Practically every science fiction movie I’ve seen has a scene in it where one character talks to another on a “videophone”. It’s one of those things we’ve always envisioned people would do “in the future”. Well, the future is now.

On Monday Apple introduced iChat AV, an update to their AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - compatible chat application. If you’ve never “IM-ed” before, it’s the ability to text chat with people in your “Buddy List” over the internet. Unlike a “chat room” that anyone can enter, you have complete control over whom you chat with. You can also send images or other files directly to a Buddy, just like attachments to an email.

The obvious evolution of internet chat is to audio and video. “Netphone” audio capability has been around for some time, but complexity and poor sound quality keep it out of the mainstream.

Consumer “webcams”, are relatively inexpensive, but most use a USB computer connection. This slow format results in three picture sizes: small, tiny and microscopic