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FaceTime video chat to hit Windows and OS X desktops soon?
FaceTime, Apple's video chatting protocol, is currently still limited to the newest iOS devices. That might change soon, though, with the next version of Apple's iLife suite of apps. French Apple site Mac4Ever is spreading the rumor that FaceTime will hit the desktop as part of iChat on OS X and as its own Windows app. FaceTime could catch on big time once it's untethered from iOS devices, but it's not really clear what FaceTime's niche will be in a desktop VoIP landscape that's dominated by Skype. Right now, it's a novelty for people with the newest Apple devices, so it's going to have to make a serious marketing push to establish itself as a Skype competitor. Skype now does 10-way video calls on the desktop, while FaceTime's main advantage is that it comes pre-installed on a hugely popular mobile device.
[via 9to5 Mac]
Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsChazSep 14th 2010 12:04AM
Just think about it! Once Facetime is on the most popular devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod, and even on the computer) -- Skype will lose out to Apple. Video phone calls on a mobile device IS the future. Skype is still adhering to the stationary box to stationary box concept. Facetime is a remote device with a remote device -- allowing true versatility. In future iPhones, this tech will be pushed even harder and it'll become the norm. All video communication will be the Apple brand! Apple phonebooths with video screen phone calls! Just you wait...
BernardSep 14th 2010 5:36AM
I don't know which planet you've been living on but Skype has been supporting 'remote devices' a lot longer then Apple has been. Now lets see Skype is on:
- Remote Devices: BlackBerry, iPhone/iPad, Andriod, Nokia, Windows Mobile (soon)
- Stationary Boxes: Windows (2000, XP, Vista, 7), Mac OS X(Intel, PPC), Linux and it comes embedded in TVs as well.
I'd say Apple has a 'long' way to go before they can capture the mind share that Skype has.
Will BurnsSep 14th 2010 10:23AM
@Bernard yeah sure Skype is on all those platforms, but they don't do video on any of them. If they did it still wouldn't look as good as facetime does. That and if you look at the size of the iPhone market share it casts a shadow over the other platforms you mentioned.
ChazSep 14th 2010 10:25AM
Bernard - Skype on these mobile devices does little more than IM and audio chat. Which has no novelty moving forward. Facetime is going to be the "Face" of video phone calls. Other mobiles have their own forms but I do believe that Apple will win the race and Skype cannot truly hope to compete on the mobile market when things explode with an iPhone on Verizon.
BernardSep 18th 2010 6:47AM
@Will The last I checked, iPhone was under RIM's shadow. And the shadow from Android was eclipsing iPhone. As a matter of fact, since the Antenna-Gate iPhone market has lost market share while Android gained a sizeable chunk. Again you're on a different planet.
Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/09/android-gains-market-share-on-everyone-else/1
@Chaz Sure but its easier to bake in a new feature then to develop a new client. In Apple's case, they have no Windows, MAC OS X, or Mobile clients so its hard to find the 'Face'. Apple has an extremely *LONG* way to go no matter which way you cut it.
MikeFMSep 22nd 2010 5:31AM
Is Apple going to give me seamless Facetime to POTS calling and POTS to Facetime calling? Is it going to let me send and receive text messages from plain old cellphones? How about let me send/receive faxes as if they were email? If they want to be better than Skype those are the features I want.
Skype really sucks but I've yet to see any real alternative that sucks less. Vonage was pretty good but when I canceled my account they screwed me (canceled just one of my two lines and months later sent me a bill for the other line and refuse to admit that I had canceled both lines). Give me an alternative and I'll be all over it. Simple billing and no contract is a big plus.
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