Skype launch always aborts

Question

I have a iBook G4 running 10.3.9, and I just started using it again after leaving it idle for a few months. When I tried to launch Skype, it made me upgrade to a newer version, and since then Skype won't launch, or more specifically, the launch aborts about 2 seconds in. I tried re-installing, re-downloading, deleting plists etc, even installed an older version of Skype, all to no avail. The Skype Crash Reporter says:
Date/Time: 2008-11-01 07:45:59 -0700
OS Version: 10.3.9 (Build 7W98)
Report Version: 2
Command: Skype
Path: /Applications/Skype.app/Contents/MacOS/Skype
Version: ??? (???)
PID: 340
Thread: Unknown
Link (dyld) error:
dyld: /Applications/Skype.app/Contents/MacOS/Skype can't open library: /System/Library/Frameworks/QuartzCore.framework/Versions/A/QuartzCore (No such file or directory, errno = 2)
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO GET SKYPE WORKING AGAIN?
thank you,
Peter

Answer 1

Just ran into exactly the same issue today with a customer.
My G4 based 10.3.9 system does contain
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuartzCore.framework
while his (also G4, 10.3.9) did not.
Tried reinstalling MacOSXUpdateCombo10.3.9.dmg, but this
did nothing.
Finally sent him a copy of my QuartzCore.framework folder
for him to place in his /System/Library/Frameworks/ (authentication
required) and that fixed that problem. Then he had to update to
QuickTime 7.5 (he was running 6) and Skype now runs.
No idea why the framework was missing on his system, or why it
was present on mine...