“I have recently purchased my parents a gift. It is the best gift I have ever given them, ever, and that includes the egg cooker and the ‘Avengers’ DVD collection and the scale-model sailboat. After converting my entire family over to Apple gear years ago, and since I myself use Apple’s instant messenger client, iChat, well, one day it finally hit me like a long overdue brick to the skull of obviousness. Oh my God. They need an iSight, Apple’s insanely simple, beautifully designed, plug-and-play Web camera. I’ll get one too, I thought, and we’ll be able to see each other whenever we want and it will be heartwarming and touching and fun, and man oh man what a good and thoughtful kid I am,” Mark Morford writes for The San Francisco Gate.
“Oh my God, how right I was. What a difference this thing makes. The parents are thrilled. Amazed. I couldn’t have bought them a better gift had it been front-row tickets to see Neil Diamond on the moon. They are now within visual range, whenever they feel like it and whenever I feel like it and they are right there, on screen, waving hello, making eye contact, laughing and looking cute. Screw the telephone. This is how it should be,” Morford writes.
“I do not know why this is not touted more highly,” Morford writes. “I do not know why the world is not screaming for these gorgeous little appliances as the savior of a million relationships and a godsend for phone sex and a blessing on all families worldwide, not to mention small-business owners who can hold meetings with clients calling from anywhere in the nation. Do millions of people use these things already and I just don’t know about it? Maybe. But it sure isn’t part of the mainstream culture.”
Full article here.
Advertisement:
iSight and iChat AV – like the Mac itself – just another two Apple triumphs that go largely unadvertised and completely unknown by the vast majority of people.
Related articles:
Apple’s iSight camera and microphone good for much more than just video chat – November 19, 2004
Network World Fusion’s 2003 Cool Tools Best of the Tests Award: Apple iSight camera – February 23, 2004
Apple’s iChat AV, iSight ‘powerful’ but ‘lack of ubiquity’ could be blindspot – August 28, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg: Apple’s iChat/iSight teleconferencing ‘vastly better than any other – August 13, 2003
LA Times: iChat AV is ‘first practical software’ for teleconferencing; a ‘huge step up’ – August 11, 2003
Chicago Sun Times columnist: iChat isn’t the first, just the best videoconferencing tool – August 05, 2003
Time Magazine: iChat AV and iSight more examples of Apple’s ‘better execution and design’ – July 20, 2003
Apple’s iSight ‘just about everything a user wants to see in a webcam’ – July 04, 2003
Apple introduces iChat AV and iSight; video conferencing for ‘The Rest of Us’ – June 23, 2003
And i’m getting one. After Tuesday of course, so I can stream video with Airport Express2 with Airvids!!
iSight is great and a truly high quality device with awesome software in iChatAV to match.
One downside is that even mounted atop my iMac G5 (with integrated magnet point in the dead center of the case – nice touch Apple!) I still find myself “looking down” in the image because I am not looking right at the camera but just below it at the screen.
Apple needs to invent some teleprompter screen camera thing. Come on Jobs, what’s the hold up?
MDN word: week
The man is right. Everyone I’ve shown iChat/iSight in operation to has been gobsmacked by the quality of both video and audio. “You mean video conferencing doesn’t have to be all jerky and with the sound constantly dropping out?!!” It really is a revolution in the way people can communicate…
The reason they’re not touted so highly is because ever since Tiger there have been so many problems with iChat that video conferencing is almost unusable.
It’s amazing how something that “just worked” with Panther has gone to crap so quickly with Tiger. Recent point releases have helped, but I still have people I can’t video chat with anymore despite a perfect, full-screen, TV like quality video conference before.
I’d have bought the rest of my family a Mac mini *and* an iSight if this had worked as well after the Tiger update.
Mike
I personally think if Apple would develop a PC version of iChat (drivers for iSight as well), they sure would sell a ton more. Most of my friends love the iSight but aren’t ready to “switch” just to see my ugly mug.
“”Oh my God, how right I was.”
