Here on CloudAve we're pretty heavy Skype users – it really helps running an
internationally dispersed team and for evangelists like us it helps that it lives in the ether!
Skype has announced that
tomorrow the Beta 2 release of Skype 4.0 will be available. Some specific
changes from the Beta 1 release include;
- user choice of a default "large desktop" view or a compact view
- organization of contacts by categories (the term "Groups" now refers to a
multitude of users within a conversation such as in a Group Chat, Public chat or
on a multi-party call); with several default categories) - new drop down menu to select "Categories" from the "Contacts" tab
- new algorithms for message and missed call notification, with the initial
notification coming via a tag on the Skype System Tray icon so as not to make
the notification activity overwhelming - a new way to display a selected Contact's information when in a call or chat
session - several options for resizing the user information, the video images, the
chat area of a conversation, etc. - entry of PSTN phone numbers into a Contact's information on your local PC
for those Contacts who have not included these phone numbers in their Skype user
profile: mobile, home, office, other
Really good to see that Skype have responded to the feedback from the tens of
thousands of people who used the first beta.
Check out details of what Skype 4.0 b2 can do for you in the video below;
If they allow compact view, I might as well try it. I stayed away from the previous beta – who can sacrifice a full screen?
Now, if Skype would store IM history on the cloud, accessible from any PC …
Yeah – I tried out b1 but like you say, it stole too much real estate to be a serious prospect. b2 looks much better