I wish my father would get an iPhone4 (for FaceTime).

[Fraaaa]

Last month I went back to Italy to see my parents and I brought a MacMini with Tiger and an iPhone3G(my girlfriend's ex-iPhone that became my iPhone that have been replace by my iPhone4).

My father never used a computer nor smartphones so he was completly new to both. I setted both of them up for him, but I didn't have much time to explain him everything but I tried to teach him some basics.

No matter how easier could be for "computate" people to use OS X or iOS, for some people - especially parents over 50 that never touched a mouse - the experience could be very confusing.

I made him a Skype account, invited and confirmed my other account on his so that he didn't have to do anything, but I didn't have the time to buy a mic, also because I had planned to use the Skype app on the iPhone, but that went wrong.

To get at the point... today he bought a mic that somehow is not working on Skype even though is a jack mic, now I don't know if is the line-in that is not working or what else. Plus I used his Mac remotely to check his settings because to talk over Skype and waiting him to type on the keyboard while-I-don't-even-know-if-he-is-doing-what-I'm-telling-him-to-do-or-not....

anyway: FRUSTRATION (I guess for both of us).

Later next year I'll just give him an iPhone4 so that he has to press just 1 button and we can videocall for free.

 

[hcho3]

I wish face time was available on 3G. Wifi only is a big down point.

 

[fsck-y dingo]

I wish I could help with his Skype mic problem but I never really used it enough to be of much use.

Although, relating to parents learning to use a computer at a later age is something I'm familiar with. My mother started using a computer (my old 12" PowerBook G4) last year and it was slow going. She's in the over 50's club too and even with OS X she still has trouble remembering certain things.

After visiting my Aunt this past winter she has new found respect for Macs and how they operate. It wasn't until she used the windows laptop at my Aunt's house that she realized how easy she has it at home.

On another positive note this same Aunt just bought a new 21.5" iMac and loves it. I'm so proud...lol!

 

[jman240]

I don't know if this will help you out in the meantime but here is a free way to connect back and control his computer remotely and its very easy to do. All he has to do on his end is read you a number and click connect.

http://www.crossloop.com/

Also, iChat has built in screen sharing / control so you could also try that. iChat will require that he has an Aim / .MAC / Jabber account though.

With crossloop you just hit the skip account creation button and then its a real simple interface from there. see here http://www.crossloop.com/howto/access_codes

 

[The Governor]

I wish face time was available on 3G. Wifi only is a big down point.

That would be nice, but no network is capable of handling this...yet.

I'd like to be able to facetime (that sounds weird ) someone that doesn't have an iphone or be able to video chat with someone on their computer via skype or fring.

 

[gosabres1984]

I wish face time was available on 3G. Wifi only is a big down point.

The only good point is that WIFI only means NO data usage!

 

[ITASOR]

Get him a Guitar Hero mic ($10 shipped on eBay). They are USB with a long cord and work perfectly in OS X. They show up as a Logitech mic.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

The only good point is that WIFI only means NO data usage!

Yea, I can't imagine AT&T's pricing if I video called even a few times a month. But the root of this problem is spectrum, not one carrier being greedy over another.