Skype for Windows 8 Announced
October 24, 2012 by Jim McCarthy 
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Microsoft is releasing a Windows 8 version of Skype on October 26th. Read on for details.
Microsoft is releasing a new, Metro-styled Skype app for Windows 8, and it will be available on October 26th. Here is part of what they announced:
Welcome Skype for Windows 8: It’s Fast, Easy and Beautiful
Skype for Windows 8 is almost here and we are incredibly excited by this important new version of Skype. This is our big step forward together with Microsoft to introduce a completely new Skype experience, which is designed to be always on, immersive, effortless and fun to use.
The team at Skype has been building on the Windows platform since the first release of Skype. With Skype for Windows 8 we’ve focused on how people are using Skype today, and re-imagined Skype for everyday communications across our global community.
Focused on the people you care about
Skype puts the people and messages that matter most to you at the heart of our new experience.
Recent chat messages and calls are right there as you launch Skype alongside the people that you contact most often. We’ve made it simple and easy to add your favorite contacts so that they are only one tap or click away.
Always Reachable
On Windows 8, you can be always available and reachable whether you are using a desktop, laptop, tablet or convertible PC with Skype running seamlessly in the background without draining your battery.
You’ll be able to receive voice and video calls and chats even if you’ve navigated away to another app or to the desktop, enabling you to stay more connected with your contacts whatever you’re doing. Skype for Windows 8 will notify you about new calls and instant messages so you’ll always know when someone is contacting you.
Modern design
Skype for Windows 8 is fast, fluid and easy to use. In designing Skype for Windows 8 we wanted to build a truly modern Skype, as comfortable and easy to use with touch as it is with a keyboard and a mouse.
With Windows 8 we have built a new full-screen immersive and uncluttered Skype experience, but also bought other great new Windows features to Skype.
Once you’ve downloaded Skype from the Windows Store, Skype appears on the new Start screen as a live tile. As well as being the launching point for the Skype experience on Windows 8, the Skype live tile provides a window into the app, showing you if you have missed a call or have a new message waiting for you inside.
Check out the rest of the blog post here, and enjoy this video that gives some more details about the Windows 8 Skype app!
