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Skype for Linux Alpha and Calling on Chrome and Chromebooks

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Re: Skype for Linux Alpha and Calling on Chrome and Chromebooks

#34
post #3

You know what I want? I want the old linux client to work. It didn't have the stupid bubbly UI bloated with ads and "big, friendly buttons" it had functional utility, separate windows, and a much more pleasant user experience just by being unpretty. As it is, I'm glad I have to use it less and less in favor of discord, which is by all accounts, far, far superior.

I for one consider separate windows a nuisance. I like the new consolidated "all in one" UI, just like I liked when browsers moved to tabs. Honest question: what's the added value of separate windows (to be precise, separating contact list from discussions) to you?

I consider it a nuisance. I have a good window manager (i3). It can tab or stack windows however I please, and I can navigate through my tabs of windows with the same keybindings across my OS. When browsers decided to force tabs on everyone, suddenly the keyboard shortcuts that work everywhere else no longer work in the browser.

Same goes for various chat apps that don't open conversations or buddy lists in new windows. Even vim, as much as I like it, frustrates me I can't open views to a buffer in separate X windows, no I must split windows in vim.

Window management is a bolt on feature to these apps and none of them do it as well as the window manager I'm already running.

I wish Windows and OSX had implemented OS wide tabbed windows a long time ago, then maybe these application developers wouldn't have felt it necessary to add these features inside the apps.

Re: Skype for Linux Alpha and Calling on Chrome and Chromebooks

#37
post #7

In case anyone's wondering, this is Electron using the WebRTC version of Skype. I wonder why they didn't just promote the WebRTC site instead. It would make it easier to have the latest security updates in the browser engine without waiting for Skype (Microsoft) to publish an update.

Seems like MS is making several big pushes with the electron engine. I actually kind of like the idea.
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