Skype 4.0 Beta has breathed its first air and it looks to be shaking things up a bit. Most noticeable to veteran users will be that it is sporting a completely different look. The old Skype GUI was great for voice calls, but once you start adding other stuff like video conferencing to the mix, things got hard to find.
The Skype 4.0 screen is a whole lot bigger. It is designed for video from the ground up, not as an afterthought and that is refreshing. I remember the very first time I made a video call in Skype. I felt it to be quite tedious. Now everything is where you would expect it to be; a novice could handle it.
A large number of features that are planned for Skype 4.0 have not found their way into the beta incarnation. Features that are planned that we won’t be seeing until later include the following:
- Skype Store
- Skype Prime
- Automatic redial
- Call transferring
- Video presentations
- Integration with Outlook contacts
Here’s hoping that Skype 4.0 handles hardware selection a little better than its predecessor. Nothing is more infuriating than having the volume go down on my speakers every time that I make or receive a call because the program doesn’t know which sound card to select.
The problem is still happening with the Beta, but it appears that it is going to be resolved. At the very least, Skype selects the right hardware now, so I no longer have to reset the settings every time that I use it. [Skype 4.0 (Download Link), CNET]
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Tags: freeware, Internet, Skype, software, VOIP
3 responses
Jun 18, 2008 at 10:43 am
Why would you think the volume problem is going to be fixed in Skype 4.0? It is apparently caused by a conflict between Skype and Logitech QuickCam, and neither of them has shown the slightest interest in fixing it for at least 18 months! Perhaps you should submit a Support Request about it - but then, you are probably aware that would be a total waste of time, because Skype has no customer support.
There is no information in the new release about webcam support. It will be interesting to see if “High Quality Video” is still reqstricted to only the three “anointed” Logitech cameras. If so, there are going to be a lot of Skype users looking at a lot of jaggy pictures in the new, larger video windows.
Skype 4.0 Beta for Windows Available Now! « Nanda’s Weblog
Jun 19, 2008 at 10:44 am
[...] Skype 4.0 Beta for Windows Available Now! If you’re a big fan of Skype and their excellent cross-platform compatibility like I am, you’d be pleased to know that the beta for version 4.0 is available for testing now. Some of the exciting additions include a brand new interface built from scratch with video calls in mind and video presentations, though we won’t be seeing the latter until future betas. Sorry macheads, looks like we will be stuck with version 2.7 for a bit more. [Skype via The UberReview] [...]
Jun 20, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I hope the interface for the GE “Skype Phone” is better with this version. With the current version It flat out doesn’t work!, and scrunches the screen to a 4 x 5 inch microwindow.
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