Skype app for iPad with Microsoft ???

[Tom P.]

With today's announcement that Microsoft is buying Skype for $8.5 billion, what are the chances that an Apple iPad app will happen? I'm thinking slim to none. Good news for XBOX and Win Phone 7 users, I guess.

Microsoft's acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion becomes official -- Engadget

 

[Tassiecelt]

Tell me that is not true!
M$ will stuff it up for sure.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The iPhone Skype app works flawlessly on the iPad - video transmission too, if you have the iPad2.

Tim

 

[sjleworthy]

It does.

It'd just be nice to be proper ipad2 app instead of a x2 app.

 

[Tom P.]

Yes, I have been using the iPhone version of Skype on my iPad2 and it is acceptable at 2x view but was hoping for a dedicated iPad app for even better video. On the Skype forum, they said an iPad app was in the works but I'll bet that has been shelved now. Too bad!

 

[SheerLuckHolmes]

I think you are reading too much into corporate school yard rivalries.

Paying $8.5 Billion, I would think that microsoft is going to want to take advantage of every revenue stream they can get off of skype. Microsoft did not block Office from being available on Apple operating systems and I'm sure they did not make the liscencing fees cheap, so I see no reason to just assume that Gates is going to be blowing any rasberries in the direction of Job's iPads. Rather, I'll bet they are looking at every opportunity to piggyback and draw off revenue, like with MS Office.

 

[bedouin]

Blah, say goodbye to what was once a good service.

 

[sjleworthy]

Why is everyone so negative? Why shouldn't ms make an apple app? They're certainly talking about an Office suite so I've heard.

 

[wytey]

Why is everyone so negative? Why shouldn't ms make an apple app? They're certainly talking about an Office suite so I've heard.

I hope they do, ms office on the go on the iPad....mmmmmm yes pls

 

[bedouin]

Watch the Linux version of Skype go bye-bye soon.

Whether they make a good app or not isn't really the issue, it's that the service itself is going to undergo major cultural changes and become less than pleasurable.

Expect it to be merged with MSN Messenger in some way eventually; Mac people know what a POS that client is. Luckily there's Adium.

 

[Tassiecelt]

Why is everyone so negative? Why shouldn't ms make an apple app? They're certainly talking about an Office suite so I've heard.

After 20 years of windoze I feel justified in being negative. Switching to Apple was the best thing I've ever done in computing. I don't trust MS, it's that simple.

 

[sjleworthy]

I too have 20+ years in ms and have moved to apple in recent years too. Not migrated, as I still use windows as my main os, just expanded my horizons. I don't share your ms concerns

I seriously doubt this is end of days for skype lime most are making out here. Infact probably the opposite in my opinion.

 

[wytey]

I too have 20+ years in ms and have moved to apple in recent years too. Not migrated, as I still use windows as my main os, just expanded my horizons. I don't share your ms concerns

I seriously doubt this is end of days for skype lime most are making out here. Infact probably the opposite in my opinion.

indeed, I can see Skype being integrated into windows

 

[sjleworthy]

I can't personally see that, but I can see ms taking advantage of other markets and avenues outside the core windows os.

 

[bedouin]

Before Macs switched to Intel Microsoft bought VirtualPC from Connectix and basically let it die a slow death on OS X, but then continued developing it for Windows. When the switch to Intel finally occurred, and MS could have followed in the footsteps of VMWare by releasing virtualization for Intel Macs, they instead almost immediately made a press release on the death of VirtualPC for Macs.

The same is true of Halo, that was originally a Mac-only product. Rather than continue development on both platforms, they ceased all development on OS X; the X Box saw Halo before Macs did. Two years later they finally licensed it to Aspyr to do a Mac port.

When they decided they wanted Word to overthrow Word Perfect for DOS/Windows many Mac users will remember the release of Word 6 -- a revision so terrible that it couldn't have been coincidental.

There's other examples probably I'm forgetting. Skype is a very appealing reason to own an iPad, and strategically it makes perfect sense for MS to kill it on every platform but a their own. The Linux version will be the first to go, since they'll never get over an open source product dominating 60% of the server market they wish they had.

The Microsoft MacBU only exists to 'prove' they are not being anti-competitive; the only product they produce is Office. Each year after about 2004 (when the switching phenomenon started to occur) they dumped one or two Mac products each year.

If I gambled I would put $1000+ on the table about everything I wrote above. They will come to iOS only when the writing is on the wall for Windows 7 Mobile and even then maybe not.