Skype for Mac with video coming up — but don’t use the buggy version
Video support for Skype for Mac will be one of our major acts this year. You can tell that by just taking a look at our various blog posts and the comments here, especially in the Mac blog. Whatever we post, we have people asking “WHERE IS VIDEO FOR SKYPE FOR MAC? GIMME SKYPE FOR MAC WITH VIDEO.” It’s great to see this much interest and we’ll surely meet it by bringing you a fine video version with the superb quality you’ve grown to expect from Skype.
Among all the excitement, we recently learned that there is an early development version of Skype for Mac with video floating around some warez sites. What you need to know about this version is that it is an internal unstable development version, and thus it is extremely buggy. It may and will destroy your contacts and other data. It is completely unsupported and if you experience problems due to using this version, you’re on your own. The only way to make sure you’re getting the correct and official version of Skype is to download it directly from skype.com, or from the pages of one of our official [partners](http://about.skype.com/partners.html).
Another thing worth noting about the video part is that the version going around is two months old, and thus is definitely not the “latest and greatest” that you’ll see once we release it. It’s not yet ready for primetime, but will be soon. It sounds old, but please bear with us. Not much longer to go.
Here’s a screenshot of an actual video call with Skype for Mac.
We’ve been patient for a long time. I appreciate EBay’s users are probably Windows sorts. Unfortunately, Mac users tend to be a little more willing to explore new things than Windows users. Continuing to ask us to be patient with nice pictures and zero feedback on when we might be able to even join a beta program means things like Wengophone start actually looking interesting.
I’m sure (like most companies) you have confidense in the superiority of your service, offerings, etc. over any competition. Unfortunately, I’m the customer, and it’s my opinion of your service that counts. I’m feeling massively underserved.
It’s really good to read Skype is launching a new version with real new features. For me, Universal Binaries wasn’t enough, but this seems to be a mayor step. Now it’s time to wait patiently. Just a question, though, the video… will be H.264?…
Will there also be Mac support for SkypeCasts?
I agree to some degree with stephen. Before Skype was purchased by eBay it seemed you were pretty good about releasing Mac updates not far behind the Windows ones (although VoiceMail support did take a while). Now we have seen many new features rolled out on Windows and are playing the catch-up game again. I hope you appreciate how frustrating this can be. We don’t ever seem to be invited to the party.
1.000.000.000.000 thanks… YES YES… Great THX for the Skype Mac team, that’s a reallllllllllly great and gooooooood NEWS. ;o)
Great news, thanks for the info.
To ronald_poi Skype does not use H.264 but uses this is instead:
http://www.on2.com/technology/on2-difference/
Thanks for your answer akelsall. I always use On2 on my FLV movies with FlashPlayer… is a high-quality codec! =)
I’d really like to see a release of Skype for Mac with video (Universal) before mid-July, 2006. I’ve been waiting for ages for a better Mac version, since I got my Mac Mini G4 in December with an iSight. Long and gone now, I’m now on a MacBook Pro 17″ with 2GB DDR, and am looking forward to Skype with video for Mac, because I feel left behind. Face it, there are 15 million accounted for Mac users, and recent statistics of computer buying habits show a huge increase on purchases of Apple computers, with the recent Intel transition. I myself, don’t feel like I’m lacking applications on the new Intel system, but Skype is pretty much the one thing I’d really like to see with video, and soon. I’d gladly do internal or public testing of the Skype for Mac video beta. Just send an e-mail to the address associated with my Skype profile. Have a good day.
Echoing all that have said this before me, this is great news! Now, instead of hearing news about it, I’d much rather be downloading it. It’s been long enough, now get that sucker released!
Thanks so much for your continuing hard work on getting more innovative features for Mac users… I do hope, since we’ve been waiting this long, that a nice, stable, Universal binary comes out that let’s us video-chat with cross-platform Skype users. I’d like to be able to see my family in New York while Skyping them from South Korea in late August!
well.this works well on my PB12
only crashed once.
thanks
Thank for the great news hope we don’t wait another 6 monthes ?? Be careful because you are not alone in this market !! wengophone is pushing hard and release new beta everymonth for mac, yahoo for mac just come back after a long sleep with a much better product !
I just hope that the mac skype team won’t get any summer vacation before release something for us !!!!
