Skype 7.18.342 For Windows

If ??u w?nt t? tap ?nt? th? world�s largest user base ?f VoIP ?nd video calling, Skype ?s th? w?? t? g?. ?nd th?r?�s ? reason f?r ?ts dominance: ?t affords th? best voice ?nd image quality ?uts?d? ?f th? Apple-device-only FaceTime. Skype works n?t ?nl? ?n Apple devices ?nd Windows 8, but pretty mu?h ?v?r? ?th?r phone, tablet, ?nd PC operating system ??u ??n th?nk ?f. ?h?s n?w Windows 8 client f?r th? peer-to-peer calling service ?s b?th functional ?nd well designed, fitting th? n?w app design precepts embraced b? th? OS. ?ut ?t falls short ?f ?th?r editions ?f Skype in ??rt??ul?r th? Windows Desktop Skype.

In ??rt??ul?r, file sending, screen-sharing, ?nd multiparty calling ?r? st?ll missing. ?ut Skype f?r Windows 8 thankfully d??s not suffer fr?m th? Windows Phone 7 version�s inability t? run ?n th? background (th?s h?s b??n fixed ?n Windows Phone 8). ?f course, ?f ??u�r? running Windows 8 ?nd n??d multiparty calling, ??u ??n simply install th? excellent Windows desktop version ?f Skype (Free, 4.5 stars). ?h?s new-style app, h?w?v?r, offers ? touch-friendly interface ?nd will b? Surface ?nd Windows RT users� ?nl? choice. F?r one-on-one video calling, instant messaging, ?nd voice-over-IP calls, ?t�s m?stl? ? pleasure t? use.

How to Setup/Signup for skype using Windows 8?

As w?th ?v?r? modern Windows 8 app, ??u acquire ?nd install Skype fr?m th? Windows Store. ?h?s m??ns updates ?r? handled b? th? Store, but ?t ?ls? m??ns ??u can�t install ?t fr?m ? disc ?r USB stick ?f ??u h?v? n? internet connection. ?ft?r th? quick installation, ??u click ?ts large familiar-logoed tile ?n th? Start screen t? g?t going. ?n f?rst run, th? app asked permission t? us? m? webcam ?nd microphone, ?nd th?n t? l?t ?t run ?n th? background. ?h?n ?f course, ? h?d t? sign ?n t? m? Skype account.

If ??u don�t h?v? ? Skype account ??t, ??u ??n us? th? Microsoft Account ??u us?d t? sign ?nt? th? Windows 8 PC, ?nd ?f ??u d?, ??u ??n merge th? tw? accounts, wh??h ? d?d. ?h?s adds th? large number ?f Windows Messenger users ?nt? th? fold ?f potential conversation partners. ?n? limitation ?n th?s version ?f Skype ?s th?t ?t doesn�t l?t s?m??n? ?ls? easily sign ?nt? Skype f?r ? quick call ?n ??ur machine. ?h? friend ??uld create ?nd sign ?nt? ? separate Microsoft account ?n th? Windows 8 PC, but th?t�s f?r l?ss simple th?n th? guest sign-in ?v??l?bl? ?n m?st ?th?r Skype clients.

Skype Interface ?nd how it works?

Skype f?r Windows 8 sports th? full-screen, touch-appropriate interface conventions ??u find ?n ?ll good new-style Windows 8 apps. You�ll start ?ut ?n th? Skype ??m? screen, wh??h ?s divided ?nt? three main zones recent, favorites, ?nd people. ?h? f?rst tw? ?r? pretty obvious, displaying overviews ?f ??ur r???nt conversations ?nd large tiles f?r ??ur favorite contacts. Touching ?r clicking th? People s??t??n head opens ? grid ?f small tiles f?r ?ll ??ur contacts. Unf?rtun?t?l?, ??u h?v? t? scroll thr?ugh t? find ? ??rt??ul?r ?n?: ?t th?s stage, Skype f?r Windows 8 doesn�t support th? Search charm, wh??h f?r m?st apps l?ts ??u search wh?t?v?r ?s searchable ?n th? running app. Furth?r, ??u can�t sort contacts ?nt? groups su?h ?s �saved phone numbers� ?r create custom groups ?f contacts. ?ut ?t ?s easy ?n?ugh t? s?? wh?�s online ?nd wh?�s ? Favorite.

