Voicemail and version 1.3 released
As the [announcement says](http://www.skype.com/company/news/2005/voicemail_v13.html), we released Skype for Windows 1.3 last night. Alongside with this, the Skype Voicemail service is no longer in beta.
]]>The main changes in version 1.3 were already outlined in the [1.3 beta announcement post](http://blogs.skype.com/blog/products_and_services/skype_for_windows_1.3_beta_available/) a few weeks back, such as the appearance of event panel and animated emoticons. Full list of changes is in [change log](http://www.skype.com/products/skype/windows/changelog.html).
Read more about the five new and many other updated languages in this version in [Siim's post](http://blogs.skype.com/blog/products_and_services/we_just_learned_5_new_languages/).
Regarding voicemail, one thing that differentiates it from all the other voicemail services you’ve been using so far is that you can leave voicemail to anyone if you have subscribed to the Skype Voicemail service. To our knowledge, this hasn’t been done before in other services. (If you know it has, tell us!) So far, it has been received well, and we’d appreciate more feedback if you’re finding it useful — or if you think this was a totally pointless and weird thing to do, tell us too.
Just as before, Skype Voicemail is free for you if you buy a [SkypeIn](http://www.skype.com/products/skypein/) number, so why not do that and be available on the phone when you’re not on Skype. Or if you prefer, you can get just voicemail.
I like a small change, or rather reverting back to old stuff, we did in 1.3, because it illustrates how feedback works. You now again have the “Automatically answer call” setting under the advanced options. We used to have this in 1.1 and earlier versions. In 1.2, the whole Options section, including all notification settings, got a major rework and we eliminated the options we figured would be unnecessary to users. This included the “Automatically answer call” setting that was no longer there in 1.2.
Then suddenly, we got all these people come to our [forums](/forum_links/) to say “hey why did you take this away? This was useful.” As it turns out, the “Automatically answer calls” setting was heavily used by a lot of folks playing online shooter games where Skype is great for team communication. It makes sense — when you’re in a fullscreen situation blasting up your friends with a big bad nailgun or rocket launcher, the last thing you want to do is to hear the Skype TRRRRRRRRR ring, exit/minimize the game (many games even don’t support tasking to another window when they’re running), find the Skype window, click the answer button and go back where you left off. Because by then you’re simply dead. But see, we’re kinda busy coding away Skype here and most of us don’t play those kind of games, so we didn’t know that stuff. So we’re happy you came and told us and now it’s back.
So [download that 1.3](http://www.skype.com/go/download), use voicemail, and then come [tell us](/forum_links/) what else we can do better in the next versions.
Ok, big question for the big boys! The news is just out that Yahoo has just bought Dialpad and is very serious about this Voip. Finally, someone is stepping up to the plate against Skype. We knew it was coming. This brings up the inevitable question for Skype in the maybe soon future. SIP?
Yahoo is all about SIP. So is the industry. Skype is alone. This is not an indictment, by any means. Skype has a big advantage with their own technology, since they can do whatever you want, whenever you want. This has been to Skype’s advantage thus far. But is there a plan to move to SIP (not if, but when) a Yahoo and everyone else can talk to one another for free via P2P internet and Skype is off in Skype Land on a lone island. Can a move to SIP be a smoothe one?
Personally, I hope Skype keeps to their own strategy! I believe everyone is tired of the Yahoo and Messengers of the old instant messaging world.
SIP really sucks…
It may suck, but some great Hardware is available for Sip. It will be difficult to get them all to also integreat Skype – especially when a whole market goes online with Sip.
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In Germany, all DSL providers push voip and bundle it attractivly with Fritzbox from AVM – which does all you ever have dreamt of, from Wlan over ISDN to analog to direct internet connection including modem and: sip voip.
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I don’t know how many units have been sold, but they are many. And if I have my unit at home, I will use it with Voip. Skype doesn’t have sip? Okay, and I don’t want those little providers, because it is nonsense to be able for free with the rest of Germany when in reality I want to phone internationally?
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Yahoo will solve that problem, something from MS probably too. If they stay on Sip, even more hardware will come …
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No, I am not saying Skype should go Sip. I just want that Fritzbox with Skype
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(And I want line breaks in my comments, god damit! This is 2005 in Blogland, not 1999)
I think people are tired of the big ones.. Skype is alternative, is useful, is cool, free and cheap!
As soon as skypers and developers do the great job they are doing: of updating, fixing, advertising and improving all the areas. Skype will be on the top!
Can I tell callers “Press # at any time to leave your message…” ?
this is what I was waiting for so I´ll try it tanks
i need to make call free to all phone
I don’t seem to be able to get to the site to purchase this device, any suggestions?