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Skype Blocks Customers Using OS-X 10.5.x and Earlier

lurker412 writes Yesterday, and without previous warning, all Mac users running Leopard or earlier versions of OS-X have been locked out of Skype. Those customers are given instructions to update, but following them does not solve the problem. The Skype Community Forum is currently swamped with complaints. A company representative active on the forum said "Unfortunately we don't currently have a build that OS X Leopard (10.5) users could use" but did not answer the question whether they intend to provide one or not.

7 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Sorry but why is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple does not support their own 2 year old OSes, I have to upgrade my Mac to a more often than not crappier OS just to get things like Xcode running again and sometimes I even have to buy a new Mac because the old one is arbitrarily locked out from a software upgrade.
    So why should Skype's developers care about an ancient version of OS X? Oh, I know, because they are Microsoft, and we love to bash them here!

  2. Re:Microsoft by puto · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who owns skype now?

    Let met know when Apple allows other Os's can use Imessage. That is when they get it fixed.

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    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  3. Re:Not without warning. by Frobnicator · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, the posted on their skype.com blog that old versions would be discontinued in the ambiguous future date. It applied to all platforms. A few tech news sites picked up on it, but nothing major.

    A post on their company blog is vastly different from notifying customers (especially corporate customers) that their paid service is going to become inaccessible.

    People pay for the service, and shutting out older clients should have much more notification.

    A proper response would be to sending out an email to ALL active accounts and their billing addresses notifying them of all the versions that were being discontinued due to the change. This would allow businesses (where software is sometimes tightly controlled) adequate notice to update all the machines and conference rooms. It would also allow users (who are now stranded) an opportunity to report that there are no viable upgrade paths, and a chance to use the balance of their accounts.

    Instead it has become a PR nightmare.

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    //TODO: Think of witty sig statement
  4. Not to worry by Hamsterdan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft will somehow find a way to destroy or abandon Skype like they did Zune, Nokia and other products...

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    I've got better things to do tonight than die.
  5. Re:Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You can then install a Windows version of Skype on the sandboxed OS.

    No you cannot, 10.5 is the last OS level that can be loaded on PPC machines these are likely all non-Intel machines.

  6. Re:Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Skype is only partially peer to peer now.

    Originally, the skype network used 'super nodes' to route connections when both parties were behind NAT (without the port forwarded) and could not open a direct connection to each other. Microsoft replaced these super nodes with dedicated servers when they bought skype, in order to lift the bandwidth constraints and increase the call quality for these routed connections.

    However, On command (of the NSA or other LEAs), you'll find all of your connections routed via a microsoft server for the purpose of wire tapping.

  7. Re:Microsoft by davester666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    thank you for being part of the problem.

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    Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!