Replies to post #1224 on Apple Inc (AAPL)

[nickeltong]

dilleet:

For your information, I have successfully used my AIM name in a video conference with another AIM member. I don't know about voice but a video chat is only possible with another mac running iChat AV. OTOH, text messaging is possible with other PC's and macs.

You should not be so pissed. This is a beta afterall. Just send them your feedback and life will be better.

[yofal]

dilleet: it might be a bit unfair to criticize it on AIM compatibility. Apple's iChatAV page specifically say it only works with IM, not audio/video.

When it comes down to it, every chat app out there suffers some incompatibility with anyone of the other programs - there just ain't no standards.

If you keep the environment pure Apple I think it works very well, though I've suggested some interface improvements to make it simpler to understand how to initiate different kinds of chat.

AIM in contrast is a living hell of counterintuitivenes, and surprisingly of all of the other chat interfaces I think MSFTs Messengers may be one of the cleanest. I haven't utilized the videointerfaces on either app. That's likely where it gets messy.

Mysteriously all chat programs suffer from complicating the addition of names, especially when you're trying to locate someone on the network. There's got to be a better way. Maybe Rendevous?

I've set iChat to use Macintalk to announce buddies joining so I don't even have to look at my other computers to see who's online (a nice touch).

Best of all - thanks for that iChatUSBCam link! Crossing over to USB will make the audio and video features a lot hotter. I assume they've played down this technology to sell a few extra iSights...

[Zstar]

Of ourse the Aduio and video work with AIM......

That's how Jobs did it. People just don't read what they need to. The information is on Apple's website, and had been discussed extensively on Mac sites in the first days.