iChat AV is the bomb.. but just buy Panther
iChat AV has absolutely revolutionized the way my family and I communicate. I cajoled my parents into upgrading to a newer computer, albeit a 800mhz iMac and my sister also upgraded to a 700mhz iMac. I got them signed up with a cable-internet service, and Voila.. We are separated by 3000 miles, West Coast to East Coast. I live in SC, my sister in NY, my parents in CA... before, all we had was the phone and two to three times a year visits. It truly is amazing.. My parents were a little skeptical at first, concerned about the fact that they don't use the internet much, blah blah.. why do they need high-speed, etc. Now they wish this had been available much sooner.. of course, custom videoteleconferencing solutions have been around for quite some time, but this really is the first consumer-level package with the ease-of-use to be viable for wide implementation. The picture and sound aren't pristine, the quality varies depending on the whim of the internet; but all in all, if you and your family are separated at all, this really is an amazing thing.. can't rave about it enough. Worth every penny to upgrade your computer, your internet connection, and your OS if need be.