Always love it when people start out with God’s name in vain to make a point. Anywho, I agree iSight is great. I just wish iChat had 1/100 the bells and whistles of MSN Messenger (Windows version). “Insanely simple” is getting “Insanely boring” for me. Anyone who has used MSN Messenger for Windows knows what I mean.
Once the Mac halo starts to take effect, where all of the new Mac owners start realizing how many truly great products Apple offers, there will be many, many revelations such as this one.
To quote Madonna “That’s so duh”. I’m in the process of converting my family over to the Mac. And one of the very first things I thought about was how great it’s going to be to video conference with them when ever I or they wanted 0_o…. on second thought maybe that’s not such a good idea. Just kidding Mom! Luv you!.
MDW: ‘Off’ as in “You can now show-off how well they waxed your behind with the aid of iChat–girlfriend will love that.’ :p
I really want to get one for my sister. It’s funny, we only talk via iChat audio now because she dumped her land line for a cell phone only to find her cell service is not that great at home. iChat audio works great for us though. Video will be even better.
The isight product is very nice indeed, but ichat needs to step up in a big way. I really wished that they were able to mitigate the issues that will not allow Gtalk to communicate with it (over audio). While ichat works great with aol. but like for people in australia who operate aim messenger 5.0 (i believe) video conferenceing will not work with them (and thats a whole freaking country).. and even if you download the USA build of the product the login does not work right. I think they should have worked with google…
I believe they (GOOG, AAPL) were planning to work together anway on a goolge/itunes project .. which of course would mean more money for me but oh well.. apple does not make a good partner ( as Rob Enderle would say)..
Music Label Executive – ANON – is here to stay!
First of all, saying “Oh my God” is not taking God’s name in vain.
Secondly, we video chat with our son (on Tiger) all the time – it’s great!
I have it, but it works like crap with Tiger. It’s a beautiful idea, poorly executed (and expensive, to boot!).
If they work out the bugs, it’ll be fantastic.
It is a real shame that Apple doesn’t promote this stuff better. My family has had this same experience. I carry my iSight with me everywhere I travel so that my daughters and I can stay in visual contact.
“The Best Gizmo You Don’t Have
See parents. Check on pets. Stare into a lover’s eyes. Or up her dress. Buy one now”
What the Hell!?! Up her dress? I’m a perv myself but I know when and when not to mention certain topics…. he needs a light slap in the face!
MDW: ‘Work’ as ‘ She works hard for the money, so hard for it honey’. lol 😀
I love my iSight, though I don’t use it nearly as much as I thought I would.
I’ve been able to take friends on virtual tours of my apartment with my iSight, PowerBook and Airport. I even stuck the camera out the window to show the view up and down my street. Everyone flipped!
I wanted to get my Bulgarian in-laws (who live in Bulgaria), a Mac mini and iSight and dump the PeeSea box. But they were afraid to have a Mac because “no one in Bulgaria uses a Mac” and where would they get support? I could see how this might be problematic for others as well, even though we all KNOW that Macs need so much less maintainance that your generic PC box!
Anyway, we got them hooked on Skype and can speak whenever we like. I STILL may have to force a Mac on them, just because it would be cool to see them and talk to them!
“First of all, saying “Oh my God” is not taking God’s name in vain.”
Actually it is if you are a fundamental Christian. You are not using His name out of worship or respect. It may not bother you, and most people would wonder why it would, but trust me when I say that many people are offended when one of God’s names is used in casual offhand conversation this way.
But anyhoo. Back on topic.
I am all ready to get an iSight but what is this about problems with Tiger. Should I wait?
Jesus H. Christ on a Stick the dude is Gaddamned right! Lord above, I must get one of these heavenly devices! Holy Odin!!!
I got an iSight when the first came out over two years ago. I knew I would get a lot of use out of it over the years so didn’t mind paying extra for the best.
I’ve tried to get my clients to get in on it as with the few that do we have very productive long distance meetings. Many of my long distance friends got the iSight and we are closer now because of it.
I made a tutorial / troubleshooting guide for hooking iChat to AIM on a PC. (mvldesign.com) In the last few months it has really taken off as people see the value of video conferencing.
