Skype is fast becoming the official communication tool of Microsoft Windows. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011, last year Microsoft announced plans to retire Windows Live Messenger and replace it with Skype, and soon the app will come pre-loaded in Windows.

When Windows 8.1 rolls out starting October 17th, 2013, there will be a Skype icon on the Start Screen.

Skype for Windows 8

Skype is a free service for text, voice, and video chats. You can also use it to make calls to telephones from your PC or mobile device, but you’ll need to pay for calls to actual telephone numbers.

In some ways, Skype is Microsoft’s version of Apple’s FaceTime or Google’s Hangouts. But Skype is much more than that — it’s a cross-platform app that runs on most popular desktop and mobile operating systems, and which already has hundreds of millions of users.

It’s likely that number will increase now that Skype is about to come pre-loaded on most Windows computers.

On the other hand, ZDNet reports Skype-haters will have the option to remove the app from the Start Screen or even uninstall it entirely.

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4 replies on “Skype comes pre-loaded on Windows 8.1”

    1. Not gonna happen.
      Since Microsoft owns it now, and obviously require royalties on anything they can’t have full control over, or view as a threat on their ecosystem and business.

      1. Actually, it could happen, MS is not above hooking as many people into their products and services as possible. Even if it means providing access to them on competitors products.

        There would likely be caveats like whether it would be easier to use on MS systems, etc. but they would usually allow some access on competitor systems too because the product makes money on not exclusiveness but on how many people are using the service!

        However, Chrome OS requires it to be a web app and that’s not available… Best they got is a plug-In that’ll let you use Skype on Outlook.com but Chrome won’t let you use just any plug-in but only certain ones they approve.

        So there’s the problem from the other direction in that Google is hardly pressed to make it any easier either because they want you to use their services like Hangout, Google+, etc. and there’s not much pressure when imo, IM+, and eBuddy provide enough compatibility to chat with Skype users most of the time.

  2. Skype can be installed by most creatures possessing at least a notochord in seconds.
    What will take longer is removing all the other bloatware.

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