“As a heavy skype user, this blows. I hope they do not screw it up.”
I agree. I’m also a heavy Skype user. Skype really is an amazing program. Microsoft can do one of two things: make it better or mutilate it. Let’s hope for the former.
It’s awesome to talk to people all over the world (free if they are a Skype user or at very low rates if you are calling a landline or mobile).
And you can’t beat the unlimited USA & Canada subscription: $3 per month!
The one really good thing that Microsoft could bring to Skype is BANDWIDTH. They have the capital to do it and pushing the bit rate way up to HD levels would be a very big deal. I really don't think there is anything holding them back except a huge investment in servers and some software development.
So I'm betting they will do it, charge a premium for it and people will buy it if the price is right. Maybe give away 20 minutes a month for free and then it's premium if you want more. Let them get a taste of it.