In the tutorial I invite people to test out their system with me. As a result, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the astonished look on people’s faces when the video picture comes in on their very first video conference. I’ve been able to put many families together via video with even grandparents calling me up and waving a print out of the tutorial saying they got it working on their own just to see the grand kids. It is always a delight.
I’ve video conferenced with 100s of people from all over the world these last two years. (This morning was my first call from China) Many are on PCs running AIM, though most are on Macs. Far and away the best video comes from a recent Mac using an iSight. Nothing else comes close. The dual-element noise canceling microphone makes a big difference, too. I wish everyone I talk to had an iSight.
You can purchase a cheaper web cam, but not a cheaper one with the quality of the iSight. If you want to put your best face forward, get the iSight. It’ll be with you for many years to come and is worth the investment.
For the spelling police: eye leich eyesites.
Hm.
It would be great if it worked on Skype, Maybe it does but I don’t know how?
I have three college kids out west while I live in Ohio. We use iSight often. Well that’s if we can get our kids to stop what they are doing and get in front of the camera.
What is also very cool? We send each other digital images while talking and we can have a video will all of us at the same time. Tuff to do with college kids.
Wintel people, you are really out in the cold on cool working stuff!!!!!!!
wmd
I don’t understand why he is even refering to God in this article, especially when he he says: “godsend for phone sex.”
On the topic of the iSight, I’ve always wondered if I would actually want to see the people I am talking to for the entire conversation. I quite like to lie down while talking, but can’t imagine they would want to watch me lying there.
“godsend for phone sex.”
That should probably read “Godsend for phone sex”. Always capitalize God since it is a proper name.
At least Diamond J got that right!
Or, “Jobssend for phone sex”. Mwahahahah!
Hey has anyone noticed the number 1 song is “Extraordinary Machine” by Fiona Apple?
Its a hint to next tuesday!! (I know im the one who rigs the iTunes Top Ten every month.)
“Hey has anyone noticed the number 1 song is “Extraordinary Machine” by Fiona Apple?”
And this is the record that Sony/BMG sat on for years because they said it wouldn’t sell. The people who know least about the music are those in control…
Oh My Buda, I love the iSight. I do plan to take a big picture of my face to put in front of the iSight when I don’t have on makeup and hair fixed. Something Jane used on the Jetsons. Come to think of it maybe Steve introducing a car plane that folds into a briefcase.
On MDN’s take, it is Apple’s own fault for not sufficiently advertising.
I whipped up a little QT/Java application that enables me to use my iSight as a video camera to record movies. My PowerBook can easily support it at 640*480 30fps capturing MPEG-4 video with stereo sound. Nifty.
I have it for my PB and our iMac and it works great (both Tiger). Used it to video conference with the family from Florida to Utah. No problems (and did I mention it’s on Tiger?).
F**king christians, they alway have to go on about the god-thing. If you ask me the romans had the right idea!
Big problem with iSight is the need for a high speed internet connection.
I wanted to buy my folks in the UK a mac mini, but they only have a pay as you use dialup connection which only supports PCs of course. Whilst my Dad was open to the idea of getting a mac, he didn’t like the notion of having to pay 18 pounds a month for broadband. Still that is half the price I pay in the US for cable internet. But then we use it at least 4 h a day.
He said “oh my God”, not “oh your God”, so how do you know of which god he speaks? Perhaps his god doesn’t mind being referred to in less-than-deferrential terms.
“I say that many people are offended when one of God’s names is used in casual offhand conversation this way.”
God’s son, Jesus, was sent to earth to teach us peace, love and to forgive ones enemies. Jesus died on the cross for all of man’s sins. Today, humanity has changed little if any from the time of Jesus. The evil that existed when Jesus was alive still exists today. God looks in our hearts and sees how we treat the least of us. God knows who and what we are, yet some people are offended by a Goddamn here and there. Is this what you going to tell God when your time comes.
I defended your name ‘lord, but I did little else on your earth why I was alive.
This all sounds great! I’m sold on an iSight!
And Fiona is #1. That is awesome. Stupid Sony. They only released the album due to fan pressure and internal leakage of the album. Shows them!
