New Skype For Mac Moves To Beta

VoIP service provider Skype on Tuesday released a preview of a new version for the Mac OS X operating system that boasts a revamped interface and other enhancements.

Skype for Mac OS X 1.5 has been redesigned, said the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of the American online auction giant eBay, to better integrate with the Mac's built-in address book as well as Microsoft Entourage, the e-mail client that's part of the Mac edition of Office.

Other improvements include easier dialing through a country list -- which avoids having to remember country codes -- a resizable chat window, and support for additional languages ranging from French and German to traditional Chinese and Dutch.

Skype 1.5 runs on PowerPC- or Intel-based Macs under Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later. The free-of-charge beta can be downloaded from the Skype Web site.