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

theregister.co.uk

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

#41

Post by aw3c2 »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #32
davedx wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree with you. Skype is ugly, bloated and has been crashing frequently since the last couple of updates on my computers. The problem is: it works. I tried to do a Google Hangout last night, and the plugin couldn't find my mic. Logged into Skype, it worked perfectly. It'll be a while yet before someone really takes Skype's business. For now it's my #1 goto communication line as a remote freelancer.

This was the point I was going to make too. Skype is terrible, but yet it is still the best compared the competition. Let's consider the competition: - Live Messenger: It was the next best, now discontinued, but before that it was poorly supported, rarely updated, and had a ton of bugs. No external connectors (e.g. telephone networks). - Google Hangouts: Browser only. No external connectors. - Facetime: Apple ecosyst…

Have you tried Jitsi with a XMPP account? Worked perfectly for me in the past when I needed video chat.

edit: Oh, missed your external phones requirement. You'd need SIP for that with Jitsi.

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

#42

Post by UnoriginalGuy »

recursive wrote: post #17
TeMPOraL wrote: 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.

Most of the Nexus devices and phone are power-houses. Skype app has improved a little but on cheap phones it is difficult to use (or at least that was my experience on a ZTE Android device).

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

#43

Post by plq »

TeMPOraL wrote: 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 client should be axed instead.
I'm guessing they're doing this because it'd be much harder to bolt Skype's VoIP engine to Messenger.

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

#44

Post by gubatron »

antonioevans wrote: post #29
TeMPOraL wrote: 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 think you need to update your skype.

did you try skype on Windows 8? there's no way to use it as an IM client on a Window (unless you install an older version)

Microsoft is on a roll of dementia.

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

#45

Post by gubatron »

rbn wrote: post #19
TeMPOraL wrote: 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

and you cannot use it on desktop mode. So, IMing and working on something else at the same time? impossible.

Microsoft trying to shove the tablet experience on the desktop is going to hurt them big time. Now they kill MSN messenger, all latin america will be very sad, they still use that software down there.

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

#46

Post by Tyrannosaurs »

TeMPOraL wrote: 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…

Yes, but the MS Messenger Service loses money with no sign of an actual workable business model, Skype at least generates revenue.

"Merging" the two gives Microsoft a way out of Messenger without losing too much face.

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

#48

Post by paulgb »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #32
davedx wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree with you. Skype is ugly, bloated and has been crashing frequently since the last couple of updates on my computers. The problem is: it works. I tried to do a Google Hangout last night, and the plugin couldn't find my mic. Logged into Skype, it worked perfectly. It'll be a while yet before someone really takes Skype's business. For now it's my #1 goto communication line as a remote freelancer.

This was the point I was going to make too. Skype is terrible, but yet it is still the best compared the competition. Let's consider the competition: - Live Messenger: It was the next best, now discontinued, but before that it was poorly supported, rarely updated, and had a ton of bugs. No external connectors (e.g. telephone networks). - Google Hangouts: Browser only. No external connectors. - Facetime: Apple ecosyst…

The problem with Google Hangouts is that it's fragmented. The GMail client does have external connectors, in fact they're still free for Canada/US calling. But calling another person for a hangout still requires they have Google+, IIRC.

Google has a chance to destroy Skype with GTalk and hangouts, but instead they're suffocating it by trying to bundle it with Google+. I don't mind signing up for Google+, but I've given up with using Hangouts with my parents because they don't want to sign up for a social network.

If/when WebRTC hits mainstream, it's conceivable that built-in video chat won't matter anyway. If I can generate a URL and send it to anybody with a browser and start a video conversation, I don't need a heavy client like skype any more.

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

#49

Post by DeepDuh »

hejsna wrote: post #33

The best way to spend any extra money saved on retiring MSN: open up the Skype API for devs to use. Adium is still the undisputed king of IM clients and with a proper Skype plugin for it I'd be happy again. Because let's face it, the Skype client is really, really bad.

Goddamnit yes. Waiting years for this.

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

#50

Post by sinesha »

Performance aside, here is what I hate about Skype compared to MSN / WLM: privacy. (1) Skype logs you in to your last known status / on MSN you could choose before login (for example, "appear offline"/"invisible"). If I just want to check if a contact is online without my aunt start chatting, I can't. (2) There is no easy way to block whole contact groups temporarily. When I'm at work, I don't want my friends to see me online; when I'm at home, I don't want to be contacted by co-workers. (3) Say I'm chatting with Bob, and he goes offline just before I send him a last IM. This IM will be delivered the next time that we are both online. Even if one of us is "appearing offline"/"invisible". So we have a way of knowing when someone is hiding: just send someone a message when they are offline. Bah. (4) Not related, but the delivery of old messages is awful across platforms. What annoys me the most about these bugs (1-3) is that they seem so easy to fix, and yet nothing is done. Meh. Do you have similar frustrations?
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