Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac OS X available

[Xtreme $niper]

I just installed it this morning, spent half an hour with it, sent my feedback to Skype (hopefully they listen to the people's complaints) and then reverted back to v. 2.8. (where did version 3 and 4 go, btw?).

Complaints:

• One window for everything is fine if done correctly. This is not done correctly.
  
• Why do we need a floating contact list? The contact list should be on the left sidebar instead of the useless addition of "recent conversations". Who cares about recent conversations? At no point was Skype showing me a complete list of online contacts without me going specifically to the contacts screen, which replaces the conversation window. Why is this necessary? Also, the recent conversations sidebar was bringing up convos from weeks ago because apparently closing conversations in Skype 2.8 doesn't actually "close" a conversation.
  
• The menubar icon is still as useless as it was from day one. It needs to display the number of missed conversations/calls.
  
• We need the ability to choose between one big window or a separated window structure like you can do on Windows.
  
• My webcam did not work, and I was not able to send/receive any video from a Windows user (didn't even bother trying to find another Mac user).
  
• The ability to turn off the video feature of Skype has been removed, which means Skype will unnecessarily trigger my Macbook Pro's GPU as long as it's running. The fix for 2.8 was to uncheck "Enable video" but with that feature gone, my battery will drain like no tomorrow.
  
• Cover flow for my contacts? Seriously? 50% of them don't even have profile pics in the first place. Instead of wasting development hours on something so trivial, they could have made the application so much better in areas where it matters.
  

I could go on, but I went back to 2.8 before I could find anymore things to gripe about. Frustrated. I'm normally very excited about betas. This was a buzzkill.

[.Neo]

Christ, what the hell did they do to the interface?! :x

(Floating panels can die in a fire Which is what Lion will usher in)

How do you figure that?

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Christ, what the hell did they do to the interface?! :x

'Improve' it. Similarly to how Apple 'improved' the iTunes UI in version 10.

[Lucas]

'Improve' it. Similarly to how Apple 'improved' the iTunes UI in version 10.

Didn't know changing a few colors and the traffic light buttons to vertical is enough to call a 'change' in a UI. :p

[vladmphoto]

Hmmm.....is anyone else having a problem with their iSight camera not working in this new Skype version? It doesn't even seem to work in the preview window in Options. Also, I cannot see anyone else's video.

I just noticed Xtreme $niper is having the same problem.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Hmmm.....is anyone else having a problem with their iSight camera not working in this new Skype version? It doesn't even seem to work in the preview window in Options. Also, I cannot see anyone else's video.

I just noticed Xtreme $niper is having the same problem.

I don't have a problem with it - the iSight in my iMac works fine with Skype 5.

[Xtreme $niper]

Hmmm.....is anyone else having a problem with their iSight camera not working in this new Skype version? It doesn't even seem to work in the preview window in Options. Also, I cannot see anyone else's video.

I just noticed Xtreme $niper is having the same problem.

Glad I'm not the only one with this issue. It was one of the primary reasons why I reverted back. I'll try the beta again when they issue an update. I really hope this is just a really preliminary version that they realize is missing a lot of features.

[.Neo]

Didn't know changing a few colors and the traffic light buttons to vertical is enough to call a 'change' in a UI. :p

Next to that he didn't use the word 'change'. :p

[vladmphoto]

Glad I'm not the only one with this issue. It was one of the primary reasons why I reverted back. I'll try the beta again when they issue an update. I really hope this is just a really preliminary version that they realize is missing a lot of features.

What computer are you using? Is it a notebook?

[Xtreme $niper]

What computer are you using? Is it a notebook?

2010 Macbook Pro

[ObiWanToby]

Next to that he didn't use the word 'change'. :p

Wow ...

[.Neo]

Wow ...

Never heard of a joke apparently. (Y)

[mindscape]

Is it just me or are notifications for users coming online/signing off, etc. are not working?

The interface is okay. I'd rather have all contacts show up on the left hand bar and have smaller text for the messages. Hopefully they change some of that. When I have video on and am trying to IM, I'd have to make the IM pane about half the size of the window, which makes the video screen small.

[Xtreme $niper]

Is it just me or are notifications for users coming online/signing off, etc. are not working?

The interface is okay. I'd rather have all contacts show up on the left hand bar and have smaller text for the messages. Hopefully they change some of that. When I have video on and am trying to IM, I'd have to make the IM pane about half the size of the window, which makes the video screen small.

During the time that I had the beta running, I did notice that Growl was not picking up any notifications.

[mindscape]

The sounds for notifications aren't playing either. Interestingly, built-in and Growl notifications worked for receiving IM's and when the other user is typing.

[vladmphoto]

2010 Macbook Pro

It may be that skype 5 beta isn't liking the notebook isight drivers which, as far as I know are different from the iMac ones.

[Xtreme $niper]

It may be that skype 5 beta isn't liking the notebook isight drivers which, as far as I know are different from the iMac ones.

It's a very good possibility... But what that doesn't explain is how it got past "basic" testing. The head dev at Skype working on the Mac version (seen in the video they released) is using it on a MacBook Pro. Did he simply not notice? I guess I wouldn't be surprised... They don't seem to have paid attention to any details with this release.

[allannyholm]

I have 0 (zero) contacts as of this beta. I remember having atleast 3 when using the official non-beta release. Hurray for betas! Not hurray for wanting to be on the bleeding edge.

[vladmphoto]

It's a very good possibility... But what that doesn't explain is how it got past "basic" testing. The head dev at Skype working on the Mac version (seen in the video they released) is using it on a MacBook Pro. Did he simply not notice? I guess I wouldn't be surprised... They don't seem to have paid attention to any details with this release.

That's what I'm wondering as well. You'd think that the one feature that is the main reason for this Beta version's existence would have been more of a priority instead of the stupid UI that seems to sacrifice productivity in exchange for aesthetics. I am blatantly unimpressed.

[TonyLock]

I ike the old version that as nice and slim. I hate these app that needless take up more screen realestate. Bad HCI. Bad Skype. Fail.

This is how the main windows should look, occupying ad little screen space as possible:

[rajputwarrior]

^ that i agree with

[.Neo]

Even on my 27-inch iMac the minimum window size is huge.

[Lucas]

Hmmm.....is anyone else having a problem with their iSight camera not working in this new Skype version? It doesn't even seem to work in the preview window in Options. Also, I cannot see anyone else's video.

I just noticed Xtreme $niper is having the same problem.

Mine works just fine.

[osirisX]

Christ, what the hell did they do to the interface?! :x

How do you figure that?

1. Full screen apps need contextual UIs. Floating panels don't fit into that paradigm (iPhoto '11 doesn't have to go fullscreen but it still uses the contextual info pane). Even if an app doesn't full screen it will go contextual (The same way Leopard killed off drawers in favour of sidebars).

2. Floating panels are a pain in the ass to manage. They get lost and who knows what they belong to. It's the same reason Apple introduced sheets (Contextual to the window/task and can't get lost in a sea of windows).

3. Developers and designers follow Apples' lead. If Apple are doing contextual UIs with a reduction of floating panels, they will too (Look at the App Frame in Creative Suite. It was modelled after the changes made to Logic Studio and the UI of Aperture).

[saxondale.]

2.8 was a UI disaster...this doesn't seem much better.