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Are there rooms for an alternative?

Of course there is. I don't think it will happen, however. Google Plus already demonstrates rich in-browser video teleconferencing. I think that's the way to go.

It should be relatively easy to build a Google hangout client with nothing but HTML and a WebKit+plugins engine.

Could you be more specific on why this will not happen? As you say, in-web calls should be possible, why people don't compete against skype with decent web apps?

I think a new stand-alone application has zero chance of successfully taking on Skype head to head. A web app, possibly embedded in a social setting, has a much better chance of success, if well executed.

As far as I'm concerned, (Linux) Skype should die. It's the worst thing running on my PC right now, and I really hate running it (it's not set to autostart). It will usually hang insidiously every few minutes, and it's not even obvious. Everything continues to work, but messages won't get delivered, calls won't get answered and there's no notification of incoming calls.

The only way for me to notice that my Skype has frozen is to notice the 100% CPU usage on the task manager. I would love something better coming along, I look forward to the day when I never have to use Skype again.

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