New iChat in Tiger - multi client?

[LimeiBook86]

I noticed something while watching the WWDC 2004 keynote. On the dock of Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" the iChat icon has changed. It no longer shows the AOL/AIM figure. It just shows the blue bubble with the video icon (screenshot below) I think this might be because maybe the new iChat is not limited to just AIM. Maybe it will be compatible with Yahoo! or MSN.

I don't know why Steve Jobs wouldn't mention the ability to use iChat with AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN. Either I am completely wrong or Apple is still working with other companies to make this all happen.

What do you guys think?

 

[Rod Rod]

it might just be a matter of Apple "running out" of the license to use AOL's "running man" logo.

but yeah, the multiple client possibility is also there, and one can only hope.

the other item *which I place higher on the wish list* is the ability to finally voice-chat with Windows AIM users.


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p.s. pretty neat to be among the first posters in a new forums category.

 

[LimeiBook86]

it might just be a matter of Apple "running out" of the license to use AOL's "running man" logo.

but yeah, the multiple client possibility is also there, and one can only hope.

the other item *which I place higher on the wish list* is the ability to finally voice-chat with Windows AIM users.


___________________________
p.s. pretty neat to be among the first posters in a new forums category.

Hehe, yes first posting is fun. Anyway, yes I look forward to talking to some of my Windows friends, something I haven't been able to do since the old AIM 4.0 with the "Talk" feature.

 

[bastula]

Well the new iChat supports Jabber. At least according to the Tiger Server web page (Tiger Server includes a built-in iChat server based on Jabber). Therefore, iChat needs to support at least this - maybe it will support other formats in the future? Who knows. The only reason they are using Jabber right now is because it is open source.

 

[DJY]

I for one am glad that the new iChat will allows three way audio and video!!!
WOOHOO I needed that last week!

 

[LimeiBook86]

I for one am glad that the new iChat will allows three way audio and video!!!
WOOHOO I needed that last week!

Yes the ability to have multiple audio and video conversations really does kick!

 

[aswitcher]

Yes the ability to have multiple audio and video conversations real does kick!

Yeah this is excellent. The only extra I would have liked was encryption option, even if for only 2 participants. No serious corporate type should be using video chat without a vpn or encryption. I hope Apple do put this as an option by the time Tiger roars.

Edit

OK, someone pointed out the server offers an encryption option. Beauty. Now hopefully they will also make it available for hoem Tiger owners with video.

 

[bousozoku]

I for one am glad that the new iChat will allows three way audio and video!!!
WOOHOO I needed that last week!

Actually, the picture they show is of 4 people total. Three remote plus you.

I noticed that they also have a server module so you don't have to use the AIM servers. That will be especially good for corporate users trying to keep people on track.

 

[LimeiBook86]

Actually, the picture they show is of 4 people total. Three remote plus you.

I noticed that they also have a server module so you don't have to use the AIM servers. That will be especially good for corporate users trying to keep people on track.

Oh so I guess you can video or audio chat over a LAN, that would be sweet.

 

[DJY]

I think from the WWDC Keynote...

Audio is up to 10 others?
Video up to three others?

 

[ephramz]

Talk to PC's

LimeiBook86 and Rod Rod,

you do know that iChat is supposed to work for video (and audio chat if the PC side initiates it) chat with AOL 5.5 on PC's since several months ago. So you should be able to talk to your PC friends already. Yeah, they do need to be on WinXP and I haven't gotten it to work yet, but there are people who have!

 

[LimeiBook86]

LimeiBook86 and Rod Rod,

you do know that iChat is supposed to work for video (and audio chat if the PC side initiates it) chat with AOL 5.5 on PC's since several months ago. So you should be able to talk to your PC friends already. Yeah, they do need to be on WinXP and I haven't gotten it to work yet, but there are people who have!

I have tried to chat with my PC friend via Audio only, that didn't seem to work. But, I can audio chat with my PC friends while in a video chat if the have a microphone. Well I'll keep trying...

