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Microsoft to acquire Skype

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Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GChat is pretty idiot-proof, and platform-independent.

Does it still not have cross platform video support?

How many people REALLY use video chat though? I mean more than once a year. Even among techies and businesspeople, video chat rarely seems to have an advantage over regular voice chat.

Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#35
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a really good question - I made the note elsewhere [1] that I was really surprised at 663 million users, because that would make Skype more popular than Facebook (by measurements of popularity that don't include swearing the calls that start glitching ten minutes in). 170 million I can believe more readily. It could just be the difference between users and registered accounts (I know several people who've set up…

Facebook has 650M active users. They always measure and cite active users, to their credit they do not fudge around with the numbers in their PR Skype is 170M active (quarterly, Facebook is monthly), and 680M total registered. A lot more people have given Skype their payment details than have Facebook - which results in Skype monetizing a lot better (but still not awesome monetization - yet, but it is improving). Edi…

How does one count users? I previously used a Skype account, but now I share a Skype phone with my girlfriend and her account. I'd guess there are plenty of families with one Skype account.

Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#36

Oh lord, does this mean fb is going to own skype data? Just no escaping the claws of Zuckerberg.

What does Facebook have to do with Microsoft?

I'm not sure if he meant this but Microsoft is investor in Facebook so apparently Facebook getting access to the Skype technology.

Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#37

Why is it that I like Skype less on the other side of this announcement? It's not that I'm anti-MSFT; I just like communications software like Skype to be vendor neutral, competing on innovation and working to keep as many platforms + devices as possible at parity. I don't want someone to use Skype as leverage to try to get me to switch platforms. I'm more likely to drop Skype and be left looking for an alternative.

I feel the same way. I've already looked for an alternative Voip solution and found Nimbuzz to be a good candidate. I'm probably not going to buy any new Skype credit.

Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#38
post #32

Maybe MS can clean up Skypes habit of puching big holes in your network security - it's one reason why it's banned here..

It's one of the reasons why it is popular: because it just works for ordinary users, without the need to do something about network configuration.

Re: Microsoft to acquire Skype

#39
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it still not have cross platform video support?

How many people REALLY use video chat though? I mean more than once a year. Even among techies and businesspeople, video chat rarely seems to have an advantage over regular voice chat.

People with children use it. A lot.
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