Of the number of Macs I own with the inbuilt cameras, I have never used it once, nevertheless iChat.
Why do they bother with a camera - do people now still really video conference?
In a way this makes sense, but seen as you are a slight be antagonistic towards Apple in your comment I suspect you'll see a lot of responses to this (over 50). I know what you mean though.
I can understand the phenomeon of the Camera Phone, due to the sheer convenience of being able to take pictures on the spur of the moment but I can't really imagine myself wanting to take some pictures of myself! ( i have a mirror for that )
Furthermore, the product should come with a privacy guard, in that you slide the slider accross to cover the camera when it is not in use - which - for me, is forever.
And, iChat is daft in that it only lets you use an dotMac address and the other one, which already makes interfacing with the ever popular MSN all the more impossible...
It doesn't have anything to do with the address, it's the video protocol that prevents video chat with MSN users. If MS would get on board a nice modern codec like H.264, there wouldn't be the issue.
In any event, the Camera really is utterly useless.
Maybe when I was a kid the novelty of the thing won't wear off but as an adult, the novelty wore off when I realised that the camera really doesn't serve any purpose at all.
I love the camera, if only because of Photo Booth. Lets me make photos of what I look like right now, without any sort of delay. Call me girlish, but I enjoy that.
iSight may be useful for the college student that is 100+ miles away from home living in a dorm room/apartment. I see the opportunity if the family is an Apple family of using iSight/iChat to video conference long distance. No wasting cellphone minutes and you have the ability to see the person.
Of course, the amount of people actually in this situation is rather small...
In any event, the Camera really is utterly useless.
Maybe when I was a kid the novelty of the thing won't wear off but as an adult, the novelty wore off when I realised that the camera really doesn't serve any purpose at all.
You left off two key words at the end of both sentences: "to me" and "for me".
Of course, the amount of people actually in this situation is rather small...
I am one such person. Employment circumstances force my wife and me to live 2 timezones apart, plus both our families are half the world away. So this is really useful for us.
Of course, I have never managed to get my iSight working with Skype at all (and yes, I have the latest video-enabled Skype running).
It's very useful for grandma's who are far away from their grandchildren. iSights let them see them anytime they want.
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
well, it's how my mom sees her grand-daughters (my nieces)
Thats funny - in my experience Skype has been able to penetrate all company firewalls etc.. it really works out of the box.
Not for me, it doesn't. I click on the video icon and the camera does not even come on. I use a Macbook with a built-in iSight, so I don't know if drivers are an issue.
Question: Does the person at the other end have to have the same version of Skype? I have people on a PC to whom I talk and they have the latest version of Skype (2.5 IIRC). They do not have a video camera.
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
Possible, yes.
And learn how to do all what? Click the iChat icon, and doubleclick the camera icon next to your name? Yeah, that was hard... \
If my barely-technically-literate mother can figure out *on her own*, how to initiate a video chat from a hotel room in China, to my office in NC, and surprise the hell out of me, anyone can use it.
Not for me, it doesn't. I click on the video icon and the camera does not even come on. I use a Macbook with a built-in iSight, so I don't know if drivers are an issue.
Question: Does the person at the other end have to have the same version of Skype? I have people on a PC to whom I talk and they have the latest version of Skype (2.5 IIRC). They do not have a video camera.
No, the Mac and PC version numbering system isn't on par. I videochat using Skype 2beta for Mac with a pc user who has 2.5 installed.
Regarding your drivers: Does your camera work with Photobooth and iChat? If yes, have you checked the video tab in Skype preferences - is video enabled? If not, you may need to reinstall those video drivers (Google might be of help to handpick the individual files using Pacifist or you could reinstall from the system dvd).
I used the built in iSight on my Macbook a TON w/ my parents who live in Michigan- I live in Phoenix- they have a mac mini w/ iSight. I also use it a ton at work. I do graphic design at a marketing agency and we use it there on a daily basis.
Why do they bother with a camera - do people now still really video conference?
My experience is an unequivocal antithesis of this - I have half dozen or so family members/friends and we video conference very regularly. The inbuilt iSight is excellent in that it offers a highly portable and easy conferencing solution. And it's a damn cheap way for us to communicate.
