The final version of Skype for Mac 2.0 has been released bringing video chat support out of beta for the first time in the Mac version.
Including improvements in the codec used by the video engine and a fix to reduce CPU load on PowerPC based systems, the new version (2.0.0.6) allows Mac users to make voice or video calls to the more than 136 million Skype users registered worldwide.
In addition to contacting other Skype users, calls to landlines or mobile phones within the US and Canada are free until the end of the year and other options to receive calls (SkypeIn), make International calls (SkypeOut), and voicemail (Skype Voicemail) are available at an additional cost.
Skype 2.0.0.6 requires a Mac with at least a G4 800 MHz processor, OS X 10.3.9 or later and suggests using one of the following webcams:
Apple iSight, Philips SPC900NC, or the Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000. Drivers are available for both the Philips and Logitech webcams here: http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/
More info and download link here.
This is now installed on my iMac, but unfortunately getting my MSN Messenger based friends and family to shift to Skype may be difficult since they don’t tend to call other countries much.
🙁
How different is this Skype 2.0 from the one that MDN announced last week?
It’s not true that this version brings video to the mac for the first time. I’ve been talking and video chatting to England and Australia on Skype for at least a month prior to this release.
Edgeley, your pal just need to use Skype also. No need to switch.
Re: Ron
It’s the first *non-beta* release to support video for the Mac. Read the article again.
I opened up my version of Skype 1.5.0.80 and selected the “Check For Update” and as that opened up Safari I was told in a window that ‘bravo you are using the latest version’.
So given that am I to accept the above announcement as legitimate or not?
Thanks