Skype d??s g? furth?r th?n m?n? ?th?rs w?th ?ts Windows 8 integration b? inserting ?ts?lf ?nt? th? People app, meaning ??u ??n start conversations either ??, voice, ?r video from w?th?n th?s main contacts hub ?f th? OS. ?s w?th ?th?r well-behaved Windows 8 app, swiping u? fr?m th? bottom ?f th? screen ?r r?ght clicking th? mouse brings u? ?nd app bar ?f choices ??r?ss th? bottom ?f th? screen. ?n Skype�s case, ??u g?t buttons f?r adding ? contact ?nd adding ? phone number. Wh?n ??u�r? ?n ? contact�s profile ??g?, th? app bar l?ts ??u favorite h?r ?r h?m, view th? profile ?n People, ?r delete them.

Skype f?r Window 8 ?ls? l?ts ??u m?k? calls t? landlines ?nd cell phones ?f ??u h?v? s?m? Skype credit ?n ??ur account. Rates ?r? v?r? reasonable, starting ?t 2.3 cents ? minute. ?n unlimited U? ?nd Canada subscription costs $2.99 ? month, ?nd unlimited worldwide calling costs $13.99 ? month. ?nd th?s? regular phones ??n call ??ur Skype account ?f ??u h?v? ?n �Online number,� wh??h costs $18 f?r three months ?r $60 ? year.

To start making ? phone call, ??u click th? telephone receiver button n??t t? th? Skype logo ?n th? h?m? ??g?, wh??h presents ? large dial keypad, ?l?ng w?th ? summary ?f ??ur account balance ?nd r???nt calls. ?h? call quality ?t th?s point ?s v?r? n??rl? landline quality, ?nd ?n m?st cases better th?n cell service.

But th? m?st appealing feature ?f Skype ?s free video calling t? ?th?r PCs ?nd devices running th? Skype app. ?h?s ?s completely free. Dur?ng video calls, ??ur contact�s image ?s full-screen, w?th ? smaller view ?f ??ur ?wn picture ?n th? lower-right corner, wh??h ?t typical f?r video chatting interfaces. ?h?t ?s, unl?ss ??u, snap ?n?th?r app t? th? side ?f ??ur screen ?r start ?n instant messaging conversation side-by-side w?th th? video.

Depending ?n th? quality ?f ??ur camera ?nd speed ?f connection, th? image quality ?f Skype ?s better th?n ?ll competitors I�ve tested save Apple�s FaceTime. ?f course, FaceTime ?nl? works ?n devices manufactured b? Apple, s? ?f ?n? ?f ??ur contacts ?r?n�t ?n th?t group, FaceTime ?s ?f limited us? t? ??u. ?nd FaceTime ?s ?nl? video calling you can�t us? ?t ?s ? voice-over-internet service ?r t? call plain ?ld telephones.

Clicking ?n ? contact�s tile opens ? full ??g? showing ? larger version ?f th??r profile picture ?nd large buttons f?r starting the video, voice, ?r text conversation. Speaking ?f th?s? side chats, th?? t?k? u? half th? screen, wh??h s??ms l?k? overkill t? m?, but ?t m?? m?k? sense ?n ? small tablet. ?n?th?r problem w?s l?k?l? ? service bug (?ls? k??? ?n mind th?t ?�m testing dur?ng Hurricane Sandy): ? received notifications ?t th? top ?f m? screen ?f th? s?m? chat messages ?t l??st three times. ?n th? ?lus side, ??u ??n add contacts f?r multiparty text chatting.

There ?r? ? couple m?r? shortcomings compared w?th th? full desktop version ?f Skype, wh??h will b? ?f m?st interest t? business ?nd professional users: Video ?nd voice calling ?r? ?nl? one-to-one no group calls, ?nd th? apps don't offer screen sharing. ??, f?r example ? tech support specialist, wouldn�t b? ?bl? t? view th? desktop ?f th? ?th?r party ?n th? l?n? t? s?? wh?t�s going ?n ?nd offer tech support based ?n wh?t h? ?r sh? sees.

A ??w Skype f?r ? ??w System

Skype ?s ??rt??nl? th? best Windows 8 video-calling app around and ??ss?bl? ?v?n th? ?nl? ?t th?s early stage ?f th? operating system�s existence. ?nd Skype ?s th? service ??u w?nt t? b? ?n. ?ut ?ust doesn't expect t? g?t ?ll th? goodies ??u d? w?th th? m?r? mature Skype clients ?r?und. ?t�s early days, th?ugh, ?nd th? Skype team h?s vowed t? continually upgrade Skype f?r Windows 8. ? ??n easily s?? ?t g?tt?ng ?ur Editors� Choice ?n th? not-too-distant future, but ?t th?s point, ?v?n th?ugh th?r?�s n? real competition, ?�m holding ?ff ?n th?t award till ? s?? ? bit m?r? progress.