The Windows RT Review
by Vivek Gowri & Anand Lal Shimpi on October 25, 2012 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Windows RT
- Operating Systems
- Microsoft
- Mobile
- Windows 8
- Tablets
Skype for Windows RT: The New Messenger?
I decided to give Skype its own page, because it’s kind of a hybrid first-party/third-party app and I think it’s going to be very important to Microsoft going forward. It’s not pre-installed so you need to install it from the Windows Store, but Microsoft’s ownership of Skype means that the service is very well integrated to the Windows 8/RT platform.
The new version of Skype runs within Modern UI and has been redesigned from the ground up, with some critical changes being made to the Skype platform. You can login now with any form of Microsoft account, including Skype, and your Skype ID will be linked to your Windows ID. Your Skype contacts can be found either from within Skype or from the People application, so you can just call people directly out of the People application where the rest of your contacts are.
Skype’s new UI is clean and relatable, for the first time in quite a few revisions. Metro has more than done its job here, taking what has become a clunky and archaic interface over the years and really turning it into a modern, streamlined application. There are four areas, showing recent calls and conversations, favorited contacts, and a list of all your contacts as distinct panes. The fourth area, actually the first one you see, is an advertising column for Skype Premium with the sell being “More Skype. No ads.” How tempting. If you’re a free Skype user, like almost everyone I know, it’s just something you ignore but it really does bug me, because it mars what is an otherwise great looking app.
The edge swipe context bar brings up options to add contacts and numbers at the bottom, as well as thumbnails of recent contact history at the top. Once you enter into a contact, you’re free to chat with them, call them over voice or video, or add participants for a group chat. Overall, it’s well organized and very straightforward to use.
The cool part is that you can snap video chats to the edge of the screen, giving you a slice of the chat window. This is actually a really awesome way of doing things, since as long as the other person is generally in the middle of their webcam field of view, the 320 pixel width is actually more than adequate to carry on a good Skype conversation. I’m a big fan of using snapped applications for multitasking, and I think Skype’s implementation of it is very sleek. For the first time in a while, I’m very pleased by the design and responsiveness of Skype.
Eventually I think MSN/Live Messenger will be folded into Skype, paving the way for Skype to become the default messaging client for the Windows platform. The first step in this was combining the Skype ID with the overall Windows ID, and in time we will see how important this was for Microsoft to get right.
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N4g4rok - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
That's a question that can be answered when more viruses are being written for ARM platforms. As it stands now, virus's we see on regular x86 machine really won't be able to execute on ARM platforms.glynor - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
All software for Windows RT must come from the Windows Store.This is EXACTLY like Apple and the iOS App Store. Therefore, unless Microsoft approves viruses and distributes them intentionally, it should be a non-issue.
arcanetribe - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
Even iOS has had a few leaks in the ship. Remember when you could jailbreak an iOS device by visiting a website in Safari? (jailbreakme.com)I'm just wondering if some of the legacy of X86/AMD 64 Windows will make Windows 8 RT inherently less secure than an iOS device.
But, as N4g4rok says above, I guess only time will tell.
I'd still like to see an article that specifically addresses the strengths and weaknesses of Windows 8 RT. If that article exists, please point me to it. I've looked!
karasaj - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
Does anybody think it's realistic to get something like Chrome or Firefox into the windows app store? I like IE10 but (like Anand/Vivek) have always been a chrome guy. The ability to just "click" a tab to switch is really valuable for 10+ tabs open. Anybody share hopes for chrome or firefox to be developed for RT?Also: did you all notice any slowdowns when having like 10+ tabs open, or did you try it out ever?
faizoff - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
I know there is a Chrome install for the Modern UI in the regular windows 8. That works great since I can use adblock and certain script blockers. I did see Google search in the store so it may only be a matter of time before Chrome shows up there for RT devices as well.bostonraja - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
Does anyone here with a Surface RT tried using xfinity comcast online? I was just wondering if flash websites like xfinity or www.cricvid.com work on the RT tablets?Please let me know.
Spivonious - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
MS has a built-in Flash that's enabled for certain white-listed sites. I imagine Comcast is in that list, but I don't have an RT tablet to try it out on.daboochmeister - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
I don't understand ... what is the missing 6.7GB used for? There'd be a little bit of loss for file tables and such, but nowhere NEAR the 20% that indicates.VivekGowri - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
Factor in 7-8% for formatting loss, the rest I assumed was some sort of hidden recovery/restore partition with the factory image.andrewaggb - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - link
What about swap file and hibernate file? I imagine they have a swap file.Probably no need for hibernate on these devices with the low power sleep states.