At last year’s meeting of Apple shareholders, Steve Jobs was asked about videoconferencing and what it meant to Apple. “Stay tuned,” he said. Sources now say that Apple is on the verge of offering videoconferencing functionality to users with an upgrade to its iChat software. Sources confirmed to Think Secret that the next version of iChat, code-named “Viceroy,” will feature videoconferencing built-in. Additionally, the new iChat will reportedly boast support for a number of other IM protocols. Our Take: I hope that Apple will also feature support for my Creative WebCam PRO, a $40 camera, which is an extremely popular buy (well supported on Linux as well) but has no drivers for OSX so far.
Apple to Push Videoconferencing with new iChat, Camera
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If it can properly support my MSN Messenger contacts, I’ll be happy. I find running multiple IM clients quite annoying, so AIM and MSN bundled into one nice and clean Apple application will be just fine with me.
Very important take and not a bit egoistic ;-)…
>and not a bit egoistic ;-)…
Ok, I will pray for the Logitech pro version to have drivers too (that model doesn’t have osx drivers either).
If it can properly support my MSN Messenger contacts, I’ll be happy. I find running multiple IM clients quite annoying, so AIM and MSN bundled into one nice and clean Apple application will be just fine with me.
Have you tryed Proteus ?
>Have you tried Proteus ?
It crashes like hell. I prefer Fire personally.
I assume you’re aware of http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/
… which has a boatload of drivers.
The Logitech Pro 3000 is supported, and I’m sure the 4000 can’t be far behind since it uses thesame chipset.
From a quick look it seems like the Webcam Pro (ex?) is using thesame chipset since it’s using the same drivers on linux (http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/release.html#table)
Maybe it’s just a matter of hacking in the usb id’s in the osx drivers?
wait ’til MS copy Apple again except they’re using DRM and all the record companies love it.
Apple just keeps rolling along 🙂
MS has had videoconferencing/VoIP built into Messenger for years now. Before that, it came as part of NetMeeting. There’s also an MSR app called portrait.
Much like n4cer already said, MS already has this feature, and regarding service interoperability, I can’t say Messenger 6 has it yet (it’s not in my beta) but now AOL have agreed to open AIM, I’d expect AIM and Y! to be supported in the full version.
I’d say the two companies are pretty much tied right now in features, though as iChat is only for Mac I can only go by written accounts, so if anyone cares to enlighten me? BTW if you think iChat is superior to Messenger, don’t troll just state why You think it is.
>Have you tried Proteus ?
>>It crashes like hell. I prefer Fire personally.
Strange, I had only problems when my dsl connection was broken and he could not connect after trying it several times, a message appeared that the programm will close.
Under normal condition I never had a crash
I don’t think iChat is better than Messenger. It looks to me like Apple is trying to catch up. Usually though, when Apple does something specific, they do it very well, so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
I think that Apple will initally support a small number of their devices as is typical with their iApps when they are initially introduced. Later on we will see more support but their will be a lot of grumblings at first with the number of devices they support.
I know that MS has had this feature for some time but Apple has a knack for taking technology or an idea and making it accesible, functional, cool and fun. So if Apple is going to focus on getting Mac users video conferencing I doubt it will be the same as what you currently see out there.
Remember how Jobs said that Apple won’t enter the cellphone market, because he felt they couldn’t add much to it. If Apple does make a camera, it will probably have some major features that almost no other cameras have. (like with the first ipod vs the conventional 64mb mp3 players)
A battery and small harddisk added, so it can be used standalone as a digital camera and video camera? A firewire webcam that can plug in the ipod? I doubt that it will be just an ordinary webcam.
Uhm. Steve, I believe was kidding but I guess his sarcasm didn’t translate.
“Remember how Jobs said that Apple won’t enter the cellphone market, because he felt they couldn’t add much to it. If Apple does make a camera, it will probably have some major features that almost no other cameras have.”
I disagree. If Apple tries to produce a full-featured DigiCam/WebCam, it will be pricier than excellent offerings from Canon and others.
I think it will be an affordable webcam only.
The goal in this case is to drive iChat and QuickTime by bringing to and making affordable for the masses video chats. (Sure, plenty do it now, but no one has really captured the market or the imagination of the average user.)
Offering a simple and easy to use video solution with drastic improvements to iChat will drive iChat adoption (still very low) and QuickTime. It doesn’t need to bring something new to the table–in this case, it’s much more like Safari–the non-Apple options aren’t that good on the Mac platform.
Seriously, how could Apple build a better camera than Canon, Sony, Nikon, or Olympus? Even if it had a 30 Gig HD, people who are extensive digicam users are very comfortable with using large mem cards and swapping. The hard drive isn’t compelling enough. Apple will need to use good optics (and these will probably be BOUGHT from the camera guys), build a new interface, and keep it on an upgrade schedule that could compete with the camera manufacturers. Not gonna happen.
However, a simple and somewhat revolutionizing application of video conferencing via a webcam will further cement the attractiveness of the iApps, pull Apple more into the IM marketplace wher it’s hardly noticable, further augment the advantages of QT, etc… I’d much prefer a cool webcam for $50-$140 than a camera that can’t compete with my PowerShot for $500-$700.
> If Apple tries to produce a full-featured DigiCam/WebCam, it will be pricier than excellent offerings from Canon and others.
