iChat AV Beta and iSight

[MacRumors]

Today, Apple introduced iChat AV Public Beta and the iSight video camera.

The long-awaited iChat upgrade adds both audio and video chats to iChat's abilities -- allowing users to communicate with friends and family over long distances. The sofware supports Apple's new iSight video camera which provides 640x480 Full Motion video at up to 30 Frames Per Second.

The camera also has a microphone and interfaces to your Macintosh via Firewire.

The public Beta of iChat AV is available now. The final iChat version which supports Jaguar will be sold for $29.95. Users upgrade to Panther, however, will get the final iChat AV version included.

The first solid info that the next version of iChat would support video conferencing came in February, 2003. Previous hints were made by Steve Jobs himself. Later hints at a communication device are felt to be preditive of this product. Further details were uncovered by ThinkSecret, and then quickly pulled by Apple's Legal department.

 

[rockman2023]

iSight too expensive

Personally, I think the iSight is wayyy too expensive @ $150. But I guess it makes up for the SUPERB software that enlivens the experience of being a Mac user.

 

[Stella]

Video and audio is excellent. Shame that ichat doesn't support icq.

Do you know whether the video is compatible with the windows version of aol messenger?

 

[Goekeli]

Awesome. I am totally stoked. I hope we can see some outside bench marks soon after they are shipping.

 

[Ugg]

The specs for iSight are excellent, high quality video and audio. Can't wait to use one. Of course, I need a new PB G5 first!!!!!! Where are they? It seems like a decent price and what a way to save on phone bills!

 

[yogi477]

Stella....

The keynote states mac to mac only for now but they will lokk to be compatible in the future hope that helps...

 

[Romanesq]

What a launch!

Only thing we didn't get together is a powerbook to rain on the box parade.

When they get to this, wonder how much it will cost.

Configuring the mid level machine with just a few things: faster video card, etc. brought the box to over $2800.

Not cheap but then again, it's the fastest in the world.

 

[Sayer]

iChat 2 needs a LOT of work

For some reason Apple's engineers decided to remove all the controls from the windows and move their functionality soley to the menu bar.

Hardly efficient and intuitive. What happened to the often-touted Toolbar feature of Cocoa (and partially available in Carbon in Jaguar and newer)?

Why can't I get the name of the chat room in the chat room window instead of the first person's name? How am I supposed to know which window is which?

And what's with the half-implementation of Groups in the buddy list? AOL's AIM does it much better.

I guess if you want to play Truth or Dare with some chick you met on AIM get the new iChat. Otherwise its a huge step backwards in ease of use of the original text-chat features and forsakes a whole lot of Apple's own UI features in the Mac OS X releases.

Have any of the leads on iChat actually used ICQ/IRC/AIM before or are they all baby-boomers who read the spec and went in totally blind? Yuck.

iChat 2.0 Preview Alpha/Beta/Whatever - PASS for now.

 

[jimthorn]

Does installing iChatAV replace your existing iChat, or do you then have both seperate apps on your system?

edit: I decided to just try it, and yes, it replaces the old iChat

 

[mnkeybsness]

it appears that the old ichat does get replaced when installing ichat AV, BUT from the ichat menu, you can "revert to ichat 1.0"

but right now i'm loving it. i never used the toolbar features that were in the IM windows.

some pros to ichat AV (aside from the AV part)
-click your buddy icon, it remembers past buddy icons that you have used!
-automatic resizes of the type-box instead of the one-line only
-groups...sure they need some work, but it's nice to have! now i can keep people i rarely talk to on and still keep my buddy list slimmed down as to not take up too much space.
-show and hide buddy icons (from the view menu) a la adium anyone?
-appears that the ichat to ichat away message bug is finally fixed
-and a few more nice features...

cons:
-still no profiles
-features hard to access
-multi-IM client support

 

[derekamoss]

installing iChat A/V turned my help viewer ichat icon to the ical icon, does anyone know how too fix this?

 

[jimthorn]

Yikes! Running iChat AV, I just got my first kernal panic on my G4 iMac! Remember that it's beta software, folks!

 

[martybogert]

hi all -- *long time lurker surfacing*

I was wondering if anyone has tied the voice chat function?

