Leopard iChat Answering Machine

[GregA]

I dont think Apple will ever make iChat a killer app. No revenue in it. <snip> Apple will never be able to charge for iChat simply no one would pay.

There's money in VoIP though (to a point). Make iChat a virtual VoIP phone, charge $5 for a "real" phone number that can replace your regular phone line if you want... and then a minimal cost to make calls anywhere in the world. Free calls to any other iChat user of course just like it is now.

Take it a step further and sell a really cheap USB handset that plugs into your Mac, so it doesn't have to be handsfree. Or another step further and make a bluetooth handset that works within 30ft of your Mac (or perhaps we should go truly wireless with an Airport Phone). All using a iChat/VoIP system. It can easily BECOME something with revenue attached.

It blows my mind that in 2006 video conferencing still isnt mainstream.

I want my (ethernet-wired) Apple video phone in the kitchen, with a little iSight camera and 2.5inch colour screen. I want it running dashboard apps and syncing with my address book & buddy list.

 

[gopher]

To all who say Adium is great, it missed the boat on videochat functionality. Yahoo videochat that is two way isn't fully supported on the Mac on Yahoo. And iChat while it supports Jabber doesn't support videochat with anything but AIM. I hope that changes. For an answering service on my computer, that will never work unless they find a way to make it work completely wireless 24/7, or be lightning proof. No way I'm risking a $1000+ computer on the chance it might be struck by lightning.

 

[samh004]

I am pretty sure MSN support will require Microsoft's cooperation. Also, is MSN really that popular. Most people I know are on AOL or Yahoo. I know one person that is on MSN.

Although the vast majority of IM users use AIM in the states, MSN is much more popular in other countries, and simply mentioning AIM in Australia draws blank looks from people sometimes.

The flaw I find most fascinating with iChat is the inability to connect to multiple accounts at once (AIM, MSN, Yahoo, etc). Adium can do this no problem! When will iChat?

Once iChat does, won't that help capture the market?

I'm not sure what you mean, as iChat was not designed to connect to Yahoo or MSN, so obviously can't connect to it. But I am able to connect to both AIM and Jabber at the same time on my iChat.

I assume you mean multiple AIM accounts at the same time, I can't imagine it will be long before that feature is integrated.

 

[JARS]

<quote>There's money in VoIP though (to a point). Make iChat a virtual VoIP phone, charge $5 for a "real" phone number that can replace your regular phone line if you want... and then a minimal cost to make calls anywhere in the world. Free calls to any other iChat user of course just like it is now.</quote>


Basically that makes ichat a skype clone except with text chat for AIM. You can already get skype for mac and it has almost as good an interface as ichat. Its text chat is not nearly as cool as ichat's colored bubbles and aim icons. But the audio and video chat interface is excellent.

 

[MacIllini]

Google Talk... it's the next wave of the future

 

[CiBoys]

make it so i can add MSN w/ emotioncons and multiple AIM accounts.. thats all i care. iChat is great as it is, more cant hurt

 

[sunfast]

Such a good idea! I'm gutted that iChat isn't MSN compatible though - all these improvements to it in Leopard and I have no use for it!

 

[Peace]

Am I missing something?

How do all you Mac folks do video and audio chats with MSN messenger for Mac ?

Or are you using Windows?

 

[GregA]

Basically that makes ichat a skype clone except with text chat for AIM. You can already get skype for mac and it has almost as good an interface as ichat. Its text chat is not nearly as cool as ichat's colored bubbles and aim icons. But the audio and video chat interface is excellent.

I guess that could be true. Skype offers computer chat, virtual phone numbers, and stand-alone Skype phones - and that's the beginning of what I'm suggesting Apple could make some money in.

I guess the question would become - is there room for Apple? Can Apple offer something significantly better than what Skype (or other VoIP providers) offer? (Or atleast - would they make enough money to warrant getting involved).

I think the answer is YES, myself. I think the market hasn't got anywhere near a point of making an evolutionary step. Routers don't handle the quality-of-service well enough, video doesn't seem to be thought of at all (why not video-talk VoIP-phone to mobile-phone?), there are very few cordless voip phones, phones rarely integrate with computer address books or act as an integrated part of the computer etc. Not to mention the possibility of home phones and mobile phones finally merging.

There's _room_ for innovation. And money there.

 

[mixgrafix]

It already has with FIRE

THAT day will never come.

Fire can be used with all of those messengers

 

[Peace]

Fire can be used with all of those messengers

Where's Fire's video and audio capabilities?

 

[barnaby]

I am pretty sure MSN support will require Microsoft's cooperation. Also, is MSN really that popular. Most people I know are on AOL or Yahoo. I know one person that is on MSN.

It's really a regional thing. In the greater Toronto area for example, MSN is dominant. I believe AIM is dominant in California where apple is located. Personally I like google-talk, but know very few people who use it.

It's much like phone networks, only you're only allowed to talk to people on the same network. People who use multi-network clients are in the minority.
With the current infrastructure it's unlikely to change too.

I love iChat, but most of my friends use windows and MSN, so i'm stuck with adium.

 

[barnaby]

Such a good idea! I'm gutted that iChat isn't MSN compatible though - all these improvements to it in Leopard and I have no use for it!

MSN uses a proprietary protocol. There are plenty of open source clients that use it. But it's difficult to make a commercial product for it because of licensing issues. There's also the fact that Microsoft controls the database and servers.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

Sounds pretty cool and i think the answer feature is a nice touch. However, i would really like to see ichat turn in the same direction as adium and support multiple accounts. Until it does, im still using adium.

 

[barnaby]

To all who say Adium is great, it missed the boat on videochat functionality. Yahoo videochat that is two way isn't fully supported on the Mac on Yahoo. And iChat while it supports Jabber doesn't support videochat with anything but AIM. I hope that changes. For an answering service on my computer, that will never work unless they find a way to make it work completely wireless 24/7, or be lightning proof. No way I'm risking a $1000+ computer on the chance it might be struck by lightning.

Until someone does video chat well, i'll stick with a messenging client that does messaging well. I will often send instant messages as a short memo rather than an ongoing chat. I will often talk with mutliple people at the same time about different things. I will often talk to people when it is too loud around me, or I need to be quiet. There are plenty of times when instant messaging is useful and vidoe chat is not.

Adium is a great instant messaging client.