Comments on: Why Apple’s FaceTime Is a Huge Opportunity

By: ooVoo Takes Multi-user Mobile Video Chat Into the Cloud: Mobile «

ooVoo Takes Multi-user Mobile Video Chat Into the Cloud: Mobile « — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:01:02 +0000

[...] of app developers have sprung into action to enable video chat on those devices. Apple released its FaceTime application earlier this year, but startups like Qik and Tango have also been quick to make video chat [...]

By: James Carlson

James Carlson — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:12:46 +0000

For me facetime is a godsend. I have a nine-year old son in Mexico, where he lives with his mother. They have an internet connection, but it is none too great. I have tried Skype and iChat … they both work poorly. Lousy video and usually bad audio as well. Also, my son is hearing-impaired, so good audio quality is a sine qua non. Facetime has the needed audio quality, and the video quality is good -far better than either skype or ichat. Finally, there is the problem of notification. A facetime call will ring on both mac and ipod or iphone, so we don’t have to set up the call.

Since I gave him an ipod a few weeks ago, we use facetime several times a day. And wifi only is the way to go for us, since it cuts down on costs. I am spending less now doing video chats than I was before making phone calls.

For a parent whose child is far away, this is just wonderful.

By: Norman Hart

Norman Hart — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:15:35 +0000

The problem is I think no one really cares about your new couch or the street performance. If I receive a facetime call I have to drop everything and give you my undivided attention. With a voice call I can multitask. So while youre showing me some two bit bucket drummer in seattle Im here trying to get my toes licked. Snap a pic and text it to me , we’ll both be better off.

By: FaceTime « Wir sprechen Online.

FaceTime « Wir sprechen Online. — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:57:12 +0000

[...] FaceTime did not launch as a killer app, but it may end up as one, providing a halo effect; [...]

By: Could There Be a 7-Inch iPad? : Tech News «

Could There Be a 7-Inch iPad? : Tech News « — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:28:35 +0000

[...] Tweet Apple, perhaps worried about competition from the Android camp, maybe looking to develop a new version of iPad, this one with a 7-inch screen and bring it to market sometime in 2011, according to a research note put out by Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar this morning. He writes that the second generation iPad will have both front-and-rear facing cameras to make it easier for video conferencing the device, especially using Apple’s Facetime. [...]

By: Ramesh Chaturvedi

Ramesh Chaturvedi — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:51:25 +0000

Apple is certainly heading in the right direction by introducing dual cameras on the iTouch and iPhone 4, but despite their large user base they still do not rule the personal computer or smartphone world (~90% of the world’s computers are Windows-based and a strong majority of smartphones utilize other platforms). The basic fact that FaceTime only works between iPhone 4s on strictly Wi-Fi networks is enough to provide a significant hurdle for FaceTime to over come. FaceTime is severely limited by its inability to perform cross platform (multiple OS) video calls on various networks. Right from the start my company Damaka addressed this cross platform issue; we not only incorporated cross platform functionality, but provide advanced features like application sharing and Sweeping™ (network & device handoffs of live sessions) over any mobile device (Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry) on any network. So although FaceTime is on the right track, there are currently more comprehensive solutions available.

By: Sérgio Carvalho

Sérgio Carvalho — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:16:19 +0000

Untrue. All third generation cell phone protocols support video calling. Us Europeans have had video calls available for about five years now. Standard across all phones, easy to use, with many deployed phones having front-facing cameras. In fact, all that Ali Shah promises for the near future from Apple is old news this side of the pond.

The result? Other than the occasional use, the feature is just not practical for everyday usage. Almost nobody uses it.

By: James

James — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:47:13 +0000

Skype has almost 600 million users. Skype has video chat. If users don’t already have a camera, a basic one is $10-$20. Yet, very few I know use video chat. I use it once when I connect with someone after a long time and then just use audio calls after that. It’s more laid back, I can do other stuff during the conversation and not be dressed for it.

I must admit I don’t have a single friend or have heard of one who bought a Mac for iChat. So we must have different kind of friends.

The point is… video chat is old, has been very affordable and many already have access to it. Putting it on a new device isn’t going to change that beyond the novelty phase. There will be some special uses by being able to show around with it etc, but that’s about it. Less is more. Not having to show yourself is a feature, not a limitation – since calls often don’t have preparation time like live meetings do.

By: Vilmar

Vilmar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:41:11 +0000

Drop the restriction to Wifi only and iPhone 4 (and new iToUch generation) and it might have a chance.

By: ZekeCDN

ZekeCDN — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:31:41 +0000

What will distinguish Apple’s promotion of video calling compared to previous efforts will be their ability to get tens of millions of compatible handsets and devices in circulation quickly. No one–not even in Europe–has managed that feat yet. Also, if I’m not mistaken, Apple has committed to submitting FT to IETF (as pointed out, several of its components are already IETF standards).