Skype/Intel - bad practice.

[RobDickinson]

(I know theres another thread, this goes further).

Intel/skype have announced Skype will be restricted on all non Intel hardware (regardless of OS).

It will (artificialy)limit confrence calls to 5 people on all but Intel CPU's.

Now this is probably verging on illigal and I'm sure AMD will do something about it (already involved in an antitrust case against Intel in the US etc), now apart from prehaps boatloads of cash I'ev no idea why Skype(ebay) would go for this, theres no incentive? (along with Intel only mac v2)

Personaly if it contimues I'll move to one of the many mature, open standard VoIP systems doing the rounds and stuff em. This can only loose them customers, in the end that risks their network (napster!).

Hopefully it doesnt signify an applications war between CPU makers, Intel have tried stuff like this before with the PIII web stuff I think?

[aldi]

The PIII serial number biz, that got turned off pretty quick! Can beleive this will fly either TBH...

[annodomini2]

If anything its bad business sense by skype, there are many other competitors to skype, so those companies/indivduals requiring this service and run non-Intel hardware will go elsewhere.

[zumbruk]

Where does that leave the Pocket PC version? Don't those use ARM processors? (although made by Intel, they're anything but x86 architecture.)

[_dobbo_]

Scary stuff!

Over 50% of PCs sold in the US now have AMD chips. Whoever at skype feels compelled to alienate over half the market for their product should be in for the high jump, and sharpish.

[Marki]

Skype only cost Ebay 4bn $ i doubt they are worrid

[ATG]

bloody idiots. Ultimately all they're doing is hamstringing their own product. In fact, I'm going to upgrade them to "morons". Never understood why anyone thinks they can protect a market in VOIP .. streaming audio btwn two IP addresses is not hard. If you make your product expensive or fiddly or restricted someone will write an open-source standard for VOIP (probably exists anyway) and people will start writing client software that uses it. Pop goes your market.

[anonymous-user]

Bloke from Skype on Skype Mac forum said

skype bloke said:

There is only one feature that may be tied to Intel Dual Core and that is 6-10 party conference **calls**. Support for video in Skype for Mac 2.0 will not have any features tied to Intel. And by the way, Skype does not yet support video conferencing on any platform.

[aldi]

RobDickinson said:

Now this is probably verging on illigal and I'm sure AMD will do something about it

Oh yes, took them a while though: http://news.com.com/AMDs+lawyers+call

[mattley]

_dobbo_ said:

Over 50% of PCs sold in the US now have AMD chips.

You what ??? AMD wish.

Their market share was 16% last year, possibly 23% this year tops.

It should also be noted that this is a technical, not political issue. The reasons are based around the issue of code optimisation. Optimising code for a specific CPU is very resource intensive, and while Intel have 80ish PC of the market, it makes sense to go there first.

[RobDickinson]

mattley said:

It should also be noted that this is a technical, not political issue. The reasons are based around the issue of code optimisation. Optimising code for a specific CPU is very resource intensive, and while Intel have 80ish PC of the market, it makes sense to go there first.

Nope, its purely a political/comercial decision.

The test isnt on how powerfull the chip is, it could be a 64bit quad core athlon machine running at a terrahertz, the check is on the chip manufacturer not its performance.

Decoding 10 audio streams is fairly easy for last years hardware...

[aldi]

Aaaaaaaand... SHE'S PATCHED!!

http://maxxuss.com/home/skype.html

How can this possibly not be a marketing deal between Skype and Intel? There's just no way. Next question, have they got some ace up their sleeve that somehow stops them having to pay ££££££££ to AMD?