I use the iSight on a numer of 10.4 machines and have no problem communicating with other 10.4 macs or 10.3 macs.
If you touch again God I’ll kill you, you infidel. Then you can call God’s name in person next time.
Ahhh, someone truly died in vain 2000 years ago. Men are still too stupid to understand the message, ferchrissake!
For a fundamental Christian, there is only one true living God. Any reference to Him is a reference to Him no matter who says it. I am not preaching here (I am not a preacher man). I am just mentioning this since at one point I did not know this and used God’s name in vain casually until I realized that I was offending some people around me that I care about.
I am not PC, and do not have an issue with it myself. But since it was brought up, I’m jumpin in on it.
The only way to true peace in this universe is through understanding. We do not need to agree with one another, but understanding one another’s reasons and beliefs goes a long way.
Yes God looks in ones heart, but to love one another needs to start from wanting to understand one another. That action has consequences that can lead to enlightenment.
I’m curious about the complaints regarding Tiger and iChat AV. I’ve used iSight since it was introduced on both a PowerBook G4 and an iMac G5 and my parents and children in Chicago and Boston have either PowerBooks or iBooks.
The upgrade to Tiger had no material effect either positive or negative. I had hoped for the 30 fps speed as advertized but have never seen anything greater that 15 fps and an audio rate of about 280.
i love isight. bought one for my bf for his birthday. great picture quality, awesome sound, no choppyness. and it works with imovie. he has made several short imovie vid for business using isight and imovie.
This may be a dumb question, but,
Is a .mac necessary to have a video conference with iChat AV?
I would like to buy an iSight for myself and my parents, but they don’t want to pay $100/year for .mac just to have a video conf.
Seems to me that the iSight and Airport Express are Apple’s forgotten children. Nary an update since their introduction..
converted my whole family…
my son (college San Diego), My mom (retired living in vancouver wa), my sister (beaverton Or) my daughter (home in mission viejo ca) and my wife and myself (mission viejo) all have macs with the ISight.
I bought my mom and us one when they first came out, and upgraded to Tiger to get the full IChat AV version. Now we chat with 3 or 4, just planned a christmas dinner the other night with everyone together. works great.
now… to jump in on the other subject that seems to have run amok here.
If being pc means respecting someone else’s beliefs, and we extend that respect to muslims, jews, hindu and other faiths, then why can’t we do the same for Christians? “God” to them is a personal name, not a title. It’s more sacred, and not only to the fundamentals, but the evangelicals and the high church protestants, and the catholics also.
Why treat them differently?
Out of here.
Why is it that Fundamental Xtians have all these hang ups on Gawd? I really do get fed up with these folks (of whatever belief) ramming their beliefs down saner folks throats. Know this is orf topic, but had to get it off of my chest.
IMHO the world would be a damn site better off (and safer and saner) without religion (especially if it gets tangled in politics & Heads of State – what went on in the Reformation in Europe applies as much today as it does today) Henry VIII chucked the Catholic Church to change his wife but he sure did us all a favour by separating State from Church and establishing the State as Boss & not the Popish Church.
Heaven help us!
@Question
No need for a .mac but you then need to sign up for a free AIM account or perhaps a trial .mac account, not sure on the latter tho.
Armageddon…
do muslims have a hang up on Alah? Or Hindu’s on Buddah? Or Jews on Yaweh?
Is it a hang up to be offended when someone treats what you hold dear with less than respect? And are you then “ramming” your beliefs down their throat when you object to what you hold dear being treated so?
it’s a different way of looking at things.
You keep saying “God’s name” but it hasn’t been said even once on this entire page. “God” is not a name, but he does have one. Check your dictionary sometime… it’s not “Lord” either. (But “Baal” does mean Lord)
I wouldn’t get all high & mighty over a camera. Like mentioned previously, MSN Messenger’s (Windows)feature set runs rings around iChat.
Further, in the corporate space Apple has nothing to even begin competing with Live Communication Server, Office Communicator 2005, Sharepoint, Exchange Server, etc.
Reason #6,254 why you don’t see Macs in server rooms.
Flame away!
Question asks: “Is a .mac necessary to have a video conference with iChat AV?”
