Downloading and Installing Skype

Ready to get started? First, pick up the latest version of Skype:

1. With your Internet browser open, enter www.skype.com in the address line to open the Home page of the Skype Web site.
2. Click the Download button on the Skype home page to open the Download page.
3. Click the link for the computer platform that you use to download the software and then click the word Download immediately under the name of the platform you just clicked . Skype works on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Pocket PC. In most of the examples in this book, we use Windows, but we also discuss, where appropriate, differences with other platforms.
4. Click the Download button to download Skype to your hard drive. The appearance of the download page and download button varies by computer platform. On the Mac and Skype for Pocket PC, the button says Download Now. You have to pick the particular variant of Linux you want to download and then save the software to your hard drive. After you click to download the program, you may be prompted to save or open the program SkypeSetup.exe. Always choose to save the file to your hard drive. Do not open or run the program during the download process. Skype often posts two types of downloads, the general public version and the next new beta version. If you are just starting out, it’s best to download the general public version because it’s more stable. In time, the beta version will become the public version, and you can upgrade.
   
5. Select Save to Disk. Choose an easy-to-remember location, such as the Windows Desktop, and click OK. Remember this location so that you can double-click the file after it is saved.

When your download is complete and the program is saved to disk, follow these steps to install the program:

1. 1. Double-click the SkypeSetup program that you just saved. If you are on Windows, you will see a little blue-and-white cube that says SkypeSetup.exe. If you are on a Mac, you will see a standard installer icon that looks like a disk drive but is colored blue and white with a big Skype S on top.
2. When the installer program launches, it asks you to choose a language; select it from a drop-down list. The installer program then asks you to read and accept the End User License Agreement. You need to accept this to continue the installation.
3. 3. Click the Options button The Options page that results asks you to select where Skype should be installed. In the field provided, enter the path to the selected location. You can also click Browse to simply select a location to install Skype. You also have the choice to launch Skype as soon as the installation is complete. This box is already checked. If you don’t want Skype to start up right away, deselect the box by clicking it.
4. Click Install. Skype is installed and automatically launches (unless you deselected the Launch Skype check box on the Options screen).

Just in case you want to use Skype in a language other than English, you have a considerable range of options with a growing list of languages, including the following: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian, French, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, and Turkish. (Try saying that all in one breath!)