Skype for Linux has always been generations behind the one for Windows and MacOS. Currently, Linux has Skype 4.3 but Windows, on the other hand, has version 7.24. It is hard to imagine that Google’s official laptop Chromebook has an outdated version of Skype or any other application, for that matter.
Microsoft, the parent company of Skype, is replacing the existing Linux Skype client with a new one. It is available online for download as an alpha program. The company announced that Chromebook users on Linux can now have access to all the features that Microsoft users have. Prior to this, they could only IM using it.
There is a major catch here. The alpha can not be used to make or receive calls from the previous versions that was available on Linux. One needs to have the latest version.
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The new version promises features like a range of new emoticons, sharing files photos, videos, etc. most responsive UI and frequent updates.
Being an Alpha program, it is bound to have problems. The platform does not always locate the microphone automatically, and there is no way of doing it manually. In Windows, you can close Skype even if you’re not in it (from the desktop). Mint does not allow you to do that).
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What’s great to see that despite the Chromebook using Object Real-Time Communications web plugin for Skype, the program works the same way as it does in Windows. Linux users were not devoid of these features before the Skype update. They used the VoIP and video conferencing program Hangouts. But let’s face it, Skype is the best of them all. The easy on the eye user interface makes it the best of its kind. Let’s just hope that a more stable Beta version is out soon.
Linux users were not devoid of these features before the Skype update. They used the VoIP and video conferencing program Hangouts. But let’s face it, Skype is the best of them all. The easy on the eye user interface makes it the best of its kind. Let’s just hope that a more stable Beta version is out soon.