Slashdot Mirror
Skype Finally Arrives On Microsoft Phones
judgecorp writes "Skype has finally delivered version 1.0 of Skype for Windows Phone, bringing support for its parent Microsoft's mobile platform up to the level of that enjoyed by rivals Android and iPhone. from the article: 'Skype for Windows Phone is available in 18 different languages and will be available on most local Windows Phone Marketplaces within the next 48 hours.
The app features the ability to make free voice and video calls to other Skype users as well as affordable calls to landlines and mobiles using Skype credit over a 4G, 3G or Wi-Fi connection.'"
I'm sure the carriers will just love this and push windows phones even harder in their stores.
Unfortunately, you still can't receive calls without having the app open in the foreground... sort of defeats the purpose of having Skype on your phone, unless you're the kind of person that only MAKES calls.
Seems WinMo is the only platform with this restriction... works fine on Android and I'm guessing iOS too?
It's a deal breaker for a lot potential customers and current ones. I'll be looking at the google tablet very hard when it shows up this summer.
Video chat is a nice feature. Prior to using iPhones, I used Skype to connect my kids with their distant grandparents. Keeps me from having to travel to the Ozarks. (Worth every penny).
Flexible bare-metal recovery for Linux/UNIX
The same issue was present in the Beta. Unfortunately yes, the client goes completely inactive when its in the background.
The app still doesn't do basic stuff that the Skype app on Android does fine, like being able to receive calls when the app is not active. From what I read, this is a limitation of the platform. I really don't understand the glowing reviews for the Lumia 900 and the relentless praise for Windows Phone 7, in glowing reviews like this one: http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/15/nokia-lumia-900-review-this-ones-a-no-brainer/
It seems people can't stop making excuses for WP7, just because it's different to iOS and Android. It doesn't support dual core processors and resolutions higher than 800x480, and now it looks like no current phone will get an upgrade to Windows Phone 8, which is even worse than Android fragmentation issues. And it sounds like a repeat the HTC HD2 story, the HD2 was never upgraded to Windows 7 despite having the hardware to support it. It comes with a childish and uncustomizable homescreen. The applications screen consists of one long scrolling list that becomes a pain once you have a few apps installed. It was clever when it came out, but as Joshua Topolsky said for WP7 it's time we stopped giving it a pass.
Even though it's owned by Microsoft, Skype won't support low end Windows Phone Tango devices as it “requires a minimum of 512MB of memory to install and use Skype”, and doesn't yet have support for receiving calls in the background -- if the app isn't running.
The stupid part is Windows 8 is going to implement a similarly retarded scheme for Metro apps. When they're not in the foreground they're suspended. So tough luck if you were using a video conferencing or VOIP app or a multiplayer game and you want to check an email in the middle of it. Because if you do then you'll probably terminate your session when you step away from it. Multitasking is so yesterday.
That's more android, they started by basically cloning the iphone but then went with more diverse handsets and more open store. So they're both trying to re-envision windows 3.1 in the phone space. And they sort of orbit around each other with some new features, and some unique features but mostly just copying each other
Microsoft is trying a completely different tactic with a completely different style (live tiles aren't really like anything else, except maybe media centre editions of windows), and they're aiming to unify with the desktop (windows phone 8), which sounds like it could be a good idea, but it might be an unmitigated disaster with ARM-Intel compatibility issues trashing the whole thing. WP7.5 is, you're right, lagging behind somewhat on some features compared to droids and iphones, but I suspect some of that is intentionally not bothering with features that will be in WP8. I'm not suggesting that's a good plan, it just seems like what they're doing.
The one thing MS should be copying from Apple is the software update model. Fuck the carriers it's available and we don't care what they have to say about it. Unfortunately they didn't do that. The 99 dollar a year developer licence to unlock your phone (or be a developer) sort of makes sense, but it charges you money for what android gives away for free. Seems kinda dumb on MS's part.
because on windows mobile phones you could actually have background apps and proper skype... and a lot of other things.
whilst on windows phone you don't. that's why people insist on calling them windows phones, even if it's 7 and windows mobile 6.5 was the last version - but really looking at it from usability point of view in terms of sw support etc, it's rather a totally different line of products(for now).
