Skype 7 Gets a Stay of Execution

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Source: Microsoft

People don't like change. That's why all hell breaks loose every time Coca-Cola tweaks its recipe, McDonald's removes a menu item, or Walmart decides not to stock a product. The same is true of software; major changes to a tool millions of people use is bound to inspire backlash. Just ask Microsoft, which received so many complaints about Skype 8 that it decided to let people use Skype 7 until all its features are in the new version.

Microsoft released Skype 8 on July 16. The company announced on the same day that Skype 7, which it dubbed Skype classic, would be discontinued on September 1. It makes sense from a development standpoint; continuing to support old software means the new version can't get all the attention it needs. For people who grew used to Skype classic over the years, however, being forced to use Skype 8 was upsetting.

And that might be putting it lightly. Skype users flooded the app with one-star reviews on various platforms after Skype 8's debut, with many complaining about the new interface, which made the app look more like a modern messaging app than ever before. The inclusion of cute emojis, neon colors and enough white space to paint a picture stood in stark contrast to the previous version's dated, but familiar, user interface.

Those complaints overshadowed the improvements made with Skype 8, including the ability to make free HD video calls or easily share files up to 300MB in size with a drag-and-drop system. Microsoft wanted to streamline the Skype experience, but it seems that many of the app's users would prefer it if the company just improved on Skype's existing features instead of introducing so many new features under the same name.

Apparently enough people complained for Microsoft to give Skype classic a stay of execution. The company said it would be extending support for Skype 7 "for some time" and that people could use that version of the app "until then." That isn't a particularly detailed announcement--technically Microsoft would be within its rights to kill Skype classic tomorrow--but it should at least temporarily appease Skype 7's supporters.

Nathaniel Mott
Nathaniel Mott
Freelance News & Features Writer

Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hellwig
    "That isn't a particularly detailed announcement--technically Microsoft would be within its rights to kill Skype classic tomorrow--but it should at least temporarily appease Skype 7's supporters."

    And every single Skype user would be in their rights to stop using Skype tomorrow. Capitalism is just a trade-off between what a producer wants to charge and what consumers want to pay. Skype is "free" for users, but Microsoft must make money somehow. If they want to use Skype to induce people into the Microsoft ecosystem, then they REALLY need to work on appeasing their customers better.

    If you offer free cookies to join the darkside, they better not be oatmeal raisin!
    Reply
  • Iridar51
    Skype turned to shit many years ago. It's a laggy horrible mess filled with intrusive ads. It boggles my mind that someone would defend it.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    21212068 said:
    "That isn't a particularly detailed announcement--technically Microsoft would be within its rights to kill Skype classic tomorrow--but it should at least temporarily appease Skype 7's supporters."

    And every single Skype user would be in their rights to stop using Skype tomorrow. Capitalism is just a trade-off between what a producer wants to charge and what consumers want to pay. Skype is "free" for users, but Microsoft must make money somehow. If they want to use Skype to induce people into the Microsoft ecosystem, then they REALLY need to work on appeasing their customers better.

    If you offer free cookies to join the darkside, they better not be oatmeal raisin!

    If I'm joining the darkside I better get dark chocolate cookies!
    Reply
  • ThisIsMe
    21212289 said:
    Skype turned to shit many years ago. It's a laggy horrible mess filled with intrusive ads. It boggles my mind that someone would defend it.

    Skype doesn't have any ads in it's latest version, which runs much better than the older versions. Most of the complaints over the latest is that the interface is lacking several tiny features that the older version had. Or that the some of the features have been altered, for whatever reason, to work a little differently than before. People probably call these bugs because it's not what they were expecting. From a developer's point of view you can tell they're working as intended, for the most part, but people hate change I suppose.
    Reply
  • safetex
    Microsoft paid 8.5 billion dollars for Skype which was way over its commercial price. Now they are trying to commercialize it by taking away nearly all its good features and expected its user to accept that we would eventually have to pay for a version that many user describe as a program for children.
    The backlash against Skype 8 and its Design Director, Peter Skillman, was completely merited.
    Reply