“Skype, the self-described Global ‘P2P Telephony Company,’ has formally launched version 2.0 of its Internet telephony software. Skype software allows anyone to talk with anyone else (as long as they also have the Skype software) for free over the Internet,” Jeremy Reimer reports for Ars Technica. “The most significant upgrade… is the addition of a video chat feature. Computer users with attached web cameras (or using one of the many new laptops with web cameras built-in) will be able to chat with each other using optional live video feeds as well as voice.”
Reimer reports, “Skype, which was recently purchased by eBay for US$2.6 billion, has been pushing hard to get further into the mainstream. They just completed a deal with Radio Shack to sell bundled versions of their software along with headsets and microphones. The Windows-based software is described as being in beta release, although this is the new, Internet-age version of “beta,” as used by Google and Microsoft, who have released many ‘beta’ products to the public, some maintaining their beta status seemingly in perpetuity. There is no currently no timetable for a Macintosh version.”
Full article here.
Advertisements:
The New iMac G5 – Built-in camera and remote control. From $1299. Free shipping.
Apple USB Modem. Easily connect to the Internet using your dial-up service. $49.00.
The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music + video experience on the go. From $299. Free shipping.
Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.00.
Ebay (owner of Skype) is missing the boat on this one.
MW: waiting (that’s appropriate)
I’ve emailed Skype to remind them of the 20 million Mac users. They probably will reply—“Get Lost”.
I love skype, it has saved me hundreds in overseas AND local calls
We’ll get a Mac version in time. We are over 30 million strong and a rich nich market not to be ignored.
iChat works better anyway, soon both will be integrated.
Ron
Get lost – we gave you a Mac version and only 30k of you use it.
Can I use iChat to talk and see a windows user?
Fatal Error: This phone has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. Press any key to continue.
Apple debuts Mac-only FULL, FINAL, COMPLETE, HIGH-QUALITY, SLICK, SIMPLE, FUN free video phone service, integrated with AIM. iChat AV!
(And there are MANY laptops with cameras built in? Where are they? I only know of one or two.)
Skype. com. hahahahahahaha
I’m one of the few.
MW–less–as in there are less of us.
Yes, this is of huge concern. There is a trend which hasn’t abated in all the years I’ve owned a Mac (about 15 so far). In fact, it might be accelerating.
It’s not just Skype who’ve left out Mac users… it’s Google (where’s their Earth product?), Microsoft (no voice/video in MSN), Yahoo (no voice), various video streaming on the net is as close to PC only as you can get (I refuse to install Real)… the list goes on… anyone who’s big these days does the Mac solution last, if at all. AutoCad is still not available, and is a big one for many people.
It’s no wonder Apple keeps releasing great new hardware and software solutions, no one else does! The problem is, it’s often Mac only, or so incompatible with PC versions it’s useless… the PC version of AOL IM provides a postage stamp sized video (at least it did the last time I bothered looking) I have three iSight cameras, and no-one to talk to except my wife when she travels. It’s getting to the point where I almost have to start buying cameras/computers for people I want to talk to – which is totally pathetic (of course, Apple will be happy, as will the shareholders.)
Skype started out well with their Mac support… I wonder if e-bay have made demands about not keeping it up with the same level as the PC (money will be involved somewhere.) Or maybe it’s in the works, but they’re keeping quiet about it.
I really hope things work out.
Apple should also be involved in this so that Skype/iChat are integrated. In fact, the entire IM community should be integrated – it’s ridiculous having Yahoo, Skype, MSN, AOL, Jabber and so on, even with software like Fire, which is text only. Having 4 or more accounts is just totally ridiculous… I have more IM accounts than bank accounts!
(The issue of Mac support and Mac interoperability with PCs are just two issues not spoken about too frequently. it’s like a dirty little secret, and contributes to the myth that there’s no software for the Mac… the truth is, there IS software for the Mac, it’s just not always as compatible or as up to date as the PC versions. And that is certainly no myth.)
The MDN Magic Word is Hell… which is, as usual, appropriate – esp. when it comes to getting some software like IMs working together.
Wrt to the hardware, I was specifically talking about the iSight, although the iPod too started out as Mac only. it’s a pity Apple didn’t release the iSight/iChat combo for PCs.