Comments
Of the number of Macs I own with the inbuilt cameras, I have never used it once, nevertheless iChat.
Why do they bother with a camera - do people now still really video conference?
In a way this makes sense, but seen as you are a slight be antagonistic towards Apple in your comment I suspect you'll see a lot of responses to this (over 50). I know what you mean though.
Furthermore, the product should come with a privacy guard, in that you slide the slider accross to cover the camera when it is not in use - which - for me, is forever.
And, iChat is daft in that it only lets you use an dotMac address and the other one, which already makes interfacing with the ever popular MSN all the more impossible...
They really should give .Mac away for free.
Maybe when I was a kid the novelty of the thing won't wear off but as an adult, the novelty wore off when I realised that the camera really doesn't serve any purpose at all.
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/...eopreview.html
iChat may not be useful, but Skype is very useful and the video integration is nice. Built in cameras are useful.
Of course, the amount of people actually in this situation is rather small...
In any event, the Camera really is utterly useless.
Maybe when I was a kid the novelty of the thing won't wear off but as an adult, the novelty wore off when I realised that the camera really doesn't serve any purpose at all.
You left off two key words at the end of both sentences: "to me" and "for me".
Of course, the amount of people actually in this situation is rather small...
I am one such person. Employment circumstances force my wife and me to live 2 timezones apart, plus both our families are half the world away. So this is really useful for us.
Of course, I have never managed to get my iSight working with Skype at all (and yes, I have the latest video-enabled Skype running).
Cheers
It's very useful for grandma's who are far away from their grandchildren. iSights let them see them anytime they want.
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
Of course, I have never managed to get my iSight working with Skype at all (and yes, I have the latest video-enabled Skype running).
Thats funny - in my experience Skype has been able to penetrate all company firewalls etc.. it really works out of the box.
I had some trouble once with corrupt iSight drivers that I solved with a reinstall from the Installer dvd.
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
well, it's how my mom sees her grand-daughters (my nieces)
Really, there's not much to learn.
Thats funny - in my experience Skype has been able to penetrate all company firewalls etc.. it really works out of the box.
Not for me, it doesn't. I click on the video icon and the camera does not even come on. I use a Macbook with a built-in iSight, so I don't know if drivers are an issue.
Question: Does the person at the other end have to have the same version of Skype? I have people on a PC to whom I talk and they have the latest version of Skype (2.5 IIRC). They do not have a video camera.
Cheers
This was precisely the scenario where I thought the camera may have been of use but I believe not! Simply because I doubt my grandma would bother or even want to learn how to do all that... that being said, would it be possible to connect an iMac at her end with no mouse and keyboard and just remotely manage (Apple Remote Desktop) her computer so I can turn on iChat when I feel like and put the computer to sleep when it is not in use (and password protected so my cousins can't fiddle with it)!
Possible, yes.
And learn how to do all what? Click the iChat icon, and doubleclick the camera icon next to your name? Yeah, that was hard...
If my barely-technically-literate mother can figure out *on her own*, how to initiate a video chat from a hotel room in China, to my office in NC, and surprise the hell out of me, anyone can use it.
Not for me, it doesn't. I click on the video icon and the camera does not even come on. I use a Macbook with a built-in iSight, so I don't know if drivers are an issue.
Question: Does the person at the other end have to have the same version of Skype? I have people on a PC to whom I talk and they have the latest version of Skype (2.5 IIRC). They do not have a video camera.
No, the Mac and PC version numbering system isn't on par. I videochat using Skype 2beta for Mac with a pc user who has 2.5 installed.
Regarding your drivers: Does your camera work with Photobooth and iChat? If yes, have you checked the video tab in Skype preferences - is video enabled? If not, you may need to reinstall those video drivers (Google might be of help to handpick the individual files using Pacifist or you could reinstall from the system dvd).
I have never used it once, nevertheless iChat.
Why do they bother with a camera - do people now still really video conference?
My experience is an unequivocal antithesis of this - I have half dozen or so family members/friends and we video conference very regularly. The inbuilt iSight is excellent in that it offers a highly portable and easy conferencing solution. And it's a damn cheap way for us to communicate.