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iChat obsolete???

A

AFPoster

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 14, 2008
1,565
152
Charlotte, NC
FaceTime is only a video chat service (for now) by dialing into an e-mail address or phone number.

iChat is a chat service (like AOL Instant Messenger) that has screen sharing abilities, video chat and audio, sharing files and other things.

What I've noticed is more and more people have stopped using iChat to use Facebook chat instead and the only time people use video feed's is by FaceTime or Skype.

So is iChat obsolete? Will FaceTime ever take over iChat with the full features? I know they're two different things but I like the video capabilities of iChat with adding a roller coaster background, etc.
 
I have never used it, i wish i could and do want too but i don't have any use for it!

I use skype for chatting and video and still use adium just for MSN.

If i chat could have skype and/or MSN i would use it still for chatting but as it is i have no use for it.

Wish they would put together a facetime, ichat and i message program which can be used with msn and i would just that and only that!
 
AFPoster said:
FaceTime is only a video chat service (for now) by dialing into an e-mail address or phone number.

iChat is a chat service (like AOL Instant Messenger) that has screen sharing abilities, video chat and audio, sharing files and other things.

What I've noticed is more and more people have stopped using iChat to use Facebook chat instead and the only time people use video feed's is by FaceTime or Skype.

So is iChat obsolete? Will FaceTime ever take over iChat with the full features? I know they're two different things but I like the video capabilities of iChat with adding a roller coaster background, etc.
Click to expand...

I have iChat setup for Facebook chat. I was surprised Lion's iChat didn't app Facebook chat by default, but I guess Apple & Facebook aren't getting along (ex. Twitter is integrated into iOS 5 but not Facebook - which is more popular).

It's a shame since iChat is such a great piece of simple software.
 
FSMBP said:
I have iChat setup for Facebook chat. I was surprised Lion's iChat didn't app Facebook chat by default, but I guess Apple & Facebook aren't getting along (ex. Twitter is integrated into iOS 5 but not Facebook - which is more popular).

It's a shame since iChat is such a great piece of simple software.
Click to expand...

Yes it truly is such a great piece of software. I wish they would allow msn, yahoo in ichat instead of just aol.
 
Lion includes yahoo in ichat and there will be "Service plug-ins" so I'd bet Facebook will be available in ichat.

I don't see ichat going away. I see it more evolving into an adium.

As far as facetime. I see that as staying separate from ichat and just doing what it does. For now at least.
 
OneMike said:
Lion includes yahoo in ichat and there will be "Service plug-ins" so I'd bet Facebook will be available in ichat.

I don't see ichat going away. I see it more evolving into an adium.

As far as facetime. I see that as staying separate from ichat and just doing what it does. For now at least.
Click to expand...

Good to know.
 
Personally I think the only 'messaging app' that will work moving forward is one that has the ability to integrate with every major existing app.

For example, FaceTime is great - but people already use Skype. Has a wider base, and less restrictions. If FaceTime was able to integrate with a Skype, then it is a great UI for Mac users, but as a standalone application, it is kind of peaked IMO.

iChat, same thing. Mac integration UI - great. Stand alone? No.
 
iChat is a great client. We use it at the college where i work to communicate with our 200 or so students who use computers on a daily basis. I have set up an OpenFire Jabber server which automatically populates their user list, sets user restrictions etc. There are many Jabber clients around, and other alternative systems, but iChat works the best and i hope they keep it updated. The ability to set login settings for it with MCX also helps massively, so the student doesn't even have to set up or login to their account for it to work.
 
I use iChat everyday. I don't use it for aim nearly as much as I used to but still use it a lot for Facebook and Google Talk(which is also now in Google+ so I now have a lot more friends using it). We also use it at work to chat within the office over Bonjour. iChat's ability to work with all these services is why its still around.
 
Has Facebook Chat been buggy to you guys lately? (In iChat) It doesn't show contact pictures anymore and stopped working completely today and won't accept my password.
 
iChat with people on Facebook using iChat, so I still use it a lot. But I could see it disappearing sooner or later and seeing it replaced with Messenger from iPhone.
 
You never know if someone will add FB chat capabilities to iChat, because iChat in lion has 3rd party plugin support.
 
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