Nope, it’s a freebee. However, if I remember correctly, you do need one of the conference-goers act as ‘host’ for the rest, and that person has to have a G5 class computer.
As a general thought on a different subject:
I’d like to see iChat morph into a P2P system, like Skype. I don’t know for sure, but I imagine some of the Tiger problems that are being mentioned here relate to some bug between the AOL server and TigerOS. With a standalone piece of software that problem should go way, as well as any other server related issues.
Basically, iChat would become a VOIP app – how much of kick would it be to have Apple as your new phone company? Can’t be any worse than Verizon – trust me.
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Hindus on Buddah? That really is a different way of looking at things. Did he say Muslims have a hang up on Alan?
good point about the iSight and all but it was a morbid article…
Good conversation and discussion from a bad article. This is a great community and I appreciate everyone’s feedback and honesty on how they feel.
Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion I think that iChat needs a good improvement, but there is so much going on in Apple that it will probably not get much. Look at iCal. It is a great program but only goes so far. They update it periodically but it has to be done by one guy (or gal) who has 5 days a quarter to do something with it since not all that much goes on to improve it.
So much talent only can work on so much. Apple is doing hardware, software, OS’s, entertainment, marketing, and R&D on who knows what. That is a whole heck of a lot of stuff!
Do you really think God gives a crap about these petty things like using his name in vain. Really using his name vain is something like our idiot president saying he’s guided by God to go to war. Not saying God damn it, God Allmighty, or Cheese and Rice. Straining gnats and gulping down camels. Why don’t you people who ‘call’ yourself born again/christian really look at the teachings. Going to church on Sunday doesn’t magically make one holy, and all knowing on what God wants. Anybody who knows anything, knows it’s one by one.
STOP USING MY GODDAMN NAME IN VAIN!!!
Everyone-
check out mvldesign.com
It will answer many ichat questions.
thanks to Sam.
one of the things i like most about isight is that you can record directly into imovie. if you have an isight and start imovie it even ask if your creating an isight movie. you can also export out of to mail and send a video email.
an now for the god’s name in vain portion of our show; saying “oh my god!” isn’t using god’s name in vain, it’s an expression of excitment or dismay. as a human you do not,and cannot, know god’s name. nor could you pronouce it. if you did you would have power over god, which would make you more powerful than god. it would make you god. it’s called the power of names.an ancient concept, the idea is if you know the name of something/someone you have power over it. this is why there is no true way to pronouce yhwh. when reading the torah the name isn’t even spoken, it is refered to as “the name”. so, before you get all up in a roar learn the history of the foundation of your religion, for god’s sake.
isight rock!!
Ok iCrystal, you probably shouldn’t have started this, but if using God’s name in an expression of excitement causes you such dismay, then what about the evil perpetrated around the globe in the name of religion? It must drive you insane right?
So let me ask you this question: Do you denounce the illegal, unethical, and murderous acts of the Bush Administration, done in the name of God per George W. Bush? If so, I applaud you and I’ll try to be careful in my use of God’s name. However, if you do support the actions of the Bush administration, then you are nothing but a hypocrite, and your words ring hollow.
So let us know iCrystal. Where do you stand?
that you and your parents have a new solution for phone sex
OK, solid
So let me ask you this question: Did you support the illegal, unethical, and murderous acts of the Hussein administration, done in the name of God per Saddam Hussein? If so, I applaud you and I’ll try to be careful in my use of God’s name. However, if you do support the actions of the Hussein administration, then you are nothing but a hypocrite, and your words ring hollow.
BTW, if you think we wouldn’t have been in Iraq if the Waffle-ator had been elected, you’re not just a fool, you live in a state of illusion.
Then again, keep up the hate speech. It’s the reason Bush is in office, after all.
Let’s see… “God” is not a name; it’s a species, more or less (i.e. a supernatural being or spirit). Monotheists sometimes forget this fact. The word “godsend” is not “capitalized because it’s a proper name” because it’s not a name at all. The word “goddamn” is one word, not two, and is not capitalized. Buddha was a man, not a god, and is not part of the Hindu faith but rather Buddism. Bush is an idiot, hypocrite and essentially evil bastard (ask him about his 666 birthmark sometime if you don’t believe me). And, oh, iSight is really cool.
