Greetings!
I've installed the v3.8 beta and noticed the splash screen that describes improved device configuration management so I decided to give it a try but can't seem to figure out what it's doing. I've tried two things:
1) Bluetooth Headset
First I placed a Skype Test Call using my Plantronics Voyager 510 headset and verified that audio in/out was working. Then I turned the headset off and ran the test call again. I was a bit surprised to find that Skype did not change the audio devices and instead proceeded with the call with no audio working at all. I figured this was a long shot but it would have been really cool if Skype had detected that the device was not actively connected and automatically switched the input/output devices for me. I use the bluetooth headset a lot so that I can rattle around the room while on conference calls so for me personally, this is a key use case.
2) USB Mic with Built-in Speakers
Having failed the bluetooth test I decided to configure Skype to use the internal microphone on my webcam (Logitech Pro 9000) and the built-in speakers on my iMac (running Vista Enterprise edition SP1). The test call ran just fine with audio in/out working as expected. I then yanked the Pro 9000, and the internal mic along with it, and placed the call again. Skype did as I expected switched to the system internal microphone and the test call went off without a hitch. Next I reattached the Pro 9000 and ran the test call one more time. This time Skype did not change the device selection back to the Pro 9000's mic even though it was now attached again. I had expected Skype to respect my previous preference for devices, having manually selected the Pro 9000 before, and to revert to it once it again appeared on the system.
So ... at this point I can't see any different behavior from what I remember Skype doing previously. I took a quick look (certainly not exhaustive) and didn't find a posted description of this new behavior in Skype so my expectations for the above behavior is based solely on speculation on my part after seeing the splash screen. Can anyone tell me if I'm expecting the wrong things from Skype (and point me to a feature description), or if perhaps this feature is not working as expected?
Thanks.
-Rick