Skype 5.0
Now out of beta testing, the “Gold” release of Skype 5.0 for Mac offers group video chats, albeit for a fee, and makes some minor user interface changes based upon user feedback. These changes, detailed on Skype’s blog, include slimmed-down windows, easier access to the text chat panel, and the resurrection of full-screen video calls. (Free, 19.5 MB)
It doesn't work for us. We downloaded it to our Leopard 10.5.8 iMac (C2D) and found that we can hear and see others, see ourselves in the onscreen camera box, they can hear us, but can't see us. The previous version worked fine. Still in BETA and their support pages are awful.
Since most of us are at Macworld this week, we haven't had a chance to test the final release (and thus didn't want to say anything at this point), but our impressions of the earlier betas were not good.
While you are there ask Apple when they are going to do a desktop version of Facetime. It's ludicrous to assume that people will want to Facetime with each other over an iPhone when they are home in the office by their desktop system or sitting on a couch with a laptop. The Apple commercial for Facetime online is laughable, with grandma and grandpa sitting on the couch. Two elderly people with the same visual acuity is a bit unlikely.
This would of course, fix the Skype problem, especially if there were a windows version of Facetime.
If Apple can do itunes cross-platform, they can do Facetime.
Um, there IS a desktop version of FaceTime. It's in beta, and Mac-only, but it exists. See this page: http://www.apple.com/mac/facetime/
My bad. I just caught it. But it doesn't fix my video call problems that Skype 5 has between my Mac and my daughter's pc.
thanks !!!
Ditto Here. Mac OS x 10.5.8
We can see and hear but they can only hear. Seemed to work with 5 Beta but broke with 5 "stable"
Users of the Firewire iSight camera need not apply. Skype does not support it. At least having TimeMachine running made the downgrade to version 2.8 fast and painless.
Whoa - that's good to know, since I still rely on that camera on my Mac Pro. I'll have to be careful about keeping the old version around when I test 5.0.
From all the comments at http://blogs.skype.com/en/2011/01/mac.html it sounds like Skype is still frustrating Mac users by ignoring the plethora of complaints about the extremely bloated window size of Skype 5.
I fled back to 2.8 after trying 5 beta for a day. It sounds from those comments like nothing has changed at all. I'm surprised the Skype team is so unresponsive about an obviously horrible UI.
The design is fairly ugly and not Mac-like. Already experienced problems with sound dropping out and no insert when using video. Is there a way to revert back to the previous version?
Download and install the older version—I found a site that lists old downloads! http://mac.oldapps.com/skype.php
We found the new interface so convoluted that we went back to 2.8 Thank goodness for Time Machine!!!
V5 is not for Leopard 10.5.8 on my iMac PPC
I've had to revert to the previous version
I'm using 10.6.6 and the new Skype (5.0.0.7980) didn't work for me. Kept crashing immediately after opening. Glad I still have Skype 2.8.
Skype used to be innovative – not since eBay chewed it up.
granted, it took 5th version to be Mac-like.
but why take so long to remove simple ability to Save or Export chats?! are the Skype heads or planners asleep or just lame?!
the point is not to complain but after so many years, where's the real improvement, innovation, stability - how far are they really from Skype 1? come on! move it! or sell it to a developer with more passion! this is 2011, not 1992.
Worst update ever. Simply useless software. I've also reverted to 2.8.
Agree went back to version 2.8; running Snow Leopard 10.6.6.
Version 5 essentially non-usable
As stated by others, crashes immediately upon opening. Completely reinstalled 3 times, trashed prefs., etc., no difference.
4 conversations with tech support and they act like I'm the only one experiencing this and now they've "sent it to the developers" to figure it out. Shameful.