Is Skype relevant any longer? If so, why?

Just curious...

You have access to Teams, Zoom, etc.

Personally, I don't think Skype was "ever" relevant.

Skype is very much relevant for those of us who were not deceived by mobile phones and consider desktop PC to hold traditional power.

Skype is IMO, best tool for things such as online tutoring or group chat by using PC.

Well, I love responses that do not take all aspects of Skype into account. One of Skype's great features is you can call ladlines in Europe for virtually unlimited time for around £6 per quarter and all you have to do is call a uk landline number which you can use free mobile minutes. You can nominate other phones as well yo use same number, so I have 3 faminily members who can call a relative who lives in Europe as long as they like free of charge (I pay £24 a year). Find me another service like that.

Where skype is good is calling people on any media with minimal fuss. I use whatsapp mostly but for one off calls I find skype is easier. I know may people who still use it - it works, and the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.

For many, it does what they need.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

Not that relevant any more, I shall say.

Before the Facebook era my parents used Skype to call internationally and we still have like £20 Skype credit in one of our accounts that we don't even know how to spend it because Skype isn't so essential nowadays. It doesn't give the option to extract the money out.

With Facebook we can do the same video/ phone calling without the need for additional software or subscription!

Plus I hate the fact that you can't delete your Skype accounts. I have one created like 15 years ago. Then Microsoft merged Skype with our Microsoft accounts and now I have an extra account when I sign in with my outlook email and another one with my username. Both accounts tied to same email!

Old one is impossible to delete. Only the new merged one can be deleted but the entire MS account needs to be deleted for that to work.

I use Skype only with two people who refuse on principle (why?) to use Zoom. Otherwise, I find that zoom is lots easier to use than Skype. All my online classes, lectures, meetings these days are on Zoom.

Occasionally someone still uses Webex, and one of them just switched over to Zoom and no one seems to be using GoToMeeting any longer.

I had different Microsoft IDs for Skype and Windows, etc. To get away from the old Skype ID, I had to set up a "new" Skype account with my Windows ID, and that has worked just fine. But Microsoft doesn't seem to make it easy to merge accounts, and I want just one MS account for simplicity.

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cereberus said:

Well, I love responses that do not take all aspects of Skype into account. One of Skype's great features is you can call ladlines in Europe for virtually unlimited time for around £6 per quarter and all you have to do is call a uk landline number which you can use free mobile minutes. ...

That was a real benefit for me years ago, when I was first working as a consultant. But these days pretty much everybody has a PC or a phone, and they are all familiar with Zoom

Where skype is good is calling people on any media with minimal fuss. I ...I know may people who still use it - it works, and the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.

The we would all be using Windows 3.11 for Networks or maybe even DOS 2.1.

x509 said:

I use Skype only with two people who refuse on principle (why?) to use Zoom. Otherwise, I find that zoom is lots easier to use than Skype. All my online classes, lectures, meetings these days are on Zoom.

Occasionally someone still uses Webex, and one of them just switched over to Zoom and no one seems to be using GoToMeeting any longer.

I had different Microsoft IDs for Skype and Windows, etc. To get away from the old Skype ID, I had to set up a "new" Skype account with my Windows ID, and that has worked just fine. But Microsoft doesn't seem to make it easy to merge accounts, and I want just one MS account for simplicity.

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That was a real benefit for me years ago, when I was first working as a consultant. But these days pretty much everybody has a PC or a phone, and they are all familiar with Zoom


The we would all be using Windows 3.11 for Networks or maybe even DOS 2.1.

You make generalisations about everybody being able to use pcs etc. I can assure you there are a lot of people for whom this is difficult e.g. disabled people.

Your sarcastic response about windows is pathetic and has no relevance to discussion.

cereberus said:

You make generalisations about everybody being able to use pcs etc. I can assure you there are a lot of people for whom this is difficult e.g. disabled people.

Perhaps true. Can disabled people use phones more easily? I can't speak for MacOS, but Windows 10 has a bunch of features for people who suffer some impairment.

Your sarcastic response about windows is pathetic and has no relevance to discussion.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't being sarcastic, only extrapolating your argument. Really. I don't think that sarcasm as such is useful in online discussions, but vigorous debate can be useful.