Skype for Mac plays catch-up: first look at 5.0 beta

Stephen Withers
Friday, 05 November 2010 08:47

Software

Skype 5.0 for Windows arrived last month, but Mac users are still on version 2.8. Good news: Skype 5.0 for Mac is now in beta. Bad news: you may not like some of the changes.

A key feature of the Skype 5.0 for Mac beta is support for group video calls. In previous versions video calls were limited to two participants, but Skype 5.0 for Windows introduced multi-way video hookups. This feature requires all participants to be using version 5 - and sufficient bandwidth. Skype recommends 4Mbps down and 1Mbps up.

A new call control bar floats above any other windows while calls are in progress, so it isn't necessary to bring the Skype application to the front to mute or end calls.

Phone numbers from the Mac OS X Address Book are optionally accessible within Skype 5.0.

Other new features include searching across multiple chats, and the ability to quickly rejoin a call after an Internet drop-out.

The application's user interface has been redesigned to use a single and comparatively bulky window. The default text size is much larger than in that used in Skype 2.8, and size adjustments only apply to message text, not to contact and conversation names.

And there's more to be unhappy about - see page 2.