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Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

theregister.co.uk

11–20 of 79 posts

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#11
Can they optimize Skype so that it doesn't require 80MB-130MB just to run in the background? How can it require this much memory to run an instant messenger? Couldn't they delay load some of the features if they aren't yet being used (such as video codecs and audio codecs and other such features?)

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#12
post #6

They kill the client or the protocol ? It's not really clear from the article. Don't care about the client itself (most IM clients suck anyway), that's why we have pidgin.

I thought the protocol used a central server for transferring contact information between users. If they shutdown those severs, then pidgin's msn implementation wont do us any good.

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#13
post #9

Skype client should be axed instead. It's a pile of ugly looking mess and eats half of computer's resources. I dread to turn it on anywhere else than on my overpowered home PC. And don't even get me started on the Android client. It's completely useless on a high-powered tablet, and equally useless on a low-powered phone. I remember the times when official IM clients were lightweight and pleasant to use. Now you eith…

The way they seem to be recruiting in the UK, I would speculate that they are going to re-write it.

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#14
post #9

Skype client should be axed instead. It's a pile of ugly looking mess and eats half of computer's resources. I dread to turn it on anywhere else than on my overpowered home PC. And don't even get me started on the Android client. It's completely useless on a high-powered tablet, and equally useless on a low-powered phone. I remember the times when official IM clients were lightweight and pleasant to use. Now you eith…

umm.. Skype certainly has some usability problems, but "half of computer's resources"? Are you trying to use it on a raspberry pi?

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#15
post #4

I still use MSN and I guess I don't really mind, MSN has a lot of history but it's a mediocre client and Skype is much better. I used to have 100s of contacts on MSN with ~50 online at any one time, now everyone that used MSN casually uses Facebook chat so I have... 2 people online (both of which are listed as away) and anyone that uses IM seriously seems to use Skype. It was inevitable. Does anyone here still use MS…

It is still very popular in western europe, aol and yahoo messenger never made any real entry here and msn took the whole cake. More and more people are moving out to skype and facebook, but I still have a big list of contacts there.

It was really popular over here (UK), but it died out fairly quickly when Facebook took over. My girlfriend is a teacher and she says that none of her students really knew what Windows Live Messenger was; kids today stick to Facebook, BBM and some use Twitter.

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#16
post #4

I still use MSN and I guess I don't really mind, MSN has a lot of history but it's a mediocre client and Skype is much better. I used to have 100s of contacts on MSN with ~50 online at any one time, now everyone that used MSN casually uses Facebook chat so I have... 2 people online (both of which are listed as away) and anyone that uses IM seriously seems to use Skype. It was inevitable. Does anyone here still use MS…

It is still very popular in western europe, aol and yahoo messenger never made any real entry here and msn took the whole cake. More and more people are moving out to skype and facebook, but I still have a big list of contacts there.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#17
post #9

Skype client should be axed instead. It's a pile of ugly looking mess and eats half of computer's resources. I dread to turn it on anywhere else than on my overpowered home PC. And don't even get me started on the Android client. It's completely useless on a high-powered tablet, and equally useless on a low-powered phone. I remember the times when official IM clients were lightweight and pleasant to use. Now you eith…

I have never noticed any slowness with it on my Nexus.

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#18
post #12
post #6

They kill the client or the protocol ? It's not really clear from the article. Don't care about the client itself (most IM clients suck anyway), that's why we have pidgin.

I thought the protocol used a central server for transferring contact information between users. If they shutdown those severs, then pidgin's msn implementation wont do us any good.

Found some more info about this at http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/11/micros... .Apparently the won't kill the servers too so there's still hope of continuing with pidgin.

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#19
post #9

Skype client should be axed instead. It's a pile of ugly looking mess and eats half of computer's resources. I dread to turn it on anywhere else than on my overpowered home PC. And don't even get me started on the Android client. It's completely useless on a high-powered tablet, and equally useless on a low-powered phone. I remember the times when official IM clients were lightweight and pleasant to use. Now you eith…

Skype has a Win8 App

Re: Microsoft and Skype to axe world's most popular IM client early 2013

#20

I still use MSN and I guess I don't really mind, MSN has a lot of history but it's a mediocre client and Skype is much better. I used to have 100s of contacts on MSN with ~50 online at any one time, now everyone that used MSN casually uses Facebook chat so I have... 2 people online (both of which are listed as away) and anyone that uses IM seriously seems to use Skype. It was inevitable. Does anyone here still use MS…

I used to. Oddly enough in finance AOL instant messenger is still used a lot.

You are legally allowed to issue trade orders via AOL IM.

Bloomberg chat also allows you to put your AOL contacts into it and use it as your chat program.

These two things have helped to keep it alive alot longer than maybe it should have been.

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