ok,
I have been a loyal skype user for quite some time.

I also happen to be blind and use linux.

The trouble with using windows for me is:
1. cost
2. instability
3. see 1.

now, I have read some recent threads in here that pretty much state that very little movement is being made on the linux development side.

I would greatly appreciate it if the developers could see their way clear to moving things along a bit.... I am not the only blind user of this combination (there is a whole community of us using skype) and I *DON'T* want to have to learn a new software package and have to find all my friends all over again!!!!!

now, above, I mentioned the cost of windows... here's how in breaks down:
1. cost of OS: $299.00 USD retail
2. cost of adaptive technology software: $599.00 (quotes from freedom scientific, makers of jaws for windows)
3. cost of repairing system due to instability issues (os/3rd party apps, etc): $65.00/hour for each hour system is down

there is more, but you begin to see my point. I can't afford the outlay for windows JUST TO RUN THIS CLIENT! some it stands to reason that the developers really should be on the ball here and should be keeping up with the concurrent development, instead of concentrating on what AOL wants (the bottom line)

c'mon guys, there a few 10's of thousands of us out here depending on your folks to keep up!