New to Apple

dellpitchdellpitch
Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Hi All



I hope that I am not posting my question in the wrong place.



I was waiting until Oct. to buy my first Apple computer,an iMac,

hoping that leopard would be available. From reading other posts

this does not look likely to happen but I will go ahead anyway.



My question, is there away, a programme that will let me talk/video

conversation with a Windows user using Hotmail, not a make or break

situation but one that would be helpful.



Thanks in anticipation



Dellpitch

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    crentistcrentist Posts: 204member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dellpitch View Post


    Hi All



    I hope that I am not posting my question in the wrong place.



    I was waiting until Oct. to buy my first Apple computer,an iMac,

    hoping that leopard would be available. From reading other posts

    this does not look likely to happen but I will go ahead anyway.



    My question, is there away, a programme that will let me talk/video

    conversation with a Windows user using Hotmail, not a make or break

    situation but one that would be helpful.



    Thanks in anticipation



    Dellpitch



    AOL Instant Messenger does (with some effort), Yahoo Instant Messenger does (again, with effort), and MSN Messenger itself does (never tried it). Skype is a service that I have tried and I can tell you that video conferencing was an absolute breeze.



    Buy with confidence, as there are ways to do what you would like to do.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by crentist View Post


    AOL Instant Messenger does (with some effort), Yahoo Instant Messenger does (again, with effort), and MSN Messenger itself does (never tried it). Skype is a service that I have tried and I can tell you that video conferencing was an absolute breeze.



    Buy with confidence, as there are ways to do what you would like to do.



    How's school? Shouldn't you be studying for gross anatomy instead of helping us out?



    Hope things are well and thanks for reply on my iPhoto library question.



    Would agree with Crentist. Get a Mac when your ready. Leopard will be here soon but it might be a good idea to wait until an update or two is released before moving to Leopard IMO.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    steste Posts: 119member
    While we're on the subject, I have a supplementary question. I use a Mac, my parents a PC. I got them to download AIM so that I could video/audio chat with them through iChat. Regular old type-chat works fine, but they can't seem to get a one-way video or two-way audio connection going. I tell a lie, they did it once -- the first time -- and now they say it isn't responding.



    My parents are in their sixties, and are not really computer-savvy people. I live 4,000 miles away; helping them remotely has proved frustrating so far. Yes, I know about Skype, but my question is about AIM/iChat. How do I configure it from their end to work as planned? Is there some sort of layman's setup page I can point them to on the Web?



    Please help bring my family together again!
  • Reply 4 of 7
    steste Posts: 119member
    Bump.



    Nobody has an answer on how to set up a stable iChat-AIM video/audio connection? Have the people who say it's difficult tried and failed, or are they simply repeating received wisdom? Surely someone here has some practical experience with this.



    Thanks again.



    Ste
  • Reply 5 of 7
    crentistcrentist Posts: 204member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    How's school? Shouldn't you be studying for gross anatomy instead of helping us out?



    Hope things are well and thanks for reply on my iPhoto library question.



    Glad that I could help. Gross Anatomy? Nah, I know all that already. Head. Arm bones. Leg bones. Stomach. Bum. Mouth. Done.



    As far trying and failing with iChat, yes, I have tried and failed. I believe that it has a lot to do with port management and less to do with software (although I can't figure out how Skype gets this going immediately on download, but iChat WHICH SHIPS WITH THE MAC does NOT). If someone out there with an Airport basestation can tell us if video conferencing is a breeze via AIM (Mac-Mac or Mac-PC) that might help. There are web pages out there that give Mac and PC users step by step instructions on how to open the ports of their computer for proper flow of video conferencing data, but when 3rd party wireless/wired routers get thrown into the equation on both ends. . . things get a little sticky.



    Skype provides lower video quality and less features (no three-way chat nor the polish that iChat offers) but it gets the job done. I really hope that Apple can provide an easier way to get this going.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    steste Posts: 119member
    Thanks for the feedback, Crentist. It is kinda poor that iChat works so miserably with AIM, especially when Apple promote the whole iSight thing as one of their key selling points to new Mac convertees. I'm sure it works fine with other Macs, but reality is I don't know that many other Mac users. It was difficult enough to get the folks to download AIM in the first place; explaining Skype to them will be a chore in and of itself.



    Meantime, if anyone has any further practical experience to impart, I'm all ears.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ste View Post


    While we're on the subject, I have a supplementary question. I use a Mac, my parents a PC. I got them to download AIM so that I could video/audio chat with them through iChat. Regular old type-chat works fine, but they can't seem to get a one-way video or two-way audio connection going. I tell a lie, they did it once -- the first time -- and now they say it isn't responding.



    My parents are in their sixties, and are not really computer-savvy people. I live 4,000 miles away; helping them remotely has proved frustrating so far. Yes, I know about Skype, but my question is about AIM/iChat. How do I configure it from their end to work as planned? Is there some sort of layman's setup page I can point them to on the Web?



    Please help bring my family together again!



    I have the same situation. Although my dad is fairly computer savvy (and he even has a Mac), I have never, EVER gotten a decent videoconference set up with iChat, and it gets worse with more than 2 people. The program's simplicity is a complete sham.
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