“Back in June, Apple unveiled iMessage, one of the major new features of the upcoming iOS 5 update,” Arnold Kim reports for MacRumors.
“iMessage is a unified messaging service for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that allows users to send text and multimedia messages over Wi-Fi and 3G with read and delivery receipts and real-time typing indication,” Kim reports. “But as far as Apple has officially said, there is no way to send iMessages to or from non-iOS devices such as your Mac.”
Kim reports, “One developer has revealed to MacRumors that there is evidence that Apple has already started building in iMessage support into OS X Lion’s iChat instant messaging software.”
Read more in the full article here.
This would definitely bring a little relevance to iChat.
I wish they’d dump FaceTime, iChat & iMessage all into one.
I second that. I don’t see any reason to have three to five different communications apps (except, of course, for Skype, who has to be different) on my Mac, especially when they’re ALL supplied by Apple! After all, this isn’t Microsoft – get some coordination going here, people!
I third that
4
Agree! A separate FaceTime is more an annoyance than anything. Add to that the video chat ability already in iChat and FaceTime on the mac just gets lost.
Agreed! But I really like how FaceTime integrates with the phone app on the iPhone. Talking to someone, get home or somewhere with wifi and just tap the button to switch seamlessly to video. So while you’re incorporating iChat with FaceTime, make sure to plan phone integration as well. Where iChat can “call” the phone number for audio chat.
Best news I’ve heard all week.
Yay! Just the other day I was wishing that there would be an iMessage client for Mac, perfect, this will be a great way to communicate.
LOL. I just saw this and sent it to MDN… refreshed page, and voila… its here!
they work fast. (maybe I should have refreshed the page from this morning prior to sending in the article? nah.)
the END of SMS…
I really like facetime, or i should say i like how simple it is.
I don’t use ichat but if they integrated them i guess i would!
Cross platform messaging is already available ( or will be in 3 weeks) with Mobile Task Traker. As a matter of fact it can message between ANY device with a browser and Internet connection.
And you think that’s a first?….
Or are you just trying to promote it?
the reason this is big, NO third party software… Any iOS and os x device will have this standard.
The only thing missing, is ability to send/receive SMS texts to/from other cell phones.
There are “other” cell phones?
Yes! iPhone 2G. Then there is the iPhone 3G, oh and iPhone 3GS 😉
Know anything else with date and time stamping… The ability to track assigned task status and work with ANY and every device with Internet connection… Let me know… I would seriously like to know what it is… I am not being confrontational… I would really be interested…. Thanks in advance
And you only thing missing being the ability to communicate with the non Apple world is a pretty BIG thing… I love Apple but I know others who are not so enamored or need what Apple offers…. But I would still like to be able to communicate with them…. The Apple or nothing attitude is what makes people scream Fanboys and cult… I prefer a world where no matter what your “religion” we can still communicate.
Hmm, if all 3 where combined iChat, FaceTime, & iMessage what would it be called?
iFace?
iTime?
ChatTime?
ChatFace?
FaceMessage?
Lol
Apple would have to be deaf, blind and stupid not to include iMessage in OS X.
Apple should support some open cross platform protocol standard so that everybody could join in the communication.
Apple claimed they were going to open FaceTime up as a standard for others to use — Skype notably said they’d be on board for interoperability. Then… nothing. Guess Apple changed their mind and decided they’ll just take all the customers instead.