tech

Skype replaces Microsoft Messenger for online calls

19 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2012 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

19 Comments
Login to comment

If they keep it up on Android and Linux, I'dd say Microsoft did a very good deal with Skype. If they kill it for these two platforms, they will lose me as a paying user...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Microsoft Messenger is garbage.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I am relieved I dumped Skype last year. Messenger does not accept Macs, so I dumped it also years ago. Everybody I know now use Viber or Whatsapp instead of those two.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

that a dinky messenger

Whatever else it may or may not be, Microsoft is definitely not dinky.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Skype to mainstream now and now that microsoft fooling with it, not good..I liked the old days when not many knew about it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

TokyoHipHopNov. 08, 2012 - 11:44AM JST

Skype to mainstream now and now that microsoft fooling with it, not good..I liked the old days when not many knew about it.

Not a clue as to what you're talking about. Only change since Skype was bought was that Window Phone 8 has great skype integration. Nothing else was changed, hell, the program itself looks 100% identical to the one from 4 years ago.

This isn't some hipster movement here, it's a business that from the get go was about making money. The MORE people know about it the better it is, because that drives up revenue, especially if everyone is using it.

smithinjapanNov. 08, 2012 - 09:39AM JST

Microsoft Messenger is garbage.

I think for once we agree.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I've been using both and have to say Windows Live Messenger was very good. What is MS messenger? It was discontinued years ago!

WLM also gave remote assistance so I could help my relatives. Interface and video were very smooth. I guess MS was using own servers so it didn't have those occasional hiccups like Skype.

I'll miss WLM for sure despite using Skype most of the time...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

bogva, skype got a nice big server upgrade after the buyout, so the occasional hiccups will be less and less as those servers get expanded. They probably added some tech from azure too, so skype is far better than messenger (and not installed by default to run all the time)

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The fact remains, skype international call rates are high, I wonder if anyone really uses skype to male PSTN calls nowadays except for the free calls to buddies and chatting.. how do they stay in business with this software??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

SKYPE all over the globe all the time, but use Apple's Facetime if the other party has a Mac. Far superior to SKYPE in video quality etc. Great with the iPad too.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I hope Live Messenger's interface doesn't change, cause I hate Skype.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

JapanGalNov. 08, 2012 - 03:54PM JST

Far superior to SKYPE in video quality etc.

Skype actually has the better quality video and audio compression, the "superior" video you see is actually due to a lack of access to the full video feed for anything but apple's own stuff. Install windows and you'll see skype quality increase significantly, simply by having full access to everything it needs. Or you can use an external HD camera that supports h264 hardware compression, since skype can then use HD video and you can see how faceplant just doesn't seem useful anymore.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I haven't used MSN messenger in a good 6 years. Wasn't aware that people were still using it. I like how nowadays when you can't beat the competition you just buy it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

AmidalismNov. 08, 2012 - 04:19PM JST

I like how nowadays when you can't beat the competition you just buy it.

Go look up history. Things haven't changed in hundreds of years. Microsoft actually did skype a favor though, since skype pushed too far too fast and got stuck with old-unstable equipment and no money to fix it.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I never used Live Messenger for voice/video. Just chatting and occassional file transfer.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I stopped using MS Messenger ages ago. I thought everyone had stopped using it. I didn't want to upgrade to a version that showed ads from one that didn't and the old one stopped working, a case of being forced to install the upgrade. I am still using Skype 4.2. I heard people had problems with newer versions. When I searched for the best version of Skype many answers said 4.2.

Remember the IT maxim: Never upgrade to a new version that ends in ".0".

1 ( +1 / -0 )

gaijintravellerNov. 08, 2012 - 06:31PM JST

Remember the IT maxim: Never upgrade to a new version that ends in ".0".

And Microsoft proved them to be idiots with NT3.1 (which was actually NT 1.0 by programming standards)

Skype 6.0 works fine, and even better than 4.X line (5.X until .6 or so was sometimes unstable with calls), especially if you have HD camera or even a 640x480 one. 4.2 doesn't support h264, SILK, or any of the new compression formats. Unless you don't have video, no sense sticking to 4.2.

Ebo KinNov. 08, 2012 - 01:34PM JST

The fact remains, skype international call rates are high, I wonder if anyone really uses skype to male PSTN calls nowadays except for the free calls to buddies and chatting.. how do they stay in business with this software??

Think of it this way, even back in 2010 they commanded 13% of the worldwide international calling market, and the 2009 revenue was about 740 million dollars (average of about $0.01-0.02 per minute of international calling for 33-50 billion minutes). Two quarters ago, skype recorded almost 120 billion minutes of international calls in the quarter, about the same as all cellphone calls to anywhere in Japan for all of 2011. if you extrapolate out the revenue based on that, it would be above $10 billion a year (likely much lower, but it adds at least that much value to Microsoft's other products). $10 billion a year in revenue isn't too shabby.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Skype is a godsend!! I love it!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites