Windows only (for now): When Skype rolled out its first beta 4.0 release back in June, its enhanced video chat and managed conversation features came at a cost: a screen-filling app which wasn't necessarily helpful on ultra-portable devices and in which it was easy to lose notifications of chat messages. The newer beta, out this week, addresses those concerns by adding an optional 'compact view' that's more akin to classic Skype, and incorporating pop-up notifications on the taskbar (which you can switch off, fortunately). Those changes aside, the 4.0 release is still a little buggy (my install required a reboot and didn't accurately reflect available people to chat to). The current beta is still Windows only, but a Mac version is in the works.

Most of the initial hype around the new 4.0 beta version of Skype centres around the improved video quality and the amount of space the revised client takes up on screen. However, the most interesting new feature in the long term may be the fact that multiple conversations -- video, voice or text -- can all be managed from the central screen. Alternating between numerous discussions is a major nuisance in earlier releases, so this might be some compensation for the crowding that'll be inevitable on ultra-portables like the Eee with the new triple-width client. Skype 4.0 is currently a Windows-only beta, but Skype hopes to get the gold version out the door later in the year and follow with Mac and Linux versions. (Personally, I'm too scarred by the bugs in 3.8 to test 4.0 just yet, but I'd love to hear any reader experiences in the comments.)

Windows only: Skype has released an early beta of their 4.0 release for Windows users, and the best word for it is "bigger." (Odds-on this is the "fundamental change" Skype hinted at earlier this week.) The client itself is now a full-screen affair, putting your contact list at left and offering all the user options in a big central box. Video calls are both literally bigger, with full-screen streams and picture-in-picture chat, and a larger part of the client's focus. Hardware setup has also been streamlined to detect compatible hardware, or recommend it if troubleshooting fails. It's still an early beta—my XP box just couldn't run it without crashing—but worth checking out if you regularly use Skype video chat. Skype 4.0 beta is a free download for Windows systems only (for now).

Web-based chat application Meebo now lets you video conference with up to five other contacts from any instant messaging service through a team-up with TokBox. As with their regular video chat, you log in, open a chat window, hit the "rocket ship" icon and choose the "Group Video Chat" option. There's simultaneous text chatting in the same window, and the video quality looks to be about the same as the one-on-one setup. Not too shabby for a free, no-installation service.

Linux only: Skype's latest 2.0 beta for Linux adds long-awaited video chat features to the popular freeware, cross-platform Voice over IP (VoIP) application. Video chat has been available in Windows version of Skype since 2005 with video support for Macs introduced about a year later, so the addition of Linux rounds out Skype's excellent feature set to include free video chat for all. It's not uncommon for the Linux version of popular cross-platform apps like Skype lag behind, but it's always nice to see them catch up with the pack.