[lug] No more Skype support for Linux?

[Will]

Maybe being an also ran in two markets, hand helds & tablets,
will force Microsoft to embrace, gasp, interoperability.

On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 9:45 AM, Jason Vallery <jason at vallery.net> wrote:

> Ballmer is giving a press conference right now.
>
> "Fundamental to the value proposition of communications is being able to
> reach anyone regardless of the platform they use.'
>
> Let's remain optimistic!   For some reason recently I seem to only post on
> here in defense of Microsoft these days.   :\
> -JV
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 9:28 AM, Davide Del Vento <
> davide.del.vento at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> >> Are there any other Internet phone services available for Linux?
>> >
>> > Ekiga.  Haven't used it much because I don't know anyone else using it.
>> > http://ekiga.org/ - desktop tool
>> > https://www.ekiga.net/ - service provider
>>
>> I tried Ekiga about 2 years ago. It kind of worked. Like a car you
>> build by yourself from scrap metal does, thought. You won't use it for
>> more than a trip around the block. Video was almost impossible to
>> stream. Voice was more mature, but (back to the car example), just for
>> a trip in town, you don't want to go out of town with that wreck. I'd
>> be interested if anybody tries it now, maybe 2 years have been enough
>> to make it production-ready.
>>
>> I used skype a lot for my weekly videocall to my relatives oversea
>> (note: I only have linux boxes in my house and office: no Mac or
>> windows). With the like-myself-geek-and-free-software-advocate oversea
>> relative, I tried to stick with Ekiga, but it lasted two weeks (i.e. 2
>> calls), then we switches to skype. If something it's unreliable, it
>> doesn't matter if it's geeky or free software.
>>
>> When Google released this http://www.google.com/chat/video for Linux I
>> tried it, and as soon as it worked with my webcam (at first it didn't)
>> I started using it "in production". I find it better than skype. As
>> many Google things it's browser based, but it requires you install a
>> proprietary plugin - if you don't you can't use it, so you have to be
>> root on the relevant machine (which I don't like, and in fact I
>> haven't installed on the machine where I do internet banking, but
>> anyway...)
>> The same plugin is used for Firefox and Chrome (not sure about
>> epiphany and the likes)
>>
>> This Google Thing works better than skype in my experience, more
>> reliable on flaky internet connections, more "tunable", less dropped
>> calls, no new passwords to learn (I think I created 7 skype accounts
>> just because I always forgot the password and couldn't get it back):
>>
>> 1) the video freezes when the bandwidth does not allow, keeping the
>> audio going, as opposed to breaking your eardrums with noise like
>> skype did.
>> 2) the video window is freely resizable: the more you enlarge the more
>> bandwidth it needs.
>> 3) I also like that'ss well integrated with gmail and its text chat,
>> so I can search for chat history of any of my 7 computers without
>> installing the client (I guess that might be a cons to some)
>> 4) I like Google more than the often-owner-changing skype (I guess
>> that might be a cons to some)
>> 5) I liked the interface better than skype, which is confusing for me:
>> too many irrelevant
>>
>>
>> HTH, YMMV, etc.
>>
>> Davide
>> _______________________________________________
>> Web Page:  http://lug.boulder.co.us
>> Mailing List: http://lists.lug.boulder.co.us/mailman/listinfo/lug
>> Join us on IRC: irc.hackingsociety.org port=6667 channel=#hackingsociety
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Jason Vallery
> jason at vallery.net
>
> mobile: +1.720.352.8822
> web: http://vallery.net/
> twitter: jvallery
>
> _______________________________________________
> Web Page:  http://lug.boulder.co.us
> Mailing List: http://lists.lug.boulder.co.us/mailman/listinfo/lug
> Join us on IRC: irc.hackingsociety.org port=6667 channel=#hackingsociety
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.lug.boulder.co.us/pipermail/lug/attachments/20110510/fc1c1e55/attachment.html>