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Video chat is indeed a useful feature....unless you have a Nokia Lumia Windows phone, which lacks a front-facing camera
According to Wikipedia, the Lumia 900 has one: 1 Megapixel, 1280x720 pixels.
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
fault of microsoft not dealing skype(which they're going to run soon enough anyways) prioritized access and special privileges. windows phone just happens to suck for making apps that extend the phone with voip etc.
do you know who really loves that though? couple of choice carriers.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
They are NOT "Windows Mobile" phones. The last version of "Windows Mobile" was 6.5.
Win7 is a 'Windows Phone'. It's a completely different animal. Call it "Mango" for short, or "WP7". But calilng it "WinMo" just advertises that you don't know what your'e talking about. WinMo vs. WP7 is apples and oranges. Completely different beasts. And NOBODY I know calls them "WinMo" phones... because they're not.
- Spryguy
There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
Just as in iOS, Metro apps can do background tasks via specific APIs to support it (such as music playback). Apps have to be specifically written to support background execution/behaviors, and there are certainly limits on what can be done (but, for instance, downloads can complete, music can play back, etc). By default, Metro apps are suspended when they're no longer foreground... just like iOS.
Android has battery issues from multitasking apps. iOS and WP7 attempt to mitigate the battery problems and provide much longer battery life by limiting background processing to only those things that absolutely need it, and then manaing those things in an intelligent, energy-conserving way.
- Spryguy
There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
And if for whatever reason an app uses too much power, do you know what happens? It gets uninstalled and the store ratings attracts a lot of downratings. It's a self correcting issue.
And in my experience with a Lumia 800 the restrictions in Windows Phone do not result in better battery life. Far from it, the performance has been atrocious for most of the phone's life and has only improved recently with a firmware update. Even in its improved performance state it's merely comparable to other smart phones.
Even the product the Lumia 900 replaced, the N9 can receive calls in the background (Meego OS)
Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
You're missing the point.
"WinMo" is not just a damanged brand, it legitimately sucks and people avoid it because of its history.
"WP7" is a different beast all together, is very good, and should not in any way be associated with "WinMo". It's NOT the same thing. There is zero app compatibility or UI experience in common between the two.
Your laziness in using correct terminology notwithstanding.
- Spryguy
There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't
WP implements the same scheme as iOS - even if your application is in the background and not running, it can still respond to push notifications. And Skype app on iOS does just that. This can most certainly be done on WP, it just wasn't done for this app for some mysterious reason. There are plenty of other IM and VoIP applications on the same platform that do receive messages & calls in background.
I beleive the Skype engineers said that the WP7 notification system wasn't responsive enough to be useful - so no, it can't almost certainly be done on WP. http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/29/2832590/skype-windows-phone-background-limitation
"Good things don't end with eum, they end with mania or teria." - H. Simpson
Sigh. Well, I am already of an opinion that WP7 was an abortion of a release. Hopefully WP8 (or whatever it'll be called) will pick up some of the goodness in Win8. Until then, it's just another reminder for me about why I'm sticking to my Android.
The "7" comes from Windows 7, which is the success they wanted to associate it with.
No matter how much you protest, these are not "WinMo" phones. Get over it.
My "ferocity" is just a simple matter of being factual. I don't have any vested interest. It's about clarity. When you say "WinMo" people will be thinking about something DIFFERENT than WP7, because they're DIFFERENT.
If you WANT to be misunderstood, inaccurate, and unclear, then by all means, keep saying "WinMo" and sounding ignorant to any listener who actually knows what's going on.
- Spryguy
There are three kinds of people in this world: those that can count and those that can't