First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
The first external beta version of Skype Technologies' free voice over IP (VoIP) software for Mac OS X has been distributed to a limited number of testers and is expected to reach public beta in the coming months.
A free and simple piece of software from the developers of KaZaA, Skype uses innovative P2P (peer-to-peer) technology that lets users make free calls anywhere in the world to other Skype users.
The software—currently available for both Windows and Linux (Beta)—aims to address all the problems of legacy VoIP solutions such bad sound quality, difficult configuration, and the need for expensive, centralized infrastructure.
Screenshots: Skype .5; File Transfer; Search; Prefs; Add Contact
Similar to Apple's iChat, Skype also includes instant message and file transfer capabilities, but reportedly boasts superior audio quality. Additionally, Skype features conference calling and a technology called SkypeOut, which enables Skype users to pre-pay and call any land-line phone number in the world at highly competitive local rates.
Although Skype Technologies had originally intended to release a public beta of Skype for Mac OS X in June, the company only just recently delivered the first private seed of the software to testers, labeled as beta version 0.5.0.
Screenshots: Messaging; Call List; Splash; Profile
Weighing in at just over 6.5 MB, the private beta is only partly functional, excluding such capabilities as multi-user conference calling. However, audio functionality is fully implemented, allowing users to place calls to one another simply by selecting usernames in a buddy-list style window and hitting the "call" button.
One of the criticisms of Skype is that works over a proprietary protocol, which means that it won't interoperate with other services. Still, the company claims to have served nearly 20 million downloads of the application over the last year, and an approximate 400,000 users are actively logged into Skype's servers at all times.
On the other hand, Skype uses 256-bit AES encryption—the same level of encryption is used by many government agencies to make calls secure—making the technology more secure than ordinary telephone calls.
Sources privy to Skype's development plans claim that the public beta of Skype is still a month or two away and categorize the software as one of the greatest freebees to hit the Mac OS X platform in recent years.[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ] (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=606)
# 1 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
I wonder how this will compare to Netfone. Hopefully ti will be low CPU usage so lower end comp can run it while playing games. Either way always good to see a free high quality product make it to make.
Myst at 2007-11-17 11:39:59 >
# 2 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
VoIP has got to be the 'next big thing', I would not be suprised to see Apple have a device ready for this market.
Its possible that this technology could well save the PDA from oblivion, I would buy a Clie TH55 with VoIP!.
hasapi at 2007-11-17 11:41:10 >
# 3 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Skype is used by one of my big customers in Japan. For a Japanese company to officially recognize and use a program like this (they banned normal IM software) is a huge endorsement.
I can't wait to get my hands on the Beta to save the big phone bills to/from Japan.
# 4 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
So...what kind of phone to we need to use skype...I'm out of the loop on VoIP
# 5 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by adam1185
So...what kind of phone to we need to use skype...I'm out of the loop on VoIP
All you need is a decent speed internet connection and a recent version of Mac OS X. We are not in contact with the developers, but the application does perform as expected.
Best,
Kasper
Kasper at 2007-11-17 11:44:03 >
# 6 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Oh..I was under the impression you needed something like vonage and a special phone...so you can just use your mac's microphone?
# 7 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Just your mac and the skype program. It's also possible to buy a skype phone that you can connect to your modem/switch/router. Siemens already sell them. I've heard stories of being able to see your buddy list on the phone but have not yet seen any pictures.
PS: The quality of skype on the mac is excelent, as expected. And there's virtually no lag. I've phoned my friends back home from Japan and it's excelent.
# 8 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
i'm still trying to get clear what the difference is between skype and ichat (apart from skype letting you call a landline, which is of course a big difference!)
# 9 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by othello
i'm still trying to get clear what the difference is between skype and ichat (apart from skype letting you call a landline, which is of course a big difference!)
iChat is an instant messaging program that also has a audio chat function.
Skype is a PC 2 PC / PC 2 phone program with superior voice quality and happens to have a chat function
basically iChat is good with messaging and ok with voice and Skype is good with voice and ok with messaging
# 10 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by Alpha-sphere
iChat is an instant messaging program that also has a audio chat function.
Skype is a PC 2 PC / PC 2 phone program with superior voice quality and happens to have a chat function
basically iChat is good with messaging and ok with voice and Skype is good with voice and ok with messaging
But iChat also does AV. And iChat Tiger will do amazing AV and good voice. Not saying Skype isn't good...it's probably going to be great. But I don't see how iChat is just 'ok' with voice.
# 11 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
the real question is:
can i call someone that is on skype, from my cellular or my home phone !
i think the anwser is no because i couldn't find it !
