use at your own caution
(I'm probably going to get downvoted for this because it always seems to be that any negative comment about skype == downvotes on HN.)
:edit: a hacker I've been following for a some time has a blog and writes about emerging open voice+video standards. I think that Thiago Camargo expresses many points very well. http://xmppjingle.blogspot.com/
Ideals aren't about convenience, that's why they're ideals. While I love Skype, I can appreciate the fact that it's stifling innovation and killing interoperability, since you can't use it with SIP...
It's as if we had email, and then a proprietary protocol which everyone used. Countless services would never have been created.
anyways I don't like making predictions, but I can't see skype lasting 10+ years if they continue to pursue a closed architecture. it just will not happen.
What is most uncomfortable about skype to me is the fact that they are the single provider of their service; for example if you wanted to use another service you wouldn't be allowed to use that other network to contact a skype user. This is an example of a choice I consider to be wrong.
You can obtain similar functionality using a generic SIP VoIP account purchased through a reseller .. which will be free from the negative restrictions mentioned.
I can't imagine what kind of confusion would cause somebody to type that.
What sort of BS is that. For most people, it solves a real world problem very well.
I am of the opinion that for a site called Hacker News, most people here seem complacent to emprofit a company that locks you into their walled garden, meanwhile giving the finger to choice enablers that do the same exact thing.
I'd like to be able to contact friends/family/business partners using a service of my own chooising.
Sidenote: So skype is now available for many major platforms including iPhone, Symbian and now Android. Does anyone know if Skype (and not skype-lite) is available on blackberry?
Can you link/quote the part that says that? I can't see it.
edit: Sorry, I read your post wrong. I thought you meant, "skype over wifi is (a feature that) is only available in the US". Rather, I see now you mean, "Those in the US can only use skype over wifi (not on 3G networks)".
I just went through the whole process of skyping myself from phone to laptop, and back again (and getting some nasty feedback!) before realising what you meant!
On the bottom you can find the following disclaimers:
* Skype is not available in the Android Market in China or Japan.
* Skype has been tested on HTC and Motorola devices with Android OS 2.1 and above. It may work on other Android phones, but we can’t guarantee full functionality or compatibility.
* We’re aware of some problems with the Samsung Galaxy S, and we’re looking to address these in the future.
* It’s free to use Skype in a WiFi zone. If you use Skype with a mobile data connection, operator charges may apply, so we recommend an unlimited data plan.
* In the US, you can make calls only over WiFi.
* A fair use policy applies to unlimited subscriptions.
The client is pretty packed. Apparently you can't use it on wifi though, but otherwise it's a full-blown Skype client.
Here's to hoping they fix the version for the Galaxy S soon.
[Edit: hm wait, this might be my provider limiting VOIP bandwidth :S]
oh boy oh boy oh boy !
... what's the name of the alternative that actually works over 3G?
Is there some sort of workaround for root users that can fool it into thinking it's on WiFi?
This could be an issue with the protocol itself, but it's still annoying.
When I am running Skype on my iPhone or now on Android and at the same time having a conversation on the PC, my phone will notify me for every incoming and outgoing message happening on the PC.
Now, on the PC, a conversation is something happening quickly and in abundance. This basically leads to my phone constantly vibrating.
Jabber, even back then, recognized this. When you log in multiple times, it registers multiple presences and once you send a message from one location, all other clients will not be notified any more until you start a new conversation on that device.
This is a requirement as always-on mobile-clients are appearing.
Now, on the iPhone I can at least quickly start Skype, make a call and close it down using the easily accessible task manager.
On Android, while still possible, it's a really big tour through nearly every screen the OS can throw at me before I finally can close down the application for good.
Also, Android Skype insta-crashes the WhatsApp beta and seems to be constantly sending/receiving data (the background sync icon is constantly on until I uninstall Skype).
Unusable. Sorry.
You can continue a Jabber conversation by just sending a message from the device you moved to. As far as I know, all subsequent messages will go to that one. It's also great for preventing snooping when you leave one device on at work and chat on another at home.
What are you talking about? The Skype client itself has the option to either go offline or sign out completely, which stops the service altogether.
Does everything work, or do vendors have too much integration to install the vanilla OS?
