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Comment by stashdot | Hacker News Reader

The simple reason is that the Linux version of Skype might be axed as a result of the acquisition. This has happened before.

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Except that they refuted that very statement in their press release

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10Cor...

> Except that they refuted that very statement in their press release

They rebutted it. I don't really see how they could refute it.

I don't see a rebuttal of the claim that they will no longer update the linux client (which beta is about 4 years old IIRC), or probably just drop it.

If one was really naive I guess one might imagine that "invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms" might cover linux rather than a limited set of possible platforms. I have no worries about the java based client on my phone for example.

they do say "Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms."

Arguable if they will or not, but I don't think they could have been more direct than this

It says "non-Microsoft platforms". It doesn't say "all currently supported non-Microsoft platforms". So, this may just mean "we're not going to ditch the Mac".

What happens is they will support it for 2 years and then drop it.

See: http://www.afterdawn.com/news/press_releases/press_release.c...

and 2 years later: http://www.cio.com/article/532513/Microsoft_to_Drop_Linux_Un...

The reality is that losing the Linux client for Skype isn't a tragedy, since it sucks and has since the beginning, unlike the Mac client.

Ouch. The Skype Mac client sucks hard. It is pretty feature-complete, though.

True, the Mac client is slightly better.

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