Microsoft buys Skype

[ReemZ]

Microsoft may well let the Skype for Linux application wither and die

Skype are doing a pretty good job of that themselves.
Skype for winblows: version 5
Skype for Mac: version 5
Skype for Linux: version 2 beta

OTOH, I have a feeling m$ will let Skype as a whole die...

Good job my N900 also has Gtalk built in (and Pidgin in the package manager), time to peek if it has Ekiga as well (edit: just checked, no need to install an app, just add a SIP account the same way one would add a Skype and/or Gtalk account), and time to give Ekiga a try on SL.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Some of the countries where I work block Skype, and a couple of weeks ago I came across an alternative for audio and video chatting that works in a different way to Skype and does work in those countries: the new AOL service called AV by AIM. It is possible to have a video conference call with up to four people. It is a clever application, as it works completely in a Web browser window using Flash to access the Webcam and microphone. It works well in Windows but I can't get it working in Linux, unfortunately. According to their Web site, 'AV by AIM' does not yet work with Firefox 4, but that is not just the problem in Linux as I can't get it working in Chromium or Konqueror (using the WebKit layout engine; I haven't tried the KHTML layout engine) either. It suspect it to be a problem with the Flash plugin in Linux.

[sqlpython]

Let's see how long it takes to kill Skype in favor of Windows Phone.
As I just posted, some HTC phone manufacturers are now paying license fees to MS... they lost a lawsuit.
You know..patent infringements..Ahem.. what a joke.

[ExpatPaul]

Let's see how long it takes to kill Skype in favor of Windows Phone.

I don't think Microsoft wants to kill Skype, but there is no telling what their incompetence will achieve.

As I just posted, some HTC phone manufacturers are now paying license fees to MS... they lost a lawsuit.
You know..patent infringements..Ahem.. what a joke.

Software patents are a joke.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Now someone has reverse engineered the Skype protocol: Skype protocol reverse engineered, source available for download.

EDIT: Reading further into this, seems like "cracked" rather than "reverse engineered" might be a more appropriate description.

[korvinus]

Well i posted in the android one what i thought about it. I don't think the purchase was based on anything bad, but it's an easy way for MS to get access to the patents. Whether they use them for or against linux, well only the future will tell.

I don't really think it's bad news for Skype users on linux, it may be the kickstart someone like Google needed to implement a better way of doing it.