Skype 6.0.60.2946
Skype has updated its Skype for Mac desktop client to version 6.0.60.2946, which now gives you the option to sign into Skype using either a Microsoft or a Facebook account without having to first set up a new Skype account. The new release also provides instant messaging capabilities to your contacts stored in Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, and Outlook.com services. The Mac client also adds support for open chats in multiple windows and for Retina displays. (Free, 34.5 MB, release notes)
And the best Skype version for Mac is still the version 2.8...
Is there anything in this version that users of 2.8 are missing?
Despite having updated to 5.x and now 6.x, I can safely say that there's nothing that they have that's better than 2.8. Skype has gradually improved the user interface in 5.x/6.x so it's not as horrible as the first 5.0 releases. But there's a fundamental design philosophy that is broken and awful compared to the approach of 2.8. That said, more and more people are using newer versions, and there are some things that require 5.x/6.x among multiple people.
You can rename Skype 2.8 to "Skype 2.8" and install Skype 6, and then launch 2.8 most of the time, only launching 6 if you have a specific interoperability requirements.
Every now and then we see something that doesn't work when people use different versions, so that's the only reason to get the newest.
As much as I think the newer versions are still pretty mediocre, I don't want to pretend that Skype 2.8 was a particularly good interface. It was just less bad, and it's clear that Skype won't be going back, regardless.
It would appear that it has now become mandatory to download the latest version of Skype. After starting Skype a dialogue box appears with one choice to download. This also happens on PPC and then the download cannot be run because it is incompatible.
Not for Snow Leopard. Apparently.