Poll: Is Video Conferencing and important feature for you in iChat?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Is Video Conferencing and important feature for you in iChat? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=153&ref=forums.macrumors.com)

[altglbrs]

I voted no. With my current connection I have severely capped upstream bandwidth (128Kbps). With some good compression, I guess you could get acceptable quality (if you like really choppy, grainy, skippy video). But that would eat ALL of my upstream.

Currently, if I upload anything from my computer, the upstream gets bogged down with the upload and the ACK packets from my downloads get hung up and it slows my downstream connection to nearly a crawl. If i had a better connection, I'd probably be excited about it.

[Mr. Anderson]

It will just take a bit of time to become accepted (you'll need cameras and mics) but it will be cool. I'd love to see it, hopefully people will be happy to see me....;)

D

[edesignuk]

Nope, when I chat to someone all I want to do is see msg's, not them, and I'm sure they don't want to see me either! :eek: :p

[whfsdude]

No! Because I couldn't jerk off an use iChat at the same time? or could I? :D

[Xerov]

Originally posted by edesignuk
Nope, when I chat to someone all I want to do is see msg's, not them, and I'm sure they don't want to see me either! :eek: :p

Wow, this is way off topic..but I clicked on the link in your sig to your pictures page, and I gotta say that your Mini is really kick-ass. I wish we had them in America

[knoxer]

I might get excited about video conferencing if I had the epuipment. But even then I think it would get old after a while and I would go back to text based chats. I don't like yelling at my computer... what...what....can you hear me?

[backspinner]

just for my family abroad, definitely not for strangers

[unclepain]

I think it's a great idea that has been poorly implemented in the past. Connecting via broadband is a must and it is very cool to be able to see what's going on in another part of the world. We use some high end Polycom video conferencing equipment here at work and they are great for presentations and meetings and the resolution is super, but we have a 10 meg line to the internet and the devices themselves cost nearly 7 grand. I've used USB webcams on several occasions on my cable modem and until we can get at least 20-30 fps in a decent size window using cable modem speeds I don't see it being widely accepted. I'd gladly use it though if the quality was there.

[timbloom]

More options and random stuff is always nice to have if I happen to want to videoconference in the future. But currently it just is not important to me. I usually talk to about 2-3 people at a time online, and you could not do that with videoconferencing.

[jkojima]

Microsoft has included its video conferencing tool with Windows for several years. Though demand is mediocre right now for video conferencing, I think it would be a vital way to keep Apple current with the competition.

I think video is an "if you build it, they will come" type of thing. Apple might as well put it in iChat, and wait to see what happens. At the very least it would go well with Apple's leadership position in digital video.

[skymaXimus]

Originally posted by Xerov
Wow, this is way off topic..but I clicked on the link in your sig to your pictures page, and I gotta say that your Mini is really kick-ass. I wish we had them in America

we do
www.miniusa.com
BMW makes them!

[neutrino23]

i voted yes but I have two different things in mind.

First, the video iChat would be just for friends or for special cases where you need to show something at low resolution. It would augment, not replace text iChat.

Second, what I would also like would be a different application along the lines of collaboration software that would let me post a picture, document, drawing or chart and let everyone write on that as if it were a white board. This could work even on relatively slow connections. You might need a second phone line to have a conference call for carrying voice data.

[murderofcrows]

i voted no but i would definetely want voice chat which i presume will come at the same time.



-minis are cool. unfortunately here (Australia) they cost something like 35k - sigh.

[scem0]

Originally posted by edesignuk
Nope, when I chat to someone all I want to do is see msg's, not them, and I'm sure they don't want to see me either! :eek: :p

but how can you moon people without video chat? or your avatar?
:D:D

I said no. :)

[shadowfax]

wow, i voted no for sure. i don't want to see most of you, and i sure am more comfortable with you not seeing me. i don't see the point, even with my bandwidth.

what really surprised me waws how many of you voted yes. surely you won't all use this? that would be odd.

[eric_n_dfw]

I'd just be happy to get voice over ip. I don't understand why this is such a gaping hole on Mac right now.

[Megaquad]

awww.. terrible idea
i couldn't stand people telling me "say something, say something" or "do something" arghh.. stay away! :D

[Nermal]

It would be horrible on my 128k connection, and even if I did have a fast connection I probably still wouldn't use it. I guess not having a camera is part of it :)

[Wonder Boy]

I voted no. Nobody I talk to with ichat has a mac, let alone os 10.2. I dont see myself using it in the future either. i hope i grow out the AIM phase soon.

[beatle888]

i would love it. but im assuming it would have voice capabilities too.

[wdlove]

I don't use iChat. Voted no, I'm not sure that I would want to be seen. Might think about it if vinow would sign up! :p

I see video conferencing being more applicable to business use. Since 9/11 it's a valuable option to travel.

[daniel77]

Originally posted by unclepain
I think it's a great idea that has been poorly implemented in the past. Connecting via broadband is a must and it is very cool to be able to see what's going on in another part of the world. We use some high end Polycom video conferencing equipment here at work and they are great for presentations and meetings and the resolution is super, but we have a 10 meg line to the internet and the devices themselves cost nearly 7 grand. I've used USB webcams on several occasions on my cable modem and until we can get at least 20-30 fps in a decent size window using cable modem speeds I don't see it being widely accepted. I'd gladly use it though if the quality was there.

i have done conferencing over dialup, with a USB camera and i dont see any lag really. a lot of the lag has to do with my slow 700 comp tho

[Kwyjibo]

i doubt I woudl use this feature because most of my friends are on windows machine with plain AIM so i highly doubt I would buy a webcam for this feature when i had almsot no one to use it with.

[eric_n_dfw]

In case you weren't aware, Yahoo! Messenger for OS X (and maybe OS 9?) has video conferencing already - EXCEPT NO VOICE! How lame!
The video works pretty well. I used it once, the Mac had a Firewire DV Camera plugged in and I was able to see it just fine on my Win2K machine. With no voice is kind of seems useless though.

[GeneR]

:D