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FaceTime Set to Come to Mac OS X and Windows?

Hmm. Sounds like a great idea. Facetime on all machines would actually be a big win. It'll also be a clever idea to pretty much nearly *own* the video communications market. (For which, in a way, isn't quite a market yet)

The lack of cross-device access for pretty much every other video conference-type thing, is a big hole to be filled.
 
Articuno said:
Show me a reason why you would need that feature at all when it's supposed to be a CELL PHONE.
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:confused: Talk to your spouse, your friends, your kids, show people something cool as cell phones are pretty mobile!
What lame reasoning. You've got this phone with a huge screen and a decent quality camera, why would you not want to use it?
 
paradox00 said:
FaceTime isn't going to be proprietary for one. It is ultimately supposed to become an open standard like webkit (what safari and chrome use) is for internet browsers.
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Ahhh, this and a little Googling show that my confusion was due to ignorance. Because of the typical Apple-like gayname, I assumed that Facetime was some kinda Apple app thingy. It appears to be some kinda open social networking thingy instead.
 
Truffy said:
Ahhh, this and a little Googling show that my confusion was due to ignorance. Because of the typical Apple-like gayname, I assumed that Facetime was some kinda Apple app thingy. It appears to be some kinda open social networking thingy instead.
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Unless it was developed by Apple, which would explain the gayname right off the bat!
 
baryon said:
I have never even heard of anyone who uses iChat. All of the people I know either use Skype or MSN. I would love to use iChat, but I would have no one to talk to.

If Apple really made iChat available for Windows, it would be an awesome step. However, how is that going to compete with Skype, MSN or Facebook? I hate having two different IM clients open at the same time, it's a waste of resources. If I would have to have iChat running as well, that would be quite confusing.

iChat would have to work with Skype and MSN accounts in order for people to start using it. Until then, we can't really do anything with it. It's like having a futuristic electric car but no place to charge it.
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iChat is an IM client. You use it with AIM (AIM, or .Mac or me username. AIM powers the .mac screen names aswell as the me usernames for iChat, so its really a custom branded AIM userername) Google Talk, Facebook, and any Jabber IM
 
I think this is the first step to a, hopefully, greater change.

I simply love iChat for its integration with the UI. I have all my contacts with their e-mails and AIM, google talk and other IMs on them.

As a result, when I'm on Mail and reading something, whoever is online that is also in the recipients list have a green bubble at its left side indicating that that person is online. That is possible through iChat's integration with Mail using Address Book's information. You're literally one click away from talking to that person with iChat.

If you ever used Microsoft's Office Communicator with Outlook you know what I'm talking about, and that is VERY handy.

Now, lets go for the other tricks. I simply love iChats possibility to share documents, slideshows and even screen so I can help my mom which is living on another continent at the moment. All these functionalities make the iChat a better all in one for me compared to the others.

Now, there are areas in which it could improve DRAMATICALLY!!!

First of all many of the features in Chax could be added. Chax is what makes iChat "usable" compared to other IMs. There is still the big problem of not supporting all the other IMs protocols, and the "partial" solution for that at the moment is to download for example OpenFire, install and set it up on your machine to work as with its Jabber transports.

If you look at that, I could just say that iChat + Chax + OpenFire is a really nice solution to talk to MSN and other protocols that aren't supported currently in iChat. Apple, hello? Can you read this please?!?!?!?

With all the "social" networks around, Apple has a great chance to make an incredible product from iChat if they enable extensions lets say, so people could write "plugins" that would allow other networks to talk with iChat.

I'm not asking for full compatibility on video and audio. I honestly don't care about it because if I want to chat in video or audio I'll probably ask which program that person is using. Skype is the same thing, either you have it or you're out, they are even more closed than iChat.

Anyway, having all that said, if Facetime gets going, we could for the first time see a cross application protocol for video, and from there I wonder if there wouldn't be several other doors opening for other communication protocols like having one standard for text messages and you use whatever the application you want.
 
