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Microsoft in talks to buy Skype for $8 billion.
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Good riddens. Skype is horrible to use down here, it lags like hell so you can't have a proper conversation with someone. Plus it sucks up our limited internet bandwidth.
I've read many comments from tech blogs online but I still fail to see how this makes financial/strategic sense for MSFT.
If this happens, so long Skype and hello Vonage. Simple.
Everytime MS puts their claws on something they make it half baked and later toss it into a corner. Skype is good and improving. MS will just try to incorporate it's Live suite into it and bloat it. No, stay away.
I'd rather let Google or someone else (not Apple) have Skype than MS.
Everytime MS puts their claws on something they make it half baked and later toss it into a corner. Skype is good and improving. MS will just try to incorporate it's Live suite into it and bloat it. No, stay away.
I'd rather let Google or someone else (not Apple) have Skype than MS.
Can't see why they are doing this or why paying so much for it. Ballmer is either a genius or an idiot! Time will tell.
Given his track record lately I'd say the latter, and I think Windows 7 is great. Maybe time to bring Bill back?
thats strange because the version4 i was using before 5 is still working after i binned 5....
why stop using it altogether just because the new version sucks....
I'm in no doubt that microsoft will kill the Linux client.
Hopefully microsoft will sort out the UI - the UI used to be in skype 2? 3? ( can't remember what previous version was - it wasn't 4 ) - Skype 5 came along - a complete mess.
Skype is still one of the best free multi-platform video conferencing apps out there.
Hopefully microsoft will sort out the UI - the UI used to be in skype 2? 3? ( can't remember what previous version was - it wasn't 4 ) - Skype 5 came along - a complete mess.
Skype is still one of the best free multi-platform video conferencing apps out there.
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why stop using it altogether just because the new version sucks....
Because it would only be a matter of time before either the old version became incompatible with newer OS's or the Skype protocol was updated, breaking compatibility with the old version.
That, and most of my friends had also moved off Skype as the Windows version is also rather poor according to them.
I think they will keep a client for mac. Linux im not so sure about
People actually bought Skype Credit?
Microsoft overbid by 4 billion dollars
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2011/05/10/did-microsoft-overpay-for-skype-hell-yes-—-by-4-5-billion/
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2011/05/10/did-microsoft-overpay-for-skype-hell-yes-—-by-4-5-billion/
The strategy is obvious. Don't be surprised if Skype and Xbox are more often used in the same sentence. They've been marketing Kinect as a practical video conferencing tool. Now with Facebook integrated into it, the next thing you want to do is click..."Skype Friend" and wallah! Your Facebook chat becomes Kinect Vchat!
Practically EVERYONE has at least one TV in thier home. Why not attach yourself to ride that market with movies, social networking, AND telephoning (with video!). Don't forget that M$ has virtually unlimited resourse to make Skyping "better". All it takes is more computing and communications power. Both of which M$ has a large enough wallet to expand...not to mention a global presence. How much you think all those grandma's are gonna pay to see their grandkids on the other side of the continent on their TV with something as easy to use as an XBox? You've gotta be a fool to think there's no market in that.
Practically EVERYONE has at least one TV in thier home. Why not attach yourself to ride that market with movies, social networking, AND telephoning (with video!). Don't forget that M$ has virtually unlimited resourse to make Skyping "better". All it takes is more computing and communications power. Both of which M$ has a large enough wallet to expand...not to mention a global presence. How much you think all those grandma's are gonna pay to see their grandkids on the other side of the continent on their TV with something as easy to use as an XBox? You've gotta be a fool to think there's no market in that.
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Maybe at some point they might try to "bundle it" with the OS, but I'm sure regulators are watching them on this. If they integrate a Skyping feature into Windows, would that be an anti-trust issue? Or would it just be a hand slap like IE? I mean it's not really the same here because it's not like bundling skype would outcompete "other" free VC software would it? It just makes Mac and Linux have to develop their own Skype...perhaps without being able to use proprietary features of MS Skype. It's just like how Windows Messenger was bundled for ages, right?
Probably neither. No-one seems to care anymore. Apple will be bundling their FaceTime with Lion. Microsoft will be integrating Windows Live with Windows 8. Maybe that includes Skype as well.
But regulators seem to have a unique hatred of MSFT and will stop at nothing to block any integration of Skype into Windows.
Steve Ballmer has already stated that they intend to develop for multiple platforms.
Why not take your time and report facts instead of speculating bull ****?