I agree. Apple will just license and use one of the taiwanese ones and put them on their computers
Linus mentions in his book “Just For Fun”, that he met with Jobs when OSX was still pre-beta. Linus’ take on the meeting was that Jobs wanted him and the rest of the OSS movement to get behind OSX and do for it what they did for Linux.
Unfortunately, that is the reason OSX has only minimal hardware support. Apple’s position is that Darwin is open source and if someone wants support for a Creative WebCam Pro, they should write the driver for it themselves. Maybe that position is the reason Bill Gates is the richest man in the world.
That’s my opinion, I could be wrong.
dont blame apple for not supporting your camera, blame the creative for not putting out drivers you tart. I’m pretty sure osx usb is well documented perhaps people at creative can’t read. apple can do no right on osnews.
All you have to do is ask.
http://www.ioexperts.com/usbwebcam.html
OXperts OS X Driver for USB WebCams Works with These Devices
AME
CU-001
CU-98
CU-98A
CU-99A
CU-320
Ariston iSee-Pro
Boeder PC ChatCam
Creative Video Blaster Webcam 5
D-Link DRU-350C
Ezonics EZ Cam Pro
iRez KritterUSB 1.0 (but not 1.1)
Logitech
QuickCam for Notebooks Pro (not QuickCam for Notebooks)
QuickCam Pro (dark focus ring)
QuickCam Pro 3000
QuickCam Pro 4000
QuickCam Zoom
Mustek WCam 300
O’Rite i-Cam USB Camera
Panasonic GP-KR651US
Philips
ToUcam Fun (PCVC730K)
ToUcam Pro (PCVC740K)
ToUcam Pro Scan (PCVC750K)
ToUcam XS (PCVC720K/40 only)
Vesta (PCVC675K)
Vesta Pro (PCVC680K)
Vesta Scan (PCVC690K)
PINE Technology PineCam Z100
Plustek OptiCam 500U
Samsung
AnyCam MPC-C10
AnyCam MPC-C30
Scalar
USB Microscope M1
USB Microscope M2
Sceptre
VC300 (black & silver)
VC300 (green translucent)
Sotec Afina Eye
VideoLogic HomeC@m
If you see your camera on this list, download the driver.
If you have one of the following cameras, please contact us at [email protected].
3J Tech uCAMit
Acer
DVC-V6
DVC-V6+
AOpen VC324
Askey
VC050
VC060
VC070
VC071
VC080
VC090
VC100
VC120
AVerMedia
CamGuard
InterCam USB Plus
Azona Vista Pro VPC-200
BTC SurfCam CMOS 300K
Cellvision LV-DC350
IO Data USB-CCDChat
Pragmatic ViLINK PC Camera VU350
ProLink DS3303u WebCam
Tekcom TekCam 350 Easy
TNC Tinycam Pro
TRENDnet
TV-PC300
TV-PC350
Zoom ZoomCam USB 1597
IOXperts FireWire WebCam Drivers Work with These Devices!
The Fire-i Digital Camera from Unibrain has two FireWire ports, allowing you to daisy chain multiple cameras. The camera is available with a Mac bundle of software (including our driver) to support OS 9/OS X.
We’ve verified that our drivers also work with the following cameras:
ADS (www.adstech.com)
1394 PYRO WebCam (API-200)
1394 PYRO WebCam (API-203)
AME (www.ame-group.com)
Vcam(tm) IEEE 1394 PC Camera CF-2000
Aplux (www.aplux.com)
1394 PC Camera – C102T
1394 PC Camera – C104T
FirewireDirect (www.firewiredirect.com)
FirewireDirect DV WebCam
Imaging Source (www.theimagingsource.com)
DBK 21F04
DFK 21F04
DMK 21F04
iREZ (www.irez.com)
StealthFire(tm)
KritterDIGITAL(tm)
LG Electronics (www.lge.com)
LPC-PC20
MetaControls Technologies(www.metacontrols.com)
FireView-1
Orange Micro (www.orangemicro.com)
iBOT(tm) FireWire Video Camera
Pinetron (www.pinetron.co.kr)
Green Eye
Point Grey Research (www.ptgrey.com)
FireFly(tm) IEEE 1394 Digital Video Camera
Sun Microsystems (www.sun.com)
Sun 1394 Kit
Unibrain (www.unibrain.com)
Fire-i Digital Camera
Fire-i400 Industrial Camera
Videre Design (www.videredesign.com)
DCam IEEE 1394 Digital Color Video Camera
What about asking Creative to deliver a OS X driver for their webcam instead of Apple?
It’s a bit the same like in the old BeOS days. The OS Company is not responsibe for every single devicedriver.
Quattro has a point. Yes, the OSX IO Kit is well documented and there is no technical reason for Creative not to support OSX. However, it is Apple’s responsibility to build support for the Apple platform. Apple needs to go to Creative Labs and convince them that supporting OSX is key to Creative’s survival. But Apple’s marketing department just doesn’t do that.
Sure, there are 3rd party developers such as IOXperts and Mark Space that develop solutions for unsupported hardware. But the problem is there are morons like Quattro that do their shopping at Microcenter who make their purchases based on the stated hardware requirements. I have enough expertise to know that an Airport card is compatible with a Linksys 802.11b access point, but I wonder how many people purchase a more expensive Apple Airport Basestation because nobody claims that the two are compatible.
It comes down to money, and Apple makes money selling Apple products.
that open source driver works well, w/ my logitech quickcam from 5 years ago, easy to use too.