Can you confirm Mr. beta-testers ?
i think that skype will be the "icq revolution" there was years ago.
still today, after 10 years of useful use, i think icq is excellent, and i hope the same for skype.
i think that the biggest problem with ichat is that it's not able to contact the pc side nor the real phone ones ! but...apple won't ever do ichat pc,(itunes was the only exception for the ipod business, ITMS that were made to know the brand).
# 12 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
It's amazing how aqua makes even the most clunky of interfaces look good. Well... maybe not good, but at least pretty. ;)
dfiler at 2007-11-17 11:51:18 >
# 13 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by kim kap sol
But iChat also does AV. And iChat Tiger will do amazing AV and good voice. Not saying Skype isn't good...it's probably going to be great. But I don't see how iChat is just 'ok' with voice.
Have you heard the sound quality of skype? It's even better than my mobile phone.
# 14 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by Alpha-sphere
Have you heard the sound quality of skype? It's even better than my mobile phone.
Better than your mobile phone, eh? Impressive. I really don't know what the sound quality is like on your mobile phone...but if it's anything like the sound quality of all the other mobile phones I've heard, I hope Skype is much better.
# 15 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
another question about skype:
is it really working whith computer's speakers (without headphones), can ew make a great dialog like that ?
because ichat is the first computer-phone app where both side do not need headphones and because of ichat's sound analysys algorithm there is no larsen noise back ! even on titanium's powerbook where the mic is less than 30cm from the speaker !
is skype able to do that.
PS: i would really want to test that beta ! :-( i had no answer from skype
# 16 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by kim kap sol
Better than your mobile phone, eh? Impressive. I really don't know what the sound quality is like on your mobile phone...but if it's anything like the sound quality of all the other mobile phones I've heard, I hope Skype is much better.
I have Vodafone so it's the best you can get here in holland. I haven't heard the quality of the mobile phones in other countries.
Originally posted by atshoom
another question about skype:
is it really working whith computer's speakers (without headphones), can ew make a great dialog like that ?
because ichat is the first computer-phone app where both side do not need headphones and because of ichat's sound analysys algorithm there is no larsen noise back ! even on titanium's powerbook where the mic is less than 30cm from the speaker !
is skype able to do that.
PS: i would really want to test that beta ! :-( i had no answer from skype
I can hear everybody loud and clear and there is no need for headphones. I've used skype on the PC before and now the mac beta. My PC setup is a normal microphone and normal speakers and my Mac is a 12" powerbook.
# 17 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Might be a little off topic but the new GSM phones have as good or better sound quality then most landlines ive used... oh and i have a nokia 3650 with tmobile... Salling clicker is the best phone app ever! :lol:
gjas15 at 2007-11-17 11:56:25 >
# 18 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Originally posted by othello
i'm still trying to get clear what the difference is between skype and ichat (apart from skype letting you call a landline, which is of course a big difference!)
Well, its pretty much the same.
Why would you want to use it?
a) you can place calls to normal land lines ( for a fee )
b) W I N D O W S, you can talk to windows users. iChat is absolutely useless to me because I cant talk to windows users. It wont do voice only with AIM, and most people I know are loath to install AIM anyway.
mmmpie at 2007-11-17 11:57:20 >
# 19 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Downloaded beta 0.8 -- registered, with a logon name and password.
Now when I open skype it freezes.
Simply does not work.
Am running OS 10.3.5
ketua at 2007-11-17 11:58:20 >
# 20 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
I tried both Skype and iChat the other day with my friend we both have a 4 mb connection and Skype really lagged I like iChat much better. We both the the lattest OS X updates and we both have the latest rev c Powerbooks his is a 15 in my in a 12 in. I really thought Skype would perform better but iChat sounded a lot clearer. That's weird maybe their are some rettings I needed to optimize but it didn't look like it.
# 21 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
Spent three hours talking to my brother who lives 4000 Km's away in Perth last night. Sound was like nothing I had used before.
The one great thing this has above iChat is that i can speak to the Windoze users, eg the rest of my family, that live in so far away. I live in Sydney.
My wife tried ringing her sister in Germany tonight (pc to Home Phone) The sister complained of poor quality and I will have to look further into that.
Speaking of which, does anyone know if the digital Headphones from plantronics work on a Mac? All I can see on their site is that I might need another adapter.
anomac at 2007-11-17 12:00:29 >
# 22 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
One thing I just noticed is skype works my powerbook pretty hard causing some fan action.. a bit of work to do on it yet me thinx, but a decent start, not as good as ichat to ichat audio in my experience.
# 23 Re: First beta of Skype for Mac OS X seeded to testers
The only thing Skype has going is SkypeOut landline calls.
But if I had it my way, everyone would be using a Mac and iChat...I find that quality of iChat's audio to be pretty good and comparable to Skype's audio. I don't know how iChat 3's audio will be but it'll support 10-way audio conferences and 4-way AV conferences.
This will be a consumer app that rivals even the best professional AV software/hardware packages.
