple's silly Lion full-screen mode.
In fact, it is even a curiosity why that exists. Chrome had full-screen on the Mac long before Lion ever existed. It's not a feature needed or wanted system wide.
There's a floating contacts palette in Skype 5.3 which is pretty convenient, perhaps it was there before, but I just noticed it now.
I use Skype a lot, sometimes every day, always for video chatting - unfortunately the Mac I have doesn't have an HD camera, just a VGA one. On a Mac made some 3 years after Steve Jobs claimed: the year of HD.
There were no 4.x and 3.x. They just jumped to 5.x. Another stupid action that shows they even don't know anything about versioning.
Ah like QuickTime 7.6.6 and then next Quicktime 10.0? By Apple. I guess Apple doesn't know anything about versioning either, eh?
I thought it was just me! Indeed, screen sharing is a crap shoot. Most of the time it doesn't work.
Thanks!
Yup, me too. iMac + Skype = ultimate communications hub. I spend about $40 per month on Skype for international calls. There are cheaper options, but the convenience of calling from the iMac trumps them.
But they really need to work on the sound quality. It has steadily gotten worse over the last 6 months or so. And the latency on skype-skype calls ain't what it used to be either.
Nope, not just you. Same here.
edit: actually, they moved the "online contacts" to a separate window. Pull down the "Window" menu and select "Contact Monitor (command+3)
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I think its well and truly gone. Only way I can do it is Cmd + 3 for the palette but thats not the same... how annoying.
To everyone waiting for Microsoft to clean up the UI, I present:
Xbox videoKinect (i.e. don't hold your breath)
Xbox videoKinect (i.e. don't hold your breath)
Background: I use Skype daily - for at least 2 - 3 hours of international video chat & also for calling landlines and cells overseas. (That's what happens when you have friends and family abroad, you travel abroad yourself, etc). I'm NOT a casual user of Skype NOR new to Skype.
When I used 2.8, I loved it. Then, 5.0 came out and I jumped on it. It was TERRIBLE. After a few days of that beast I went back to 2.8. It was a very simple decision to make.
Now, Lion comes along. I decide to give the newest version of Skype another chance once I got Lion installed on my MBP. After about a week I gave up. I'm now back to 2.8 AGAIN.
I cannot stand the beastly 5.+ version of Skype. I don't mind re-learning a slightly different layout to accommodate new features or to fix something that is broken, that people don't like, etc. But, everyone I know loathes Skype 5+.
I'll keep version 2.8 until version 5.+ goes back to being more slim. That's my biggest beef with it. But, I generally dislike the whole UI.
When I used 2.8, I loved it. Then, 5.0 came out and I jumped on it. It was TERRIBLE. After a few days of that beast I went back to 2.8. It was a very simple decision to make.
Now, Lion comes along. I decide to give the newest version of Skype another chance once I got Lion installed on my MBP. After about a week I gave up. I'm now back to 2.8 AGAIN.
I cannot stand the beastly 5.+ version of Skype. I don't mind re-learning a slightly different layout to accommodate new features or to fix something that is broken, that people don't like, etc. But, everyone I know loathes Skype 5+.
I'll keep version 2.8 until version 5.+ goes back to being more slim. That's my biggest beef with it. But, I generally dislike the whole UI.