Skype sucks, now what?

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Ochalla

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I use Skype to talk to my Iwaku friends, in fact a lot of Iwaku people use Skype, but for the last few years it's sucked on ipad. I've sucked it up since it's what everyone uses, but now it's starting to suck for PC users. Are there any GOOD alternatives to Skype that support 1x1 converstations and group chatting. Voice chat is not nessisary.
 
I don't know of any better programs, but there are places that you can download older versions of skype and tricks you can use to stop skype from updating, but that will become moot because I'm sure they'll retire older versions eventually.

So I'd like to know too, even though I'm happy with Skype 6 at the moment.
 
Steam would be a good alternative.
 
Ochalla said:
What many of you use to game? It's mobile compatible
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Yuppers. It's good for some quick IMing, and it even has a voice chat feature.

I'm also pretty sure it's for iPad since I had it on my phone before I took it off (Didn't need it).
 
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My steam name is Fijoli !!!!!

Same avatar
<<<<<<<<<

and we also have an Iwaku group on steam too.
 
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Steams even worse than Skype.
I would suggest MSN but thats also worse.

Only suggestions I have are Google+ and Tinychat. But both are URL chatrooms that people need to login by themselves.

You can't just call a friend and invite them to chat or do something like you can on Skype.
 
The only other thing I know of is probably not on iPads (And that is Teamspeak).
 
Skype mobile works wonderfully for me still. I heard the computer one has turned into ass though. Hence why I only go on it on my phone (it also makes me computer screwy if I try it there).

However, I do see steam as an alternative. I don't believe you can use your webcam for those that like video chatting, but voice is great.

EDIT: Steam has a mobile app, but I don't think voice chat is available. Only IM.
 
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IM:

YahooIM is still up and functioning, if I recall... But it still has issues, a lot of issues, hasn't had updates in a very long while and not many people use it anymore, as far as I am aware.

Skype, well, I'm sure you've used it

Tinychat has a mobile app, but I believe you have to pay for it, and it is pretty buggy. It also demands that everyone has to log-in themselves. It's basically an open chatroom, not an IM service.

Steam is pretty decent. The mobile app at least lets you message people on the go, but it does not enable group chats and voice chats here. It uses the chat bubbles for messages much as skype does on mobile. It's pretty bad lately on losing messages in cyberspace, though. It will also have random periods of having "steam hiccups" where the servers will go down and disconnect you, not allowing you to talk (computer and mobile) But on computer, at least, it doesn't have the horribly clunky skype interface and is pretty clear, great on screen use. You can set up groups for chatrooms and they also have forums pretty much you can make too, so even more utility there. Uhm, though, while it does have mic support, it's not the best in the world, last I used it.
 
Skype sucks hard, but there aren't really any better alternatives. Trust me, everything suggested here is worse, particularly for the ridiculously large amount of messages typically sent in group chats. I had issues with Skype for a long time and only recently managed to stabilise it enough to use it, so I've tried most of the alternatives. They suck harder, with the exception of Teamspeak for voice chats. For IMing... Skype's the place to go, even if it is buggy as hell.
 
You could attempt to use something like Jitsi.
I'm really liking it for chatting with friends.
But then again you need a bunch of stuff to kick that off properly.

...
Like the ability to successfully connect stuff
 
Skype for mobile devices is now less useful than it was prior to its update. And now, Microsoft saw fit to mold the desktop version of Skype after the mobile version, much like how Microsoft decided molding a desktop operating system after its abhorrent mobile operating system was a good idea.

Unfortunately, there is no application out there quite like Skype. There used to be a separate desktop application for Google (it was called Google Talk), but Google decided instead that it needs to be accessed through Chrome instead (See: Google Hangouts). To its credit, it does everything Skype currently does. The downside is the requirement of Chrome.

You can access Google contacts (chat, voice, video) via Trillian (free), by adding your Google account to it. However, as of the most recent version, Google does not consider Trillian to be a secure application. You'll have to change a setting in your Google account in order to allow Trillian to connect.
 
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I personally use ooVoo. It is free and stuff, but you have to deal with ads. If you choose to get it, just remember to look out for the Ask Toolbar installation. That thing is a bitch to remove. But ooVoo does have voice, video, and IM'ing, and the voice/video can go up to 12 people.
 
ooVoo is pretty good yes, but again not better then Skype. Fact remains, that what skype does, none can do better.
 
Robbel said:
ooVoo is pretty good yes, but again not better then Skype. Fact remains, that what skype does, none can do better.
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Not so much a matter of none can do better as it is a matter of no program does do better currently. The potential is there, because Skype is far from perfect, but it happens to be the best thing out there for persistent large group chat rooms with voice integration.
 
But what about small chats? 3-6 people? What about non-voice? What about simple 1x1 as far as notification on computers and mobile are concerened?
 
Ochalla said:
But what about small chats? 3-6 people? What about non-voice? What about simple 1x1 as far as notification on computers and mobile are concerened?
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There are tons that are fine for those things. Everything from AOL or Yahoo instant messengers to IRC rooms to Facebook or Steam chat functionality are totally fine for 1x1 chatting with no voice. IRC is good for even large groups with no voice chatting. Unless they have drastically changed things since I last used them, AOL and Yahoo messengers are okay for small groups too.

Skype is by no means the best chat platform, it's just the best thing that currently exists for large groups with both text and voice chat integrated.
 
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