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Apple iSight

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 20:30
by preiffer
OK, General question.

Does anyone here actually own an iSight?

I'm thinking of getting one for my shiny new PowerBook (I can pick it up for £91 from Apple), but I have a small reservation about who/what I can use it with.

I know it works with iChat/AOL, but a lot of the guys I know are on either MSN/Yahoo. Has anyone managed to get one working with those two IM clients? Thoughts, guys & girls...?

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 20:44
by Pete
I've used a Firewire camera (same tech as the iSight) with iChat, and it worked. But I only really did it to see the technology working rather than because I actually wanted to video conference with anyone. ;)

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 21:10
by Scrooge
hang on,you can get a powerbook for 91 pounds?..I'll take one please

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 22:11
by p17blo
Originally posted by jetwet1
hang on,you can get a powerbook for 91 pounds?..I'll take one please


I think that is a case of wishful thinking, or even wishful reading. Isn't grammar and punctuation a great invention.

p.s. I havn't used one myself but I did connect to someone using one with Yahoo IM. Me on Wintel Yahoo, they on Apple Yahoo.

Paul

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 22:13
by Scrooge
Originally posted by p17blo
Originally posted by jetwet1
hang on,you can get a powerbook for 91 pounds?..I'll take one please


I think that is a case of wishful thinking, or even wishful reading. Isn't grammar and punctuation a great invention.

Paul


Dohh again [B)],I think that comes under the wishful thinking thing.

PostPosted: 30 Nov 2005, 23:14
by onionz
I have an iSight camera - problem of course is no-one else does, so I have yet to do any video conferencing with it. Pete was gonna use his FireWire camera and ichat with me at some point IIRC!

I've done two cool things with it:
1. Used it to read barcodes off DVDs and Books to add them to my Delicious Library just because I can.
2. Played around with the fancy Photo Booth app which comes with new iMacs.

You should get one because it's metal, substantial, classy and nice. I got one cos I ran out of other cool Apple gadgets to buy.

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 01:58
by derby_dave
Yep, I've got an iSight lump sitting atop my iMac. As Onionz says, it looks seriously cool - but doesn't all Apple kit?

Unfortunately, as far as 'chat' apps go, the MacOS MSN client is very basic and doesn't support cameras.

iSight integrates beautifully with iChat, but that suffers from the ongoing battle between AIM & MSN. By that, I mean no-one I know uses it [ii], most folk seeming to go for MSN Messenger and 'never the twain shall meet' - leastways not yet. (LRoM, any comment?)

I can tell you that the built-in mic in iSight works well with Skype, though!

Dave

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 02:02
by preiffer
Originally posted by onionz
You should get one because it's metal, substantial, classy and nice. I got one cos I ran out of other cool Apple gadgets to buy.
... and presumably, you want someone to talk to on it with yours...? [:p]

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 02:05
by preiffer
Originally posted by derby_dave
I can tell you that the built-in mic in iSight works well with Skype, though!
Better than the internal mic, Dave? If so, it might be worth the £91 (for the iSight, not the £2k PowerBook, Dave W!) for that alone...!

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 02:12
by derby_dave
Originally posted by preiffer
Originally posted by derby_dave
I can tell you that the built-in mic in iSight works well with Skype, though!
Better than the internal mic, Dave?


My iSight is on my iMac G5 (the "old" version without built-in camera & mic [:#]). I've also put Skype on my PB and the built-in mic on that seems to work OK. Not had chance to give either a real road test yet though.

Dave

(Edited 'cos I got my G4s & G5s mixed up last night [:I][:I])

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 11:51
by onionz
Originally posted by preiffer
Originally posted by onionz
You should get one because it's metal, substantial, classy and nice. I got one cos I ran out of other cool Apple gadgets to buy.
... and presumably, you want someone to talk to on it with yours...? [:p]


Yes! In fact I need more than one person, so I can do that fancy trick where it shows the two people side by side at a slight angle and reflects the images in the "floor". Neat stuff.

BTW, having Skyped friends using the internal mic on a PB and iBook, it seems the echo cancellation isn't very good which can be irritating. I use a Bluetooth headset with my Mac Mini which is pretty unbeatable (and of course, very easy to set up).

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 11:55
by preiffer
Originally posted by onionz
Yes! In fact I need more than one person, so I can do that fancy trick where it shows the two people side by side at a slight angle and reflects the images in the "floor". Neat stuff.
Right. Need to get one just to do the splitscreen trick. (Assuming you mean the one that Steve J did when he announced the new iMac?)

