[raino]

To all those saying writing these emails would not help get the app over to the PB, I have one question to ask: what's the 'backlash' they are afraid of? Skype not designing the app, which is where we stand anyways? Or is it not releasing the app if they've already put in the man hours to design it?

[Thunderbuck]

I have a sneaky suspicion that Skype has had developers on this. It's a matter of waiting until there are enough PlayBook users out there to justify supporting an app (each distinct platform incurs a little overhead).

One other thing to consider: RIM's Video Chat app is going to get considerably easier to use in 2.0. For instance, the PIM will scan the e-mails in your contacts and see if it recognizes them as BB IDs, so inviting a user to a Video Chat will become a no-brainer. With this kind of seamlessness, there's a chance that BB Vid Chat will have a much bigger uptake than it has now.

Two implications for that: 1) Skype will have some competition on the PB that it doesn't really have now and 2) Many of the users demanding Skype now might not care quite as much...

[Draconianfire83]

I like Video Chat as much as the next PB user... but that's it. It only works for PB users. Skype gives a much broader group of people to chat with. I only (personally) know about 3 people with a PB right now... that's cool and video chat with them all the time! But I know dozens of people on Skype. Skype is not worried about Video Chat, nor is BlackBerry concerned with having Skype as Competition. BBVid Chat is kinda like BBM but we all still use SMS and IM+, right?

[ignites]

Those who criticize this as a great effort and that Skype was 'encoraged' please note "your email was deleted without being read is not exactly a positive response...

[zethaaron]

Yes the same thing was going through my mind.... 2,000+ emails is good, but why call it a success and of all things tell people to quit emailing them? wouldnt it be more effective if 5k-10k emails flooded their email boxes? Or, reading between the lines, were there threats issued regarding lawsuits? Im sensing that there were warnings given possibly with legal letterheads.

And on that note, if left at 2,000 give or take, i got news for you... thats not enough. The company could easily read that as only a few thousand in a market of millions are interested... and behind closed doors in board meetings that could easily be twisted as "lack of interest" and "proof they shouldnt bother with the playbook platform".

Thats what I want to know.... why the emphasis on telling people to quit emailing them?

In regards to your lawsuits comment, no, we did not receive any warnings of a lawsuit. As per I asked people to stop, it was precisely because a) This is not a spam campaign, we signed up for one day to make our point, not make Tony Bates' secretary's life a living by having to delete hundreds or thousands of emails everyday, and b) Frankly one day's one thing, but if Skype was receiving constant emails everyday and did not have any idea when they were going to stop, THAT'S when some sort of legal action would have ensued. This was a peaceful campaign and we have no plans to email again, they've seen our point. Also, as the leaders of something like Skype, they know the value to 2000, because the fact is, only a fraction of Playbook users are on Crackberry, only a fraction of those users saw the campaign (users who pop in once a week or so), only a fraction of users were likely to respond even if they felt relatively strong about getting Skype, because that's what's been observed in the world. There is a growth similar to exponential which occurs in this type of thing, and Skype understand that the reflection of 2000 emails is extrapolated to be one-helluva lot more than 2000 potential users for a Skype BlackBerry Playbook App.

[soren203]

I think we will be seeing skype for playbook anytime now!

[Tablet 1996]

2000 emails!!!!!!!! They better do something now, or they'll have a problem on their hands.

[sharpehenry]

please post any replies from Skype. As a participant, I really would like to know their responses from time to time.

[zethaaron]

please post any replies from Skype. As a participant, I really would like to know their responses from time to time.

I sure will!

[rexxenex]

did anyone get a response?

[anon(2692400)]

I think no response can be good. I think they knew ahead of time of our e-mail campaign and they could have made an auto response stating that they were not developing it. I think the fact that they have not answer saying no is a good thing. At least I hope it is.

[aha]

I don't care to much for Skype but I think you guys have gone about this the wrong way. It would have been better to send the 2000+ emails to RIM and have Saunders deal with the guys at Skype by showing them some numbers.

I fear all you have done is pissed off a couple of execs but kudos for trying.

And who says we can't do both?

[BB_Bmore]

No execs were pissed off but the secretary's very well may have been.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9670 using Tapatalk

[emtunc]

Or if the secretary was smart, she would have made a filter to auto delete all e-mails with the word 'PlayBook' in the subject or body

[si_chindo]

I really think that if RIM's new CEO is trully paying attention to us the consumers by keeping tabs on Crackberry, he'll take notice of our email campaign and get Skype on Playbook.

Perhaps a new email campaign directed towards Mr. Thorsten Heinz?

[Ralph_]

I think that worst thing is that skype is already available to download for all blackberry smartphones but if you don't have a Telkomsell SIM you can't use it

[Gerii]

I think we will be seeing skype for playbook anytime now!

By the speed of them developing for other platforms (e.g. WP), it will be another year until we will see it (if they have the intent to port it now).
But still hoping for the best.

[Rootbrian]

I really think that if RIM's new CEO is trully paying attention to us the consumers by keeping tabs on Crackberry, he'll take notice of our email campaign and get Skype on Playbook.