I tried it with my 17" imac and my G4 400. The imac sent to the G4
the G4 received it but the mic wouldn't pick up sound on the G4 and send to the imac.

I'm guessing that the old mic I have on my G4, which came with my performa 6400 isn't compatible. (I know, I know it's a pretty old mic)

I'm wondering if it might require a USB mic as opposed to the old mini-plug type.

hummm.. must test.... will try G3 400 next

-martybogert

 

[jimthorn]

Originally posted by derekamoss
installing iChat A/V turned my help viewer ichat icon to the ical icon, does anyone know how too fix this?

That's weird. I just checked, and I don't even have iChat help after installing iChatAV. I think I'll hold off installing this app on my iBook until the next release.

 

[batmyke]

Compatibility

Okay, what's this? I installed iChat AV Beta, and hooked up my dv video camera, but iChat says my computer doesn't support Video Conferencing!! Does anyone know if there are any specific requirements for this? I am running Jaguar 10.2.6 on an iMac DVSE 400 mhz with 640 MB of RAM...

 

[moorghan]

I just finished a 40 minute audio chat with family in the states. I am currently living in South Africa. I am using a 4 year old iMac and the entire thing was seamless, easy, free, and phenomenal.

I don't know if this kind of technology was available before (probably was, but for the Mac?), but I do know that what Apple has done is make it simple.

All I had to do was walk my mother through the download, and within seconds we were talking for free. This is what Apple is truly offering the world, intuitive simplicity, and people are going to wake up to it.

Today is a truly exciting day to be a Mac-user.

 

[zim]

they should have done a deal where if you buy the iSight, you get iChat full for free, I know that it is not out as of yet but they could have give you a sn with it.

 

[requies]

cross platform?

so all this new video stuff is running on the aim network? so you can only video chat with people using ichat? my girlfriend, who lives far away, still has a pc. (tagic, i know. we're working on it) so unless there's some way to video chat with pc people, the new ichat is useless for me. *sigh* i guess i'm sticking with icky yahoo.

 

[mnkeybsness]

i agree with zim...that is kind of a weird marketing strategy to NOT do that...???

 

[requies]

Re: Compatibility

Originally posted by batmyke
Okay, what's this? I installed iChat AV Beta, and hooked up my dv video camera, but iChat says my computer doesn't support Video Conferencing!! Does anyone know if there are any specific requirements for this? I am running Jaguar 10.2.6 on an iMac DVSE 400 mhz with 640 MB of RAM...

the requirements on apple's site state that a 600mhz g3 or better is needed. *hopes that his 500mhz g4 will work*

 

[weave]

Is iSight good for anything else?

So if I buy this $149 camera, can I use it for other things? Like, will it work with MSN Messenger for OS X? Can I use it as a webcam to keep an eye on my home when i'm not around?

 

[Juventuz]

Well I like it so far, but the away message between AIM and iChat still doesn't work.

Hopefully they'll get it fixed when the final version is released.

I'm definitely looking forward to Panther.

 

[jimthorn]

Re: Is iSight good for anything else?

Originally posted by weave
So if I buy this $149 camera, can I use it for other things? Like, will it work with MSN Messenger for OS X? Can I use it as a webcam to keep an eye on my home when i'm not around?

It seems like it's just a simple FireWire webcam. You should be able to use it for anything you could do with another FireWire webcam. I imagine you could even use it for iMovie, or to take still pictures for iPhoto. I mean, it's not the best thing for those tasks, but I don't see what would keep you from doing it.

 

[moorghan]

the requirements on apple's site state that a 600mhz g3 or better is needed. *hopes that his 500mhz g4 will work*

Just used iChat A/V for audio chat with my 450Mhz iMac DV+, 576MB RAM.

No problems except the occasional drop out (56k connection on both ends).

Oh, and did I mention that I am in South Africa and I was chatting with someone in the States?

 

[Flowbee]

Who else thinks the iSight looks like it would fit very nicely onto the iPod? (with the proper adapter, of course) Turn your iPod into a portable audio/video/photo recorder... how sweet would that be?

Steve even mentioned the iPod when talking about the iSight (comparing the two in terms of function and design).

Maybe I'm way off base, but it was my first thought when I saw how small the iSight is.

EDIT: ...and yes I know that the current iPod doesn't display video. Just thinkin' down the road...