Can we start a campaign to get everyone on here iSighted-up, do you think?

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 13:37
by onionz
Originally posted by preiffer
Originally posted by onionz
Yes! In fact I need more than one person, so I can do that fancy trick where it shows the two people side by side at a slight angle and reflects the images in the "floor". Neat stuff.
Right. Need to get one just to do the splitscreen trick. (Assuming you mean the one that Steve J did when he announced the new iMac?)


Not sure - can't check the speech now cos the net connection at work is having a hard time with it, but he definitely did it when he launched iChat AV a while back and everyone in the audience went "ooooooooooh".

Can we start a campaign to get everyone on here iSighted-up, do you think?


I think so, although please bear in mind there is a pro-Windows faction round these parts who will inevitably throw a spanner in the works ;).

Let me know when you have yours so you, me and Derby Dave can give it a go.

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 15:22
by derby_dave
Let me know when you have yours so you, me and Derby Dave can give it a go.


I've added my AIM address to my profile (and MSN for what it's worth!). Won't be about this evening though, work beckons... [:#]

Dave

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 19:24
by Scrooge
Originally posted by onionz
Originally posted by preiffer
Originally posted by onionz
Yes! In fact I need more than one person, so I can do that fancy trick where it shows the two people side by side at a slight angle and reflects the images in the "floor". Neat stuff.
Right. Need to get one just to do the splitscreen trick. (Assuming you mean the one that Steve J did when he announced the new iMac?)


Not sure - can't check the speech now cos the net connection at work is having a hard time with it, but he definitely did it when he launched iChat AV a while back and everyone in the audience went "ooooooooooh".

Can we start a campaign to get everyone on here iSighted-up, do you think?


I think so, although please bear in mind there is a pro-Windows faction round these parts who will inevitably throw a spanner in the works ;).

Let me know when you have yours so you, me and Derby Dave can give it a go.


Just so you both know,im feeling very dirty right now,I broke down and bought an Ipod [:I]

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 20:07
by Pete
Originally posted by onionz


Not sure - can't check the speech now cos the net connection at work is having a hard time with it, but he definitely did it when he launched iChat AV a while back and everyone in the audience went "ooooooooooh".



I was in that audience at MacWorld San Francisco at the Steve Jobs Keynote. And yes, I went "ooooooooooh" along with everyone else. ;)

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 20:10
by preiffer
The iPod isn't what makes you dirty - it's what you load on it ;)


(Same goes for the iSight [:0])

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 20:46
by Scrooge
Originally posted by preiffer
The iPod isn't what makes you dirty - it's what you load on it ;)


(Same goes for the iSight [:0])


Well some of us are not like you....of course I am...but this is an x-mas gift for you know who

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 22:17
by RichardMannion
Originally posted by derby_dave

iSight integrates beautifully with iChat, but that suffers from the ongoing battle between AIM & MSN. By that, I mean no-one I know uses it [ii], most folk seeming to go for MSN Messenger and 'never the twain shall meet' - leastways not yet. (LRoM, any comment?)



The twain has been broken.. they will co-exist but you need to have LCS running in your environment:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/livecom ... licim.mspx

LCS is a corp based solution using a pro SIP client (Office Communicator).

Thanks,
Richard

PostPosted: 01 Dec 2005, 23:55
by onionz
Hot news from the Skype camp: video calling is now supported using the latest (beta) version of the software.

Have a look at the Skype community page.

No Mac version as of yet, but they promise it's on the way. Should hopefully support the iSight.

PostPosted: 02 Dec 2005, 00:04
by Scrooge
I just use this plugin when using skype http://www.video4im.com

PostPosted: 02 Dec 2005, 00:07
by preiffer
Originally posted by RichardMannion
The twain has been broken.. they will co-exist but you need to have LCS running in your environment:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/livecom ... licim.mspx

LCS is a corp based solution using a pro SIP client (Office Communicator).
Hmm. While potentially a good step forward for an office environment, unless I'm missing something this means Dave, Jason and I would need our own server (with per user licenses) to be able to video-chat to MSN people on our Macs?

Seems a little OTT on the surface [?]

We just need a version of MSN that works with an iSight...

(Can Jim Bill fix it for us?)

PostPosted: 02 Dec 2005, 22:45
by RichardMannion
Maybe ;)

Thanks,
Richard

PostPosted: 25 Dec 2005, 19:20
by Pete
Well, I got an iSight in my stocking this morning, so I just need to test it out with someone in iChat now ;)