Skype for Mac 7.0 launches with new mobile-inspired look, 64-bit support, improved chat & file shari
Microsoft on Thursday launched a redesigned version 7.0 of its popular Skype chat application for Mac OS X, making it a 64-bit application, introducing a new file transfer presentation with inline images, and much more.
Skype for Mac 7.0 is now available as a free download from the service's website. It requires OS X 10.9 Mavericks or later, and the update gives it a consistent appearance with versions of Skype for mobile devices, such as Apple's iPhone.
Additions include thumbnail pictures of contacts, a new bubble-style chat design, and consistent icons for chat, video calls and audio calls. The update also allows images to now display inline when sent through chat for instant viewing.
Other file sharing enhancements include displaying appropriate file icons for various file types, including Office documents and PDFs, allowing users to easily scan and find different files in chat history.
Skype for Mac 7.0 also allows users to chat and call simultaneously with one click. Using this function, users can share messages, photos or files without having to leave a call.
Free group video calls are also said to work better than ever with the latest version of Skype. Interestingly, while Skype for Mac 7.0 is a final release, an accompanying update for Microsoft's own Windows platform is presented as a "preview."
Other features of Skype for Mac 7.0, according to Microsoft, are:
Skype for Mac 7.0 is now available as a free download from the service's website. It requires OS X 10.9 Mavericks or later, and the update gives it a consistent appearance with versions of Skype for mobile devices, such as Apple's iPhone.
Additions include thumbnail pictures of contacts, a new bubble-style chat design, and consistent icons for chat, video calls and audio calls. The update also allows images to now display inline when sent through chat for instant viewing.
Other file sharing enhancements include displaying appropriate file icons for various file types, including Office documents and PDFs, allowing users to easily scan and find different files in chat history.
Skype for Mac 7.0 also allows users to chat and call simultaneously with one click. Using this function, users can share messages, photos or files without having to leave a call.
Free group video calls are also said to work better than ever with the latest version of Skype. Interestingly, while Skype for Mac 7.0 is a final release, an accompanying update for Microsoft's own Windows platform is presented as a "preview."
Other features of Skype for Mac 7.0, according to Microsoft, are:
- Support for large emoticons
- Your Favorites conversations now "roam" and sync on supported platforms
- Support for limited instant message formatting. Microsoft has advised that users keep an eye on the Skype blogs to learn more about this feature soon
- Various bug fixes
Comments
I guess it doesn’t look terrible anymore. Bad, but not terrible.
I don’t see why people are so enamored with Skype. It’s garbage compared to iChat.
I guess it doesn’t look terrible anymore. Bad, but not terrible.
I don’t see why people are so enamored with Skype. It’s garbage compared to iChat.
Because it's cross-platform, unlike iChat, which is OSX-only.
Among Apple users.
I guess it doesn’t look terrible anymore. Bad, but not terrible.
I don’t see why people are so enamored with Skype. It’s garbage compared to iChat.
I agree. Buggy, laggy, insecure crap. I wish Apple would make FaceTime cross-platform, because I think it would wipe the floor with Skype. But there's a lot of PCs out there, so folks (even Mac users) end up using Skype.
Among Apple users.
There's a good chance a lot of Apple users communicate, using their Macs, with non-Apple users. So Skype comes in handy. If it's between Apple users, then sure, iChat does the job.
I would have no problem with a paid or ad-supported version of FaceTime for Android or PC people, but I doubt Apple would want to maintain hundreds of versions of FaceTime for every goofy version of device out there.
For pete's sake, I don't want it to look like the iPhone app. I want it to look like an OS X app. I dumped Skype several years ago when they adopted a dreadful, Windowish look. This apparently doesn't fix that. A pox on them.
I guess it doesn’t look terrible anymore. Bad, but not terrible.
I don’t see why people are so enamored with Skype. It’s garbage compared to iChat.
Skype is the lowest common denominator. It runs on OS X, Windows, Linux, as well as mobile operating systems iOS, Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry, etc.
In a corporate environment, especially when communicating to people in Southeast Asia, there is a far greater likelihood that the other party will be a Windows house.
I always keep Skype installed on my various devices since I don't tell business associates or friends what operating system to run, what kitchen faucet brand to buy, or what color to paint the guest bedroom. That's their choice, not mine.
Also -- if I recall correctly -- FaceTime is person-to-person, it does not allow for group audio conferencing like Skype.
iChat only being on Mac OS X is irrelevant. I used it for years to connect to other platforms with the various messaging protocols it supports. iChat supports AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ and XMPP (GTalk).
But I use it because I have to for work.
Come to think of it, that's Microsoft's key to success.
You use their products because you're forced to.
Not everybody uses Macs. And it's far from garbage and it's essential.
This is perfect for me to communicate with my non Mac friends.
I must have missed where iChat was written for PCs.
Wrong. It's totally relevant. You can't use iChat on a PC. Period.
If all apps on a system are 64 bit, dOes that help all efficiency of the system?
If one app isnt 64 bit, can a 32 bit app be run on a different core than the 64 bit apps?
Someone chime in and educate me...
And you can't use the latest Safari on Windows either and yet I still get to see your stupid comments from IE6 because of the shared communication protocols.
Bottomline, which you unsurpringly failed to understand, is that if the communication protocols are shared it makes no difference where the app on a particular platform is shared.
Now not having shared A/V communication with any(?) of the supported protocols is another issue, which, of course, you failed to address.
Agree especially at work. It feels insulting at this point...
I would think it would make it smoother less choppy like everything else 64bit.
So you didn’t read his post.
Interestingly enough, Safari 5 works better with YouTube than most modern browsers now that Google has deprecated it. Just slap ClickToFlash on there and it purrs like a kitten.
Well that makes total sense.:no: