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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

#71

Post by darklajid »

meaty wrote: post #7
citricsquid wrote: post #2

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 use it to talk to my other half whilst in the office - that is it. I'll switch to IRSSI over SSH onto my hosted server (I'll just run a local ircd) and she can use mIRC on her laptop instead. I have no intention of using another hosted service. It would be more reliable as well - Live Messenger reliability has always been crap. (For ref, I do not use Skype, Facebook or any social tools).

Extend that solution: bitlbee

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

#73

Post by ConstantineXVI »

vyrotek wrote: post #60
manojlds wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried Win + .? It docks the windows 8 app to side. You can chat away with skype by doing so.

I always seem to forget about this feature. I just installed the Skype Win8 App last night and spent the whole time switching screens. I just tried Win + . and it made the experience a lot better. I don't have a Surface (yet) but I bet that feature alone makes it worth it for multi-taskers.

PSA: you accomplish the same on a Surface (or other Win8/RT tablet) by either

a) swiping from the top edge to the left or right (current app)

b) drag an app out of the switcher to an edge

[These also technically work with a mouse; but far more convenient with touch]

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

#74

Post by pgeorgi »

trout wrote: post #57
thisisabore wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, not on Facebook you can't. Unless I'm sourly mistaken, the Facebook Jabber server does not support s2s federation (by choice, obviously) and won't let users outside the Facebook Jabber server chat to those on it. Cue walled garden rant. Wha you can do is use an existing Facebook (Jabber) account on a regular Jabber client such as Pidgin, Adium and such. No problem chatting with @gmail.com JIDs from any Jabber s…

Haven't tested, but this says the opposite: http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/10/facebook-chat-launches-xmpp...

This only describes the feature of connecting an XMPP client to facebook chat.

S2S federation means server-to-server. That is, use your XMPP account on your own server (such as prosody, as proposed above) to communicate with facebook users (on facebook's servers).

But that would go against fb's walled garden approach, so it's unlikely to come.

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

#75

Post by pgeorgi »

garethadams wrote: post #35
belorn wrote: post #10

Maybe this will help the uptake of xmpp.

Windows Live Messenger is XMPP - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/live/hh826554.aspx

It's even worse than facebook's approach to XMPP (I didn't think that's possible): Not only does it not provide server-to-server access, it also requires client tokens for OAuth that must be requested out-of-band, so any vanilla XMPP client can't make use of that endpoint.

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

#76

Post by meaty »

darklajid wrote: post #71
meaty wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use it to talk to my other half whilst in the office - that is it. I'll switch to IRSSI over SSH onto my hosted server (I'll just run a local ircd) and she can use mIRC on her laptop instead. I have no intention of using another hosted service. It would be more reliable as well - Live Messenger reliability has always been crap. (For ref, I do not use Skype, Facebook or any social tools).

Extend that solution: bitlbee

Thats taking something simple and making it more complicated.

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

#78

Post by vegardx »

Swannie wrote: post #63
Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

MS Messenger is actually the foundation for their Enterprise level Unified Communications offering. It will be interesting if that client also gets the axe in favour of Skype, or if they intend to keep it as a separate product.

It may have been, but it's not any more. You'll never see them replace Lync with Skype.

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

#79

Post by 89a »

TorKlingberg wrote: post #59
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 the Messenger client for Android launch as late as August this year, and to very little fanfare. At least Skype has established mobile clients. It's strange how Microsoft let the strong MSN Messenger brand slip.

iOS one was out in the first few months of the App Store.

So they do support major platforms quite well

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