 

[Rod Rod]

ephramz, neither you nor I have gotten it to work. I doubt the veracity of the people who claimed it worked for them. it actually doesn't make a difference to me, but one of my friends who's a semi-switcher (PC guy who got a 12" PB at his job) said he'd commit to the Mac but for two things: easy voice-chatting with PC people and a simple drawing program (like MS Paint). so far he's 0 for 2.

 

[Sabbath]

I really really want this multi client functionality. Everyone in europe seems to use msn rather than AOL but msn (and other multiclient programs) are so horrible compared with iChat.

I fear we won't see iChat supporting other protocols soon unless the protocol providers decide to stop development of their mac client and rely on Apple. We've just got a new msn so I doubt it, will help me.

 

[7on]

I never have had problems video chatting with Windows users. Only with the Beta. What AOL hides from people is that the Windows side needs a patch to work, and if they don't have the patch it doesn't work.

I hope AIM supports h264 as well. And maybe we'll get video over dialup now too.

 

[Nermal]

Oh so I guess you can video or audio chat over a LAN, that would be sweet.

I thought it already did this over Rendezvous?

 

[LimeiBook86]

I thought it already did this over Rendezvous?

I thought to but I'm not sure

 

[Rod Rod]

I never have had problems video chatting with Windows users. Only with the Beta. What AOL hides from people is that the Windows side needs a patch to work, and if they don't have the patch it doesn't work.

I hope AIM supports h264 as well. And maybe we'll get video over dialup now too.

has audio-only chatting between you (on a Mac) and a Windows AIM user ever worked for you? or does audio only work when you have video on?

 

[AHDuke99]

the reason the icon is different there is cause steve has a new build that the developers got.

 

[BrianKonarsMac]

adium would kick all ass if it had voice and video chat. tabbed chat's really are a godsend for removing clutter. im's all over the place are ridiculous. not to mention it looks so much better, is far more customizable, and supports multiple clients.

 

[LimeiBook86]

the reason the icon is different there is cause steve has a new build that the developers got.

Yeah but on Mac OS X Tiger the icon looks like the old one from Panther. Obviously I think Jobs has a different version than the developers got.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

iChat does do video over Rendezvous

I thought it already did this over Rendezvous?

Yes, it does. I use audio chat regularly over Rendezvous. (With other Mac iChat users.) It only works on the local subnet, though, so only small companies could use it this way. A large company would need an internal iChat server to allow for internal chatting. (Hence the addition of Jabber support, as it allows Rendezvous-style chat over different subnets.)

I have used video over Rendezvous only a couple times. Mostly because on my local network, we only have one video cam. (Not even an iSight, it's just a DV camcorder.) So I've only done one-way on my local net. I've been on another Rendezvous net with two cameras, though, and it worked great. (If you have a powerful enough computer on both ends, the video is better than you can get over the 'net, since it supports up to 2Mb/s video feeds.)

 

[Wardofsky]

This is the new icon (closer up);

 

[LimeiBook86]

This is the new icon (closer up);

oooooooooooo new icon!!

<drools>

 

[johnnyjibbs]

I noticed the icon change too and posted about this in another topic. I also thought this may mean MSN/Yahoo, etc compatibility.

However, I'm sure it is just an AOL logo licencing issue or that it means they are adding Jabber support as already mentioned. I highly doubt Apple would go out and just start supporting MSN or whether Microsoft would let them.

Sigh.. It's a pity there isn't a universal chat language, like the internet IP system...

On the note of iChat 2.1/AIM 5.5 for Windows - if anyone has got audio-only to work PLEASE TELL ME HOW!!!! I'm been trying desperately, even with the recent new AIM patch to no avail. Even when I plug in our old Logitech webcam into the Dell (auto recognised by AIM and Win XP) I can't get it to work (no Mac drivers, plus it's not firewire). Maybe it's iChat that needs the shake-up. I couldn't even get audio-audio to work with another iChat user (both had mics turned on, audio icon visible - I think it was a firewall problem).