Did i miss anything?
Who would Jesus bomb?
Mike raised an interesting point about the fps… has *anyone* seen more than 15fps with iChat, be it via a local network or over the net?
If you have seen 30fps, what were the conditions such as lighting, internet links, computers used, memory etc.
Thing is, I haven’t seen 30fps ever. I am beginning to wonder if it’s a scam.
Now, I don’t wanna say that MDN has some cynical crystal ball here, but the magic word was “justice”. That is just too bizarre.
“Bush is an idiot, hypocrite and essentially evil bastard”
I think of Dubya as more of a liar, a coward and a fool, but whatever. He’s not as much of a liar, coward or fool as his supporters are I suppose.
Why is it that anytime someone calls the “Coalition of the Killing’s” invasion of Iraq into question, they are practically accused of supporting Saddam Hussein?
It wasn’t and isn’t about rescuing the Iraqis from Saddam.As is often said in the media here, if the primary export of Iraq were broccoli, we wouldn’t be there.
Now, if you really want to check out a polititian who is a lying, evil hypocrite, take a look at our wonderful Australian Prime Minister – John Howard. He has led us straight into the hell of Iraq on the coat tails of Bush, Halliburton and KBR.
Did someone say something about some kind of camera?
MDN Magic Word- oil
Can you use the iSight to see Jesus and his love and iTalk to talk to God?
Having an iSight & iChat (which I do) is a bit like owning the first telephone. It’s a great idea, but there’s no one to talk to. All my friends and family use MSN Messenger on PC’s, which works perfectly well, with clear audio and perfectly acceptable video (including full screen recently). So, until Apple can make iChat compatible with the de facto standard for video chat on the web, or until Microsoft decide to make Messenger for Mac support video, then my iSight will remain a cool-looking utterly useless appendage to my iMac. Choosing my friends on the basis of whether they use Macs is not an option.
Soma asked me:
“Did you support the illegal, unethical, and murderous acts of the Hussein administration, done in the name of God per Saddam Hussein?”
Of course I didn’t. I think you have me confused with Donald Rumsfeld. After all, the U.S. Government armed up their buddy Saddam back in the 80’s to beat up on the Iranians.
“BTW, if you think we wouldn’t have been in Iraq if the Waffle-ator had been elected, you’re not just a fool, you live in a state of illusion.”
Who said anything about Kerry? How do you know I didn’t vote for Ralph Nader? By the way, it’s delusion.
“Then again, keep up the hate speech. It’s the reason Bush is in office, after all.”
There wasn’t one bit of hate in my comments. Now I think you’re making things up.
“Did you support the illegal, unethical, and murderous acts of the Hussein administration, done in the name of God per Saddam Hussein?”
The only people that supported Saddam were his two sons. They’re dead now.
This is why you can justify invading Iraq? (Saddam believes he is (was) god, at least in Iraq.)
If so, then what about….
Cuba were hundreds of people die at sea every year escaping that dictatorship and others are persecuted for their believes.
Brazil and other latin countries were children are raised in the streets doing what drug to kill the pain of hunger and to help them forget despair. Many of them are tortured and killed by the police
Asia were child prostitution is a way of life.
North Korea were another God what-to-be allows his people to starve to death.
Why isn’t the US invading these countries. Oh, I forgot, these places don’t have any goddamn oil.
When oil hits $10/gallon and you have to wait 4 hours in the hot sun to get your 5 gallon weekly ration, a lot of folks will understand what oil really means. It is just a matter of time.
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This is, as he says a superior product, but then he says you need iChat to appreciate it. Not so. There is an app out there “iVisit” that allows you to video conference with anyone on any platform. Its good enough for cross-platform conferences for the deaf or hard-of hearing.
The bigger problem is that not many people have a fire-wire camera. Mostly they have some cheapo usb job.
Only at MDN could a nice article about how cool the iSight is get converted into an argument about Jebus and whether Bush is an asshole or not.
