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While I was looking at the Linux version of the Skype update I noticed that the Mac version has got an update too. The update returns the slim UI that was replaced with a full screen UI in version 5 and adds support for OS X Mountain Lion.

The app is free from Skype

Today, we’re pleased to announce the launch of Skype 5.8 for Mac. With this update we’re improving the usability of the Skype for Mac client, while also delivering a bunch of new features. You can download the new Skype for Mac now.

Move it around. Tony Bates, President of the Skype division of Microsoft, mentioned a few weeks ago at the D10 Conference that we have continued to evolve the Skype for Mac user interface based on your feedback. You’ve been very vocal with your thoughts about the revamped full-screen user interface we introduced in Skype 5.0and we’ve been listening intently. For this reason, we’re excited to announce the return of the slim contact list that so many of you have been requesting. Now you can reposition and resize your contact list however you like. We believe this change will simplify your experience.

Mobile love. We’re making Skype video calls better. When you’re talking with someone who is using Skype for iPhone, Skype for iPad or Skype for Android and that person rotates their mobile device from portrait to landscape (or the other way around), Skype for Mac will now detect this and automatically re-orient the video call. If you’ve held or plan to hold a video call with someone who is using Skype for Windows Phone, the same auto-rotation feature is already supported.

Share with Multiple People. We’re also improving Screen Sharing, which lets you share your desktop over a call or show friends and family your photos. For our Skype Premiumsubscribers ($9.99/month or just $4.99/month if you pay for an entire year), the latest Mac release will simultaneously display your live video alongside your photos, so your friends can also see you and you can see their reactions. This works as a Premium feature with both one-to-one Screen Sharing, as well as Group Screen Sharing (for use on video calls with up to 10 people). Of course, if you simply want to share your screen with someone else for free over an audio call, that’s still free.

Ready to Roar.Skype 5.8 for Mac is also built to work with Apple’s forthcoming desktop operating system, OS X Mountain Lion, in addition to being compatible with past versions of OS X going all the way back to Leopard.

More to come.Another feature many of you having been asking for – the ability to open chats in separate windows and keep track of what’s going on with multiple contacts at once – will be coming to Skype for Mac real soon. Stay tuned for additional updates.

Hungry for more? Last but not least, if you still have any lingering questions about Skype for Mac, we’ll be holding an hour-long #SkypeTalks session on Twitter with Krishna Panicker and Aga Guzik, Product and Marketing Managers at Skype on Monday, June 18th at 6 PM GMT/1 PM ET/10 AM PT. To participate, just tweet your Skype for Mac questions at @SkypeMac and they will answer them for you. Make sure to use the hashtag #SkypeTalks so everyone can follow the conversation. Don’t have a Twitter account? Don’t fret: the #SkypeTalks session will also be happening simultaneously on the Skype Support Network, so you can post your questions and follow the discussion there as well.

We encourage you to download and try the latest version of Skype to your Mac. Please report any issues or share your feedback in our Support Network or our public issue trackerso we can make the Skype experience even simpler for our users.

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