Screen sharing is caring: Skype 2.8 goes gold

The good folks at Skype have just gone gold with the 2.8 update (link) (previously in beta) of the popular VOIP client for Mac OS X. As TUAW previously noted in the beta release of 2.8, the update brings with it support for screen sharing and Skype Access, the company's pay-as-you-go Wi-Fi service.

With screen sharing support, you now have the ability to share presentations, documents, and slideshows with that Windows friend of yours that you would otherwise ignore -- you know, that guy whose PC tower is so well-decorated with neon lights that you'd think you went to a rave when you walked into his room. Yes, that guy.

A host of other features are also included in the update. Improved chat management provides the ability to sort and prioritize chats, a quicker way to add people to chats, and mood messages for chats. Larger profile pictures (now up to 256x256 resolution) are now supported; and if you want to hide your profile pics from incoming contact requests, this is now supported as well. And for those of you that can't keep track of who you're talking to, or what you last talked to that person about, you are now given the luxury of a notes field for each contact.

Skype 2.8 is available for download (link) at the Skype website, or via the "Check for updates" option within the Skype app.

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The good folks at Skype have just gone gold with the 2.8 update (link) (previously in beta) of the popular VOIP client for Mac OS X. As...

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Peter Parkes (Skype Blogger)

Out of interest, why do you prefer Adium text chat to Skype text chat?

July 22 2009 at 9:00 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

traiono

As always some guys won't grow up. In this case the author is another perfect example as he demostrated us with his ridiculous remark about PC users.

July 21 2009 at 1:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mike

The PC comment was obnoxious and unnecessary, but thatâ€™s why I found it amusing.

A little more detail on the screen sharing capability would be nice. Such as: would it be possible to do remote control (remote sys admin) via it?

July 20 2009 at 11:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

kogyaru

I second the observation that the PC-guy hit was completely unnecessary in this kind of article. Juvenile and reflects badly on the writer.

On the other hand, the rest of the article was bland enough that I didn't even notice the snark until I read Luca's comment.

Perhaps I was too frustrated by the lack in this article of a changelog link, one describing changes from from 2.8 beta to release, and my snark radar went completely offline.

July 20 2009 at 9:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

alansky

@Luca:

People who make questionable choices are always compelled by their instinct for self-preservation to refer to those who call those choices into question as "pompous assholes". Otherwise, they'd have to admit that they are morons.

July 20 2009 at 8:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Twist

A friend and I have been using the beta of this instead of iChat to do screen sharing because it has way more options. When collaborating on a project together he can limit the part of the screen he is sharing just to the part that is important to me (for instance the canvas of a Photoshop or Illustrator document) and I can continue to work on my computer and occasionally glance at the window with his screen in it when needed. iChat's screen sharing completely lacks this basic functionality and is pretty much worthless now since we also prefer Adium for text chats.

July 20 2009 at 6:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sebastian

Doesn't work with Snow Leopard though. Bummer. Hope final 2.8 does.

July 20 2009 at 6:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Luca

As a Mac AND Pc owner, this kind of snarky remarks about PC users do nothing but contribute to the general vision of the masses of Mac owners as pompous assholes.

Is it necessary to put this kind of stuff in a totally harmless post about a long overdue new version of Skype? I don't think so.

July 20 2009 at 5:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Luca's comment

iGO

As an owner of both Mac's and PC's, I can relate.
When I'm working on either of my two iMac's I always do feel pompous, boisterous and empowered.

At those times,
I look at that guy (me), working on that XP PC, as a freakin moron.

And when I'm working on my PC, I do feel like a moron and envy that pompous asshole, who gets to work on those beautiful iMac's.

Still I manage, an am not in any way offended, by that other jerk.

July 21 2009 at 12:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

William

Before I start; let me say that I'm an equal opportunity Windows/Mac user. I have 3 Macs and 2 PCs at home, and 2 PCs and 1 Mac at work. I also have an iPhone and a Windows Mobile phone.

OK, with that said, the second paragraph was a little snarky. I mean, if we really want to get into it, the Windows version of Skype has had screen sharing since June, so that guy on the PC with the neon lights has been waiting for you, the Mac guy, to get the feature he's already had. Unless the author meant for the first part of the paragraph, "With screen sharing support, you now have the ability to share presentations, documents, and slideshows with that Windows friend of yours", in a wistful sort of manner. In which case it wouldn't be snarky until he wrote, "Yes, that guy."

July 21 2009 at 8:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply