Slashdot Mirror
Intel and Skype Exclude AMD
Raenex writes "CNET is reporting that Intel and Skype have signed an exclusive deal that would cap the number of conference call members on all but Intel architecture. Skype will only offer 10-way conference calls on specific Intel chips while other chips, including all AMD chips, will only offer 5-way conference calls. From the article: 'Though few would argue that a niche feature like that is going to be a deal breaker for most PC buyers, the importance of the Skype-Intel alliance goes well beyond VoIP conferencing. Indeed, it's the latest, and certainly most prominent, example of Intel's new take on marketing: Lock in software partners as well as the PC makers.'"
I haven't read the articles, so I apologize if this has been stated already. Is there news if these "enhancements" applies only to Wintel systems? Or will Dual-core Mactel systems get the added benefits too?
The Skype OS X client is already somewhat lacking compared to its Win-counterpart.
Heh... In five years Skype is going to be as relavant as Napster is today: a historial footnote to a great idea that could have been much more. The dot-bomb hangover is finally fading and there's a resurging interest in funding Internet-based technologies. Some people have called it a "new boom". VoIP is far and away the biggest reason for this new boom. New VoIP providers are coming out the woodwork because the industry finally matured enough to standardize on SIP as the defacto VoIP-standard. Vendors are cranking out interoperable SIP hardware, which allows us (as part of a recent VoIP startup) to rapidly roll out services without having to second guess whether we're using the right tech. Open standards makes things cheaper. It makes it easier to find, hire and train knowledgable engineers. Etc, etc... Skype, however, is still locked into a propietary protocol. Compare the history of the CD to that of the Minidisc to see difference that open standards makes. Like Napster, the only value of Skype in five years will be the brand name.
Entrepreneur : (noun), French for "unemployed"
Whatever the merits of AMD's existing anti-trust complaints, there is no freaking way this isn't an anti-trust violation. It's completely artificial and a clear loss to consumers. Seems odd that Intel would voluntarily give out ammunition like this.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
This is a disgusting way of getting customers, it seems like there could be some kind of possible litigation considering they are making you buy one thing in order to use another. Maybe THIS is why VOIP companies should be regulated like we do the baby bells.
I think it's pretty clearly anticompetitive, when you're pushing someone to write software that is specifically noncompliant with a competitors hardware.
If I were Intel I would have waited until that particular competitor was no longer suing me for anti-competitive behavior before adding more weight to their argument...But that's just me.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
That's not the case. This is like Ford passing a law mandating that 55 mph governors be installed on BMWs, and then advertising that their car can go much faster than BMWs. AMD is widely known to make better chips in this case, not Intel.
eBay knows product marketing
How? eBay is a service company. The only marketing I've seen is singing about buying crap off of eBay on TV and every single noun that I search for on Google, I can buy on eBay as well.
Back on topic, this is a _very_ bad move on Intel and Skype. I doubt that MS would even stoop so low.
A) Why would Skype agree to this? What is their benefit by limiting their customer base by splitting hairs on commodity CPU manufacturers?
b) Why would Intel do this when they are already being sued by AMD?
Is Sony involved in these decisions?
For example, Itunes requires your portable mp3 player to be Apple Ipod.
/does/ license Fairplay, I gather... just evidently it's really difficult to find out the terms. :/
Actually, as long as you are only using non-DRM music in your iTunes, there's actually an API to allow other mobile devices to appear in iTunes (at least under Mac, and presumably so under Windows as well). My Windows Mobile PDA has an option in its synch software to appear in iTunes; I can then synch it just like an iPod, but any Fairplay music is disallowed.
Now, you're right that the iTunes Music Store requires you to have a Fairplay-enabled device, which thus far is only the iPod (and a few iPod-compatible things like phones, where they licensed the tech from Apple). Apple
--Rachel
Skype already takes extreme measures to prevent reverse engineering and to abend the application if you try to run it under a debugger.
So does World of Warcraft, but people still hack it from time to time. Up until now there hasn't been much of a reason for anyone to want to modify Skype, so it hasn't been in the crosshairs of the reverse engineering crowd.
Example: Attaching a normal windows debugger or using softice isn't the only way to trace execution. Even if the app attempts to detect a virtualized CPU (say vmware), a full emulator can be completely invisible -- just slower. qemu even supports a gdb socket connection.
Trying to prevent reverse-engineering is a never-ending arms race and I'm not sure Skype has the will to stick it out. Just witness sites like game copy world to see how effect anti-reverse-engineering technologies are.
The reason for that is the tires. Have to go to a Z-Rated tire above 155, which not only rides harsher, but is considerably more expensive.
TODO: Something witty here...
How hard would it be to create a dll that overrides getCPUId() and put that in front of skype's library path.
This really seems like a foolish way to conduct business.
"We don't offer you more, but we beat our competitors down with a stick so they offer you less"
-Nuke the moon
I have been a very big proponent of Skype's services. I like the fact that I can use skype-out as much as I need, or as little as I need, not getting locked into any obligation like traditional phones. I have also been quite content with my Intel systems over the years, and haven't taken AMD into consideration lately. Once my pre-paid skype time is up, I'm definitely not going to be refilling the account any more. Once I'm ready to buy a new system, it's not going to have an Intel. Sure, neither company is going to be shedding tears over me - but I hope I am not alone here.
IANAL but isn't this a clear case of two corporations conspiring to push out a competitor?
I mean... I guess the more appropriate question would be: "is this legal?" which of course begs the next question "can they get away with this even if it is?"
Or would this be considered "unethical but technically not illegal"?
Whatever it is, it smells really bad, and is IMHO a terrible PR move.
-- This sig for rent.
I was looking into a provider for VoIP, Skype was reccomended to me,
with this news Skype is out. (Even though most of my computers have
Intel processors.)
Not because of the 10 v 5 way conferencing (I don't care) but because
of the mentality it conveys.
Can anyone name some competitors to Skype that offer world wide POTS
access?
Gizmo appears to have most of Skype's features (direct VoIP, inbound and outbound POTS calls, IMs, conferencing, call recording) as well as a slick UI and support for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It may not have encrypted connections (I'm not sure), but it does have the advantage of interoperating with other SIP and Asterisk networks (it uses SIP internally), so you can call e.g. Free World Dialup subscribers from the Gizmo interface, and visa-versa. Outbound calls appear to be cheaper, as well: 1 cents/minute to the continental USA and Canada, 3-5 cents to the UK, France, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, and a number of other countries. Somolia, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, and Palestine were the only countries I recognized with rates over $1.00/minute. The highest rate I saw was $2.50/minute to Diego Garcia in Asia, and that was only for landline calls; calls to mobile phones were less expensive. Disclaimer: I only found this earlier program today (I started looking when I saw the story), so I haven't had a chance to evaluate the quality of the program in operation. Perhaps someone else could comment on that point?
"The state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else." - Bastiat
HTH.
2^5
This is true, but the only requirements of the GP were that it use "SIP or h.323 ... be installed and used easily, [and cope] ... with NAT routers transparency (sic)"
Gizmo is not open source, but it uses open standards (you can use it with asterisk!) and it is a heck of a lot better than skype.
2^5
What if the argument were turned around? Maybe Skype was planning to offer only 5 person conference calls, but Intel sponsored 10 person conference calls on Intel chips?
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Not because of the 10 v 5 way conferencing (I don't care) but because
of the mentality it conveys.
They were out the day they got bought by ebay.
Good to see they are actually helping themselves die now.