The software from Apple which is great is too numerous to mention (iLife, and their pro apps for a start.)
Mac owners -boycott eBAy (owner of Skype and PayPal).
Boycott Paypal, too!!!!
Yes, this is a recurring and annoying problem, which only serves to hilite what I’ve always known and that is the Mac is a great computer…
FOR ME TO POOP ON.
You people live in your isolated little Mac world of “20 million users,” and ya know what? Not even virus writers care!
Macdude – “We are over 30 million strong…”
Where do you get those numbers?
I have owned 7 apple computers – was I one or 7 of that 30 million strong????
According to Skype: “We’re Working On It”
“…This morning we released Skype 1.4 beta for Mac OS X. The new version contains some new functions, like Call forwarding, Mood messages and now iTunes pause automatically when you receive a call on Skype. There are also loads of tweaks like new sounds, new sign-in screen and some other UI updates. Hope you like it. No video yet for Mac OS X, but we’re working on it..”
I happen to love Skype.
While in the subject of boycotting, why don’t we all boycott America Online as well? (if you use AOL). Their AOL client for the Mac is a botched version of the Windows version. They offer a lot of new features in the Windows version that never make it’s way in the Mac version, and yet they charge Mac users the same subscription rate for lesser features.
Highway robbery, I tell ya!
because im enjoying my Mac experience so much, I dont have time to make calls
Buy a real computer:
You can buy yourself a Mac and, instead of crapping on the good computer that is, you can use it to do graphics intensive, useful work, instead of gaming. And I don’t know what you mean when you say that the Mac is not a “real computer”. Maybe you mean a computer that periodically needs to have its hard drive wiped because it is innundated with viruses and spyware. I also think that you should read over things that you are about to post, and in the process, check the spelling and grammar of the post. Mac OS X offers a built in dictionary feature, which might provide answers to any questions about spelling that you might have. Nor do I understand why you criticize others for their choice of product.
On a related note, Mac users are generally found to be better educated and to have more money than Windows computer owners.
A link to a report about the survey is below
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-943519.html
The only aspect I do not appreciate about that page is that the writer states that Apples are comparatively more expensive.
For a rebuttal, I recommend you visit the site listed below
http://www.systemshootouts.org/
Veronica – you ever get any dates? Have any friends?
Luke, thank you for being sucked in by the troll. Haven´t we all read the same stuff you wrote over and over and over again.
We own macs here…no pc only people here…just us mac jokers trying to get some guy on “troll alert” to show us his list of mac is cool links.
WE know mac is cool.
Google actually has a several Mac OS X programmer positions on monster.com right now… So I’m guessing they are working on more software for the Mac…
How about a call to email Skype some POSITIVE feedback that we want to see Video ASAP?
Having used Skype for a long time its a really good program and kept reasonably well in sync with Windows. But perhaps some positive feedback from quite a few Mac users would motivate them to get the video in sooner rather than later.
I say we should make our wish be heard and spread the message to all the other big Mac sites to get the word out.
I want to believe in Skype and that they really will get the Video in and are working on it right as we speak, but as a Mac user for the last couple of years I’d hate for us to get Google’d on yet another piece of software.
Janice, alas I am a recluse
Ron,
you are Ok. please remain a faithful user.
We need you…please
If you put Bill Gates Crank in your mouth and suck down, then maybe, you can have Skype 2.0…Maybe…
When I first heard about Skype they did not have a Mac version. I posted around a lot on the web to get people to request a Mac version and about half a year later they did come out with one. Skype is becoming a major business tool so it is essential that they come out a Mac version as soon as possible.
Everybody should (nicely) send them an email requesting a Mac version soonest.
Good news – perhaps Skype can be the first to bring practical and popular platform independent video conferencing to the Mac. iChatAV is a waste of space unless all your friends and family are iSight-owning Mac owners.
We hate all companies that do not have a Mac version.
Boycott them! Flame them! Call them girly names!
I made a rap song about the situation:
If ain´t got a version 4 my Mac,
well dude then its crap.
Hit´em upside the head,
out the nose comes the snot.
If that don´t work then
let´s
boycott!
Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!
Weeze da greatest, weeze da best.
If you ain´t got a Mac,
then yur da rest.
