Skype 4.0 Beta - hands on review

Davey Winder
Monday, 23 June 2008 04:57

Business IT - Technology

The long awaited Skype 4.0 Beta is finally available for download and I've been putting it to the test. What I discovered were big changes, both in form and function.

It hardly seems only five years ago that the first Skype Beta was launched upon an unexpecting public and took the online world by storm. From humble beginnings it has grown to a system with more than 300 million user accounts worldwide, 12 million of whom are online and connected at any given time.

In October 2005 Skype was acquired by eBay, soon after which the first video telephony functionality was introduced. With the Skype 4.0 Beta that video functionality moves from the wings to firmly take a centre stage position.

Actually, it would be more to the point to say that video takes a centre screen position. Mike Bartlett, Director of Windows Product Management at Skype, says that video now features in a quarter of all Skype to Skype calls.

Which is why the video window has taken so much focus in the new version, full-screen focus in fact.

Even if you are not amongst the 28 percent of users who regularly make video calls, you should appreciate the facility for posting bigger and clearer photos of yourself. No more the dinky thumbnail, at last you can really see what that person you are talking to looks like. Assuming they are not using an image of Paris Hilton or The Hoff of course.

Just one click on the video call button and the new screen opens up full size, although thankfully it can be re-sized downwards. You cannot, however, get Skype 4.0 to be as screen estate friendly (or 'small' if you prefer) as previous versions. What you can do is integrate an IM conversation alongside that video call, in the same windows, with just one more click.