This is great news! I have always been bewildered as to why iChat uses AIM. At least here in Canada, I don't think anyone has ever used AIM. This part of OS X always reminds me of archaic functions like having 56k modem setup in the control panel in Windows be so prominent. Like it's something in the OS everyone forgot about. Now, they need to make FaceTime work on 3G.
 
This is great news! FaceTime is amazing, but was limited to just iPhone 4s. Now we have the new iTouch, and hopefully computers soon. This opens FaceTime up to so many more people which is amazing! This could soon be the definitive video calling solution around the world.
 
SeanMcg said:
can be found here
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The same site also had an amusing little post

It is quite clear that Apple is doing what it often does: packaging proven technologies in way that is friendly for consumers. In this case, we're talking about some technologies that are mainstream in bigger business applications.

Say what you will about the names Apple chooses, in this case, FaceTime gets the point across very quickly.
 
I am hoping!

I am hoping that FaceTime for Mac OS is not bundled with iLife unless they start giving it for free or at a cheaper price like $29.99. If iLife still cost me a fortune to get one, they should make FaceTime a downloadle standalone application for free or minimal price.
 
Articuno said:
Show me a reason why you would need that feature at all when it's supposed to be a CELL PHONE.
Click to expand...

Hmm - why would anyone with a mobile phone want to video chat with someone on a desk/laptop?

Guess that would depend on your circle of friends.
 
As far as the iLife mystery app goes... I personally have always thought it would be cool if they added a streamlined Motion-style effects program to iLife- and call it iCandy. Something like that would be sweet...

As for the rumored dissappearance of iDVD- they're not getting rid of it. They're just re-naming it: to iBlu-ray!

(hey, I can dream, can't I?) ;)

Seriously, though, I can't see them totally getting rid of iDVD. I think if it does dissappear it will be because they've added it's functions into iMovie.

DVDs are too widespread to just get rid of it. If they do, I know right now what the big added feature in iLife 12 will be... :D
 
HLdan said:
RIght, but I think his point was (and mine) that as long as there's the same software development for Windows and Mac at the same time there will never be an even playing field and there will always be more Windows users than Mac.
One of the reasons why Windows has become so dominant is due to more software being available for it over the years and less for Mac. Even Microsoft made a crappy version of Office for Mac to keep people on Windows. Getting the point?
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Except... Office for Mac was first. I think I have it on a floppy somewhere... Many people forget that microsoft started out as a company that created Mac software, among other things. Then there's DOS.
 
iChat and Facetime compatibility would be awesome. iChat has been priceless while we are stationed overseas in Japan. It is how we communicate with our family. Skype always has problems and iChat runs crystal clear. For those who use it, it is awesome.
 
Truffy said:
Because of the typical Apple-like gayname, I assumed that Facetime was some kinda Apple app thingy.
Click to expand...


You are free to refer to it instead as "H.264, AAC, SIP, STUN, TURN, ICE, RTP, and SRTP Video Communications Technology System".

I think I'll stick with the "gayname" of "Facetime". Thanks.
 
This is what I was Hoping for Most at the Sept 1st Conference! PLEASEEEE!!! and soooon! Id Love this!! *Crosses Fingers HARD*, ouch I think theyre breaking.. :D
 
I can't wait for FaceTime to come to iChat. I use iChat all the time because I don't like Skype, have no interest in social networks, and all the people I know use it to chat. I hardly use the video chat, since I only have a few people that I know that have a video camera on their computer to chat with, but when I get my touch (tomorrow!), I'll want more people to chat with over FaceTime.
 
dankus said:
iChat and Facetime compatibility would be awesome. iChat has been priceless while we are stationed overseas in Japan. It is how we communicate with our family. Skype always has problems and iChat runs crystal clear. For those who use it, it is awesome.
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I would have to agree with this, I've downloaded Skype for both my wife & I to use on our 3GS but half the time it disconnects or cannot remain connected. If I could use another more reliable service for video, audio and text chat I'd be very happy. Though I don't think AT&T would like it a lot.
 
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