—
I wrote that on my Mac and put it to music using garageband. It is soooo righteous and awesome sounding.
notatotalsucker says: “[This] is a trend which hasn’t abated in all the years I’ve owned a Mac (about 15 so far). In fact, it might be accelerating. It’s not just Skype who’ve left out Mac users… it’s Google (where’s their Earth product?), Microsoft (no voice/video in MSN), Yahoo (no voice), various video streaming on the net is as close to PC only as you can get (I refuse to install Real)… the list goes on… anyone who’s big these days does the Mac solution last, if at all. AutoCad is still not available, and is a big one for many people.”
Agreed. I hate the little stuff as much as the big (like AutoCad). For example, going to sites like MSNBC’s and not being able to view their video clips, because they require both WMP 10 and Explorer.
It’s no wonder Apple keeps releasing … software solutions, no one else does! The problem is, it’s often Mac only, or so incompatible with PC versions it’s useless… the PC version of AOL IM provides a postage stamp sized video (at least it did the last time I bothered looking) I have three iSight cameras, and no-one to talk to except my wife when she travels. It’s getting to the point where I almost have to start buying cameras/computers for people I want to talk to …”
Dude – I definitely want to be a friend of yours.
“Apple should also be involved in [making sure] … Skype/iChat are integrated. In fact, the entire IM community should be integrated – it’s ridiculous having Yahoo, Skype, MSN, AOL, Jabber and so on… I have more IM accounts than bank accounts!”
Technologically, integrating server based IMs (like Yahoo, MSN, AOL) is possible. But it requires the cooperation of of three companies that are mutally antagonistic with each other. The fact that ichat works with AIM at all is a function of how little AOL regarded Apple as a possible competitor a few years ago. Bet that’s not the thinking now, eh?
The problem with Skype is that it’s not server based – it’s a Peer-to-Peer application. From Skype’s site: “Most Internet-based communication tools track users with a central directory which logs each username and IP number and keeps track of whether users are online or not. Central directories are extremely costly when the user base scales into the millions. By decentralizing this resource-hungry infrastructure, Skype is able to focus all of our resources on developing cutting-edge functionality.” So basically each user acts as a mini-server for the whole system. There’s no way I know for making a server based IM compatible with that, including iChat.
Which brings me to the conclusion I’ve advocated for a while now: Make iChat a P-2-P application. For text and voice it’s a no-brainer; the bandwidth requirments are low for both. Video is a different matter, but apparently one Skype has dealt with for Windows. I don’t know for sure, but I’d imagine the issue for a Mac version is whether to use Apple’s h.264 video compression technology (as in iChat A/V). h.264 rocks for quality, but it’s a major CPU hog and – perhaps – finding an alternative is what the hold up is for Skype. Still, that doesn’t mean Apple couldn’t handle the job, and making a P2P version of iChat should allow for easier compatitbilty with Windows PCs. Plus, the guys that run Skype are making a mint off a very low overhead, easy to maintain P2P telophany network – I see no reason why getting a piece of that action too shouldn’t be a goal for resource rich Apple.
Here’s hopin!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
These incompatiblities (and others – no games) is why PC owners don´t switch.
A friend bought a Mac – couldn´t do what he used to be able to do on his PC…well, he ain´t too happy about it all.
Basically put a blame on lots of this on Apple.
They are too busy building their own monopoly of technology to get involved with others.
eBay bought Skype to bolster its eBay and PayPal business.
eBay needs to find ways to get people re-engaged in eBay – their hope is Skype will do it.
But eBay sucks.
Odyssey67 writes:
“But it requires the cooperation of of three companies that are mutally antagonistic with each other.”
Aint that the truth. And we as customers (even if we don’t pay money) suffer more because of it.
The computer industry (which I also work in) is totally lame in this regard… everyone fights everyone while touting their own solutions… it still annoys the hell out of me that Windows PCs can’t read Mac discs… making transferring photos backed up on my iPod to a friend’s PC a pain in the a** (since my iPod is Mac formatted.)
“Dude – I definitely want to be a friend of yours.”
Hehe, yea. But I already know you have an “expensive Mac habit”, so it might be hard keeping up with your fix.
So, anyway, back to the topic at hand, I’m hoping Skype are working on video integration, and that it’s as good as or better than iChat.
Use GizmoProject. 99% like Skype, but Mac-friendly and standards-compliant.