Ethiopian citizens may never know it, but Skype today released an update for its Mac OS X client. The new version brings Skype for the Mac up to version 5.8. The latest version has a few improvements and a streamlined interface. Krishna Panicker, product manager of Skype for Mac at Skype, announced the update in a post to The Big Blog – Skype’s official blog.
The most major change in Skype 5.8 for Mac is the ability for users to resize and reposition their contact list. This is an ability that the client had had previous to version 5.0’s full-screen interface, and one that Skype users have been requesting to have back. Skype Premium members will get the benefit of broadcasting their video call while also screen sharing during a Skype call. It was also announced that Skype 5.8 will be included with Apple’s new OS X Mountain Lion.
A small, but noticeable change is that when users are chatting with iPhone, iPad, or Android users who are using the Skype app, the video screen on the first user’s Mac will now rotate when the mobile device user rotates their device between portrait and landscape orientations. This was a feature only Windows Phone versions of the Skype app have had until now.
One requested feature that is not yet in Skype was also confirmed today, though it is not a part of the 5.8 update. The ability for users to keep chats in separate windows and hold simultaneous chats was promised for Skype for Mac “real soon.”