I don’t see anyone arguing against the obvious fact that Bush is an asshole, although I really dig the “liar, coward and a fool” label more.
Well, I converted most of my family to the Mac and we vid chat all the time. It all started with my “forcing” Mom to upgrade from an original iMac to an eMac with OS X so we could vid chat. Being an older user (78) she really didn’t want to have to try and learn a new system but I “convinced” her by telling her I was going to pay for it. Man, has it ever been worth it. She really loves her eMac and has since gotten into digital photography. My two anti-tech little sisters were inspired (heck, if MOM can figure it out…) and have since both gotten Macs and we can see each other now pretty much every week. I live in Japan and so can’t get back to meet in person that often so this is really really a godsend.
To Question: “Is a .mac necessary to have a video conference with iChat AV?”
You can sign up for a trial .mac account and the .mac name will stay valid for iChat AV even after the trial expires. It might just be easier to sign up for an free AIM account. just go to AIM.com and start the process of downloading the software. It will take you thru the steps to set up an account. You don’t need to finish and download tho, just stop after the “Congratulations! You have the AIM account of XXXX” screen.
Video conferencing via the WWW definitely has great potential.
iSight and iChat seem to have been quietly praised since thier
introduction. When a product works and as people become more
accustomed to it, I believe that it will eventually become used on a
wider scale.
That’s the gist of this article. Why break it down??? People are free
to express thier thoughts the best way they know how. Who’s got your
goat??? \@/
CT ======]————- Mostly Thoughts
@Soma: please read the entire post before you bash me, if that’s your inclination
Saddam Hussein ran the only secular state in the entire Middle East. He did not think he was God, and he wasn’t cooperating with religious terrorists (such Hezbollah, and, to a lesser extent, al-Qaeda), who hated him for his godlessness and wanted to see him replaced with a fanatical Islamist. His people has running water, steady food, and the best medical care in the nearby region. Women under his administration were among the most free in the entire Middle East.
And yet at the same time, he kidnapped and murdered political dissidents, executed dissenters, and used chemical weapons (that we gave him free reign to use on the Iranians during the war in which we also gave him access to U.S. satellite coverage and military hardware) on his country’s ethnic minorities. He tortured his olympic athletes when they lost. His militarist policies led to ethnic sanctions that killed over a million Iraqi children.
Yes, Saddam was a brutal dictator. Yes, you were not safe if you were a political dissident. Yes, the same could be said for most African countries. Yes, his citizens actually enjoyed a great many luxuries compared to the tyranny of Saudi Arabia or the warzone of Lebanon. Yes, today many Iraqis lack running water and 24/7 electricity, let along internet access. On top of this, even though Saddam was a brutal dictator, he kept the peace and the streets were free from the daily violence that drives the country towards civil war and degrades its critical infrastructure. Try living a normal live when Sunni and Shi’a fighters shoot RPGs from your garden on Monday, and Americans use your roof for cover on Tuesday.
Saddam hussein may be gone, and with him the stifling of anti-government political thought, but Iraq now plays host to a new kind of oppression through fear, as well as all the ugliness that war has brought. Bombed-out buildings, poor medical care, wartime restrictions on travel, rival gangs of armed fighters; Iraq may be rid of Saddam Hussein, but it is certainly not a better place to live.
And now back on topic…
Yeah, iSights are truly awesome. I got one for videochatting with my parents and din’t really think much of the quality till I bought a $22 3rd party webcam for a motion-detection rig. The video was appalling. It captured at like 100×80, no autofocus, no mike, terrible color fidelity, and maybe 8fps capture rate. People complain about the price of Apple products, but hey, you get what you pay for. Mac users are able to see past the “sticker price” that suckers so many Dell buyers. It’s about quality, not price.
I have always thought Apple was missing a great marketing opportunity with the iSight. So listen up Jobs & Company, here it is! Package two cameras together in sperate boxes at a slight discount to the total cost of two iSights and promote it as a gift pack. One for the buyer and one for the person they most want to see. They can even put together some simple instructions and a way for the buyer to create a chat account for the gift reciever. Reach out a touch someone the way ATT never could.