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Microsoft is killing Skype

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491–500 of 682 posts

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#491

Post by hbn »

Timpy wrote: post #240

Back in the Windows 7 days I installed Skype on my parents computer before moving abroad, their user experience was basically like receiving a phone call. Even though they weren't tech savvy we never had any issues. I would call them, and if they were home and near the computer, they could answer it and we'd be video chatting. A year or so ago I found this to be impossible, there was no application for desktop that w…

Do they not want to use a smartphone?

FaceTime is about as seamless an experience as you can get, and it's basically like receiving a phone call because it's indeed a call on a phone!

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#492

Post by kjsingh »

tombert wrote: post #312

Damn, this is the primary way I talk to my parents and my grandmother. Genuine question, what do people here recommend as a replacement for non-technical people? I'll need to walk my grandmother through the process of setting something remotely. No one in my family but me has iPhones, so I think Facetime is out, and I'd need something that can run on a computer. I suppose I'll have to talk my parents into installing…

Whatsapp voice/video calls?

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#493

Post by hbn »

dijit wrote: post #29

End of an era, but the writing was on the wall. I have fond memories of using skype to contact my friends and family circa-2011 when I was working for Nokia in Finland. Ironically, microsoft killed nokia the same way microsoft killed skype, an acquisition and then strangulation. if nothing else, it’s at least two times the european tech sector was actively harmed by US tech giants… which isn’t much, but weird that it…

That was almost the Dr Doofenshmirtz "if I had a nickel" quote

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#494

Post by legitster »

pentagrama wrote: post #490
legitster wrote: post #270

Skype is the epitome of technical debt. Millions of lines of code for a service that isn't technically difficult to provide anymore. When I was at Microsoft, I was told working on Skype was about as popular as being sent to a gulag. The value of the brand is so strong, I am surprised they never launched a "2.0" version built from scratch and without all the vestigial tails.

The 2.0 version of Skype is Microsoft Teams, and they built it from scratch. Along with the Skype code, the Skype brand was also thrown in the trash. You could question that decision—perhaps keeping both brands for different target demographics would have been a better move. Teams could be for work and business, while Skype (powered by Teams' code) could remain for regular consumers. But I’m not sure. Maybe it’s bett…

Teams also has a lot of technical debt in it's own given that they essentially combined Yammer with Sharepoint and Office to make it!

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#495

Post by joshvm »

bigpeopleareold wrote: post #480

My wife and I still use Skype, primarily for chat, but sometimes video calls. I had Skype Credits, but I don't really need that anymore. The service has definitely degraded (like it couldn't deliver text in a timely manner frequently), but we never switched because despite its faults, it was comfortable enough. No way in hell I am going to use that garbage Teams. I am stuck using it at work and loathe it. This motiva…

Skype is still good as a video client, but where they really screwed up was chat history. The only way you can recover old messages is to infinite scroll until you get to the point you need. Search is largely useless.

WhatsApp desktop is a perfectly usable alternative, and chat is good - you can save to a file, media is automatically backed up if you want.

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#497

Post by ascorbic »

yeyeyeyeyeyeyee wrote: post #350

That's unfortunate, I was still using as a cheaper option for international calls to landlines. Is there any good EU alternative for this specifically ?

I recently signed up for Vyke when I couldn't get Skype to work for international calls. Worked well for me. https://www.vyke.com/

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#498

Post by 486sx33 »

drooopy wrote: post #101

The way Microsoft and Skype missed their opportunity during the pandemic to maintain or even expand their lead in video conferencing, while allowing a complete unknown (outside of the corporate world, at least) like Zoom to become the dominant platform, should be studied in business schools. The term 'Skype' is so synonymous with video calling that, based on personal experience, it is still used in place of FaceTime…

It also , at least for people in some circles, doesn’t have the negative connotations that Teams does.

I’m more apt to agree to a Skype type setting than someone saying let’s setup a teams meet or I’ll message you on teams.

I am aware a Skype meeting and a teams meeting is essentially the same thing now, it’s just a bias in my mind.

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#499

Post by renata »

paulddraper wrote: post #346
tombert wrote: post #312

Damn, this is the primary way I talk to my parents and my grandmother. Genuine question, what do people here recommend as a replacement for non-technical people? I'll need to walk my grandmother through the process of setting something remotely. No one in my family but me has iPhones, so I think Facetime is out, and I'd need something that can run on a computer. I suppose I'll have to talk my parents into installing…

If your grandmother happens to have a Google account already, Google Hangouts. [1] Wouldn't need to set up anything. And works as reliably as anything I've seen. EDIT: Signal is a very HN recommendation for drop dead simplicity. Syncing keys? [1] https://hangouts.google.com

I mean, Signal works as TOFU if you're not sharing state secrets or anything.

Re: Microsoft is killing Skype

#500

Post by strunz »

dkyc wrote: post #200

It's valid to think of this as Microsoft sort of squandering a unique opportunity to become the ubiquitous video conferencing standard by not investing in Skype, back when it had a market-leading position. Another way to look at this is that even though they bungled this, they still managed to become that solution through Teams. Even though they failed to compete with Skype, got leapfrogged by Slack, and then again b…

They gained it back by basically giving Teams away for free and getting companies to say "we're already paying for this bundle, so let's stop paying for Zoom/Slack." They still missed out on billions which they'll try to claim back over years of slow price raises (until the competition lowers prices and/or becomes more competitive).
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