Interesting in the link provided that when you scroll down it comes to the question...."what version of Skype am i using" then goes on to say not how to find the version but that you 'need' to purchase credit.??? I know M£ bought Skype but is this a subtle explanation.??

iscanut, I paid a visit yesterday to a chap and his wife to support them with their new Windows 8 laptop and encountered the same issue as yourself where they didn't like, or want, the new-fangled Skype "app". I visited the Skype download webpage but got redirected to the Microsoft App Store which offered me the same Skype app that was already installed.

After a while, I found this webpage where I downloaded and installed the Skype for Windows desktop which thankfully looks and behaves just like the version they were used to. The last thing I did was to remove the original Skype app tile from their Start Screen (by right-clicking on it) so they wouldn't get confused.

I must say I quite like the new app. As I said you can right click for quick additions but you can also go to top right, settings, and everything is there. Just a matter of preference really.