I’m glad to hear this. Now all we need is video on Linux. Although I’m glad to see a beta was finally released for Linux, it’s still quite a bit behind the Windows and Mac versions.
For those not patient enough …. I found it …
search for skype_BETA.dmg in emule… not many sources but i’m dowloading
thank you skype… reallly thank you…….
juan_pin4, I believe Jaanus made it clear how we should stay away from the copies floating around the net. Those not patient enough to wait a little while longer (hopefully, Skype I’m really dishing you a lot of credit on this one) for a stable Mac version … will not be patient enough to rebuild their contacts or even restore their hard drive if they find the buggy emule version destroys their Mac.
so download it and let us know how long it will take you to restore your computer. and Wonsore, if it crashed once, it can happen again… and again…
xentrik526: the official version also crashed on my MacBook Pro before, does that mean I shouldn’t use it? No, crashes happen for a multitude of reasons, a one-time or rare crash doesn’t have to scare you.
And no, I am not trying that beta cause I hope just like you we don’t have to wait much longer anymore for a stable version. Windows Skype is at 2.5… Mac almost at 1.5… Glad we are not Linux users, they are even further behind.
So many people are waitig for a new mac version with video. The “unstable” beta came out, whow what a hype.
One warning is OK, but this should be all. Aren´t we all Beta testers? Look at OSX, shareware, freeware. Do a backup, test it or let it be.
Move the energy to develop more Betas for Mac User.
Will I have to be a XP User to get Video support?
OH NO!!! Give us VIDEO and let us test it for YOU …
PS. I understand your way of stable versions, but the actual version is not stable too
Forget Mac Video for a moment ….. the Skype Forum is chuck full of people whose video worked fine in version 2.0, but has quit working in 2.5. It would be nice if someone from skype were to recognize this in an announcement and let us know that our forum posts aren’t falling on deaf ears. The polls show 50% of users of 2.5 no longer have operative video!!
god, please, release the new video skype for mac, can’t wait !!!!!!
And, another thing, is the XP 2.5 version have better technology than mac 2.0 ???????
Currently, I use SightSpeed (google it to download the software) for video when talking to my Windows friends. Of course, iChat is great for Mac-to-Mac video.
Skype – please realize that Mac users are often the first ones to adopt new technology. We tend to be loyal to those companies who are receptive to our needs.
Skype is great, but please hurry up with the Mac video support!
Some of my family lives in Europe and the rest in US. My sister and I, both Mac users, can’t join in with our webcams. It’s frustrating.
actually it works quite well on PPC systems if you delete before installing your previous skype settings/*.plist. I had no crash with that “very unstable, buggy” version and did a lot of video conferencing. finally.
It just feels WONDERRRRFULLLL~~~
While MSN and ICQ seem have already given up the market for Mac users, we still have a new Video Skype for MAC!!!
However, what I concern the most is the support for webcams. I believe many of us use iSight, will the new coming version have iSight support?
Dont you huys even have a deadline? I’ve been waiting for this for so long! Finally I can cyber with my PC-using girls! Oh, one more thing.. Will I be able to use SMS with my skypeout in this version? my money kind of just sits there
I hope to see this new version very soon!
I can,t wait to see the skype version with video.
I think ist a matter off days now.
Thanks to the skype mac team.
Im waaaaiting! The end of July is coming soon. I want it I want it! I saw somewhere that skype needed mac programmers… I hope they’ve got them so they can finnish up this one! I will be ever greatful when it gets released!
What about the beta community? Is there nowhere we can help? Is it nothing we can do?
it looks like it’s almost been a month since this posting…. so how much longer are we going to have to wait? Are we talking days here or months?
Great News…!! Skype team.. We all mac user have lot of respect for you.. Yahoo! is very backward in features compaired to PC version. With this support we will be able to do video chat with our PC buddy We all love you…
It works! I have been using this “very unstable, buggy” version with NO PROBLEMS on a PowerBook G4. Delete all of your previous Skype settings, .plist and all before installing.
I wonder what will be the hardware requirements for Skype w/ video for Mac. Will I be able to use it with my iBook G3 500MHz. What USB cam should I use ? (do not want to buy iSight)
I’m more than happy to try this beta version until the final version is released.I’m a mac user in a sea of pc users and would love to video conference with family and friends.I’ve used other applications aim,ivisit( even paid for pro) but unfortunately it has been quite disappointing.So I say full speed ahead and good luck.