By George Norman - Software News Editor
Added on 06 Jan 2009(497 Views)
People using the Apple developed Mac OS X 10.5 that are at the same time big fans on instant messaging programs will be glad to know that Skype is ready to release a new version of their software, Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac. Over in the Microsoft camp, the latest Skype version for use on Windows-based machines is Skype 3.8; but if you would like to take a glance at the future of Skype, then perhaps you would be interested in the recently released Skype 4.0 Beta 3 for Windows.

There are several new things in Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac that one can get excited about: the instant messaging software will feature screen sharing, ubiquitous VoIP service hotspot access, and the size of the avatars has been increased. The software is supposed to be launched soon, so keep a close eye on the Skype homepage.


Screen sharing means that the person you are chatting with can see exactly what is displayed on your monitor. It is up to you to choose if you want said person to view your entire screen or just a portion of it.

Ubiquitous VoIP service hotspot access refers to the fact that you have the possibility to access over 100,000 Boingo WiFi hotspots – for this service you will be charged approximately $0.2 per minute); the money will automatically be deducted from your Skype Credit.

According to Disruptive Telephony, the ones that got to test Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac, there are other features that you will most likely enjoy: mood message chat, quick add, contact notes, new icons, and hidden avatars. “So with this 2.8 Beta for Mac OS X, Skype provides some interesting new capabilities. I can see the screen sharing being quite useful to show people what's on my screen. The chat prioritization is great for heavy chat users like me. The possibilities of actually making the Mood Messages useful intrigue me. Frequent WiFi hotspot users may find the Skype Access feature useful and economical,” says Disruptive Telephony.

If you would like to get Skype 3.8 for Windows, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get Skype 4.0 Beta 3 for Windows, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get Skype 2.7 for Mac, a download location is available here.
If you would like to get Skype 2.0 for Linux, a download location is available here.





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