PC vs MAC Comparison Chart for Skype4B

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Topic Last Modified: 2017-05-03

Summary: Skype for Business Server 2015 or Skype for Business Online administrators can use these tables to understand what features are supported on which clients.

Before you deploy or upgrade to Skype for Business, check which clients are already in use in your organization. Use the tables below to understand the feature support impact on those clients. This can help you communicate changes to users, pace the roll-out process, and fully understand the benefits of upgrading to the latest client.

Some features available with Skype for Business Server 2015 are not available in Skype for Business Online, see Online or Hybrid user accounts for specifics. Skype for Business Online Admins may want to refer to Skype for Business Online Service Description for information on the different plans available to them.

The following tables show the features that are available with each client that works with Skype for Business Server 2015 or Skype for Business Online. You may also want to refer to Mobile client comparison tables for Skype for Business. The Client Access License or User Subscription License your organization purchases will also have an impact on which features are available to your users. Whether you deploy the Full or Basic client to users depends on the license or plan your organization chooses to buy. See the Licensing Guide for more details.

Important:
Skype for Business Server 2015 and Skype for Business Online support the following previously released clients: Lync 2013, Lync 2010, Lync 2010 Mobile, Lync Phone Edition, and Lync 2010 Attendant. For information about these clients when used with other servers, see the Client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013 and Client comparison tables for Lync Server 2010.

Note:
The Lync 2010 Attendant client is not supported in Skype for Business Online.

Note:
The Skype for Business Web App browser client only provides Meetings support.

Enhanced Presence support

This table covers the Enhanced Presence features that extend beyond a simple indication of whether a user is online, offline, busy, etc.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Publish and view status
View status based on calendar free/busy information
View status notes and Out of Office messages
Add a custom location
Add a custom note
Use a photo from any public site for My Picture (not available in Skype for Business Online)

Contacts and Contact Groups support

This table covers the features relating to managing IM and Presence contacts.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Pre-populated Contacts list
View and Modify Contacts list
Tag contacts for status change alerts
Control privacy relationships
Search the corporate address book
Search Microsoft Outlook contacts
Manage contact groups
Expand distribution groups and Office 365 Groups
Search for Response Groups (not available in Skype for Business Online)
Display recent contacts group
Display current conversations group
Display alternate contact views (for example, tile)
Sort contacts by Group, Relationship, or New (people who’ve added you to their Contacts list)
Sort contacts by Status (availability)

IM support

This table covers features related to IM support.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Initiate IM with or email to a contact
Navigate among multiple IM conversations/Track multiple conversations in a single tabbed window
Log IM conversations in Outlook		If server side conversation history is turned on
Use prepared conversation templates
Check spelling
Skill search (with SharePoint Server integration) (On-premises Skype for Business Server and on-premises SharePoint 2013 are required for skill search.)
Persistent Chat (Group Chat) integration (not available for Skype for Business Online)
Escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Skype for Business Meeting with one click (not available for Skype for Business Online)
Inline pictures of sender and receiver in IM window
Send ink messages
Receive ink messages

Meetings support

This table covers features related to Meetings support.

Note:
Skype for Business meeting features aren't available in Skype for Business Online Standalone Plan 1. In Skype-to-Skype sessions, a Skype for Business Online Plan 1 user can participate in desktop sharing and application sharing if they're invited by a user who has access to sharing features. For details, see the Skype for Business Online Service Description.

read footnote 1 Participants can't control desktops that are shared by Lync for Mac 2011 or Communicator for Mac 2011 users. Lync for Mac 2011 and Communicator for Mac 2011 users can control desktops shared by Windows users. This also won't work for Skype for Business Web App on Max OSX.

read footnote 2 For Skype for Business Online, this feature requires Microsoft PSTN Conferencing, Exchange Unified Messaging, or a 3rd party audio conferencing provider.

read footnote 3 The Lync for Mac 2011 client cannot view Microsoft Office 2013 PowerPoint presentations when they have been shared in a conference by the Skype for Business Web App.

Voice (Telephony) support

This table covers features related to voice services support.

Note:
Skype for Business Voice (Telephony) features are limited to certain Skype for Business Online subscription plans. For details, see the Skype for Business Online Service Description.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Initiate a call
Click to call a contact
Transfer a call
Manage call forwarding
Manage team call settings
Manage delegates
Initiate a call to a Response Group
Support emergency services (E9-1-1)		Requires Skype for Business Server 2015 CU4
Connect to voice mail, set up or change greeting
Missed call notification
Make calls on behalf of another contact (manager/delegate scenario)
Handle another's calls if configured as a delegate
Manage a high volumes of calls
Call park
Group call pickup

read footnote 1 This feature isn't available in Skype for Business Online.

External users support

This table covers features related to support for external users homed on the PSTN.

Feature/capability

Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client

Skype for Business on Mac

Initiate IM with a public contact

Initiate IM with a federated contact

Conduct two-party or multiparty calls with external users

(not available in Skype for Business Online)

Recording support

This table covers features related to support for recording meetings.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Client-side recording of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content
Client-side recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations
Select preferred recording resolution

read footnote 1 Recording is unavailable in certain Skype for Business Online standalone plans. Recording requires full Skype for Business client rights.

read footnote 2 Recording of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations is unavailable in Skype for Business Online.

Archiving, compliance, and logging support

This table covers features related to support for archiving and logging functions.

Feature/capability	Skype for Business 2015 or 2016 client	Skype for Business on Mac
Archiving of IM conversations in Outlook Conversation History		If server side conversation history is turned on
Client-side archiving of audio, video, application sharing, desktop sharing, and uploaded content
Client-side archiving of file transfers, shared OneNote pages, and PowerPoint annotations (unavailable in Skype for Business Online)
Access sign-in logs from Skype for Business icon in the task bar

read footnote 1 For Skype for Business Online users, this feature requires Exchange Online and is controlled by the user’s Exchange mailbox In-Place Hold attribute.

Client limitations

Basic client limitations

The features below are available using the Full client and are not available with the Basic client:

Manage team call settings
Manage delegates
Make calls on behalf of another contact (manager/delegate scenario)
Handle another's calls if configured as a delegate
Manage a high volume of calls
Initiate a call to a Response Group
Call park
Group call pickup

Online or Hybrid user account limitations

User accounts can exist either Online or On-premises, and that will affect the features available to that user. Users with accounts on Skype for Business Online will not have access to the following features, even with the Full client:

Enhanced Presence: Use a photo from any public site for My Picture
Contacts: Search for Response Groups
IM Support: Persistent Chat (Group Chat) integration
IM Support: Escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Skype for Business Meeting with one click
External Users: Conduct two-party or multiparty calls with external users

For more information check out this link: PC vs MAC Comparison Chart for Skype4B