Perhaps a new email campaign directed towards Mr. Thorsten Heinz?

RIM can't develop skype, either skype itself, or microsoft, has to develop it for the playbook.

[diegonei]

2000?? Wow... I won't lie, I was expecting a 10th of that number.

Great job guys!

[dhyde79]

ok, so, call this a crazy thought but, ya'll DO realize that skype on verizon is partially integrated into their voice system right? like, the IM side of skype works like normal but a call on skype is actually a phonecall, not a data call....that COULD be why you don't see skype on other carriers....I don't know if that's the reason it isn't out there for sure, but, I do know that from what I've seen on my own bills, that's how skype calls work on vzw.

[kmcobra64]

ok, so, call this a crazy thought but, ya'll DO realize that skype on verizon is partially integrated into their voice system right? like, the IM side of skype works like normal but a call on skype is actually a phonecall, not a data call....that COULD be why you don't see skype on other carriers....I don't know if that's the reason it isn't out there for sure, but, I do know that from what I've seen on my own bills, that's how skype calls work on vzw.

According to skype, the bb phone version of skype is indeed a data call, but is barred from working on wifi so that verizon can still charge you data for using it.

[Gerii]

RIM can't develop skype, either skype itself, or microsoft, has to develop it for the playbook.

Skype is deeply integrated into webOS and Maemo/Meego, so with a little help of Skype it should be possible for RIM to integrate it themselves.

[diegonei]

ok, so, call this a crazy thought but, ya'll DO realize that skype on verizon is partially integrated into their voice system right? like, the IM side of skype works like normal but a call on skype is actually a phonecall, not a data call....that COULD be why you don't see skype on other carriers....I don't know if that's the reason it isn't out there for sure, but, I do know that from what I've seen on my own bills, that's how skype calls work on vzw.

We're asking for Skype on the PlayBook, not the dated hardware/software RIM used on handhelds, so any comparison to the VZW/Three UK app is moot.

We know the PB can do voip (imo.im anyone?) and we want Skype (if it happens, this means Skype on BB10 as well).

[jonno_atamaniuk]

ok, so, call this a crazy thought but, ya'll DO realize that skype on verizon is partially integrated into their voice system right? like, the IM side of skype works like normal but a call on skype is actually a phonecall, not a data call....that COULD be why you don't see skype on other carriers....I don't know if that's the reason it isn't out there for sure, but, I do know that from what I've seen on my own bills, that's how skype calls work on vzw.

Fully aware of that one myself, and that's a contractual thing between Verizon and Skype. The thing is that's how ALL of Verizon's Skype apps work, none of them go over data (with the exception of video calls which I believe may require LTE devices and service or wi-fi anyways). This is for one primary reason: Verizon's choice in 3G network technology. People can argue all sorts of other things, however Ev-DO does not allow for simultaneous voice and data, and voice always takes priority. If a call comes in during a data transmission, the data call is placed on hold and told to wait until the voice call completes and hangs up. If someone was to be on Skype while out and about on Verizon's 3G data network, and a voice call came in, the skype call would be immediately disconnected for no reason. This would give both Verizon and Skype a very bad name for call quality and reliability, so they chose to have it go through their voice protocols instead of data.

Now for Blackberry there's another possible reason why it's restricted only to specific carriers, also using their voice networks, and that is the BIS. Yes, our beloved secure BIS service I theorize could be what's keeping us from getting Skype readily available on each and every Blackberry phone worldwide (though I sincerely hope NOT the Playbook because it's a moot point). The BIS compresses down data significantly in its transmission so that it is able to reach a device faster and work better over 2.5G and low-speed 3G networks, as well as save each and every client on bandwidth. It may also encrypt data transmissions (someone please let me know if I'm wrong on that, just going from what I've been made to understand). Having to code around the BIS and the encryptions may have been just a bit much for Skype to really want to invest in, and RIM may also have very well realized the security breaches that could have happened and talked Skype into backing off of such an app for voice use. Let's not forget, RIM is all about security of our data within its servers and throughout its transmissions. Another probable reason why the companies that have Skype apps out for Blackberry do the voice calls over their voice networks and not over 3G (or Wi-Fi simply for support of pre-OS6 devices).

Again, though, this shouldn't affect the Playbook because it uses strictly wi-fi. The only thing potentially keeping skype from pushing out an app right off the bat may be a lack of access to the camera and microphones within the Playbook OS if I read the comments of another poster correctly (back in the original thread of the petition?).

.... if I'm wrong on any of that, someone please let me know? Would rather be corrected and learn better .

[jonno_atamaniuk]

According to skype, the bb phone version of skype is indeed a data call, but is barred from working on wifi so that verizon can still charge you data for using it.

It's actually been tested and proven, it's a voice call, not a data call.

edit: at least not anything going through the Blackberry or Android versions of the software on Verizon on the 3G (read: NOT LTE) network. I believe the Verizon iPhone even has a different version of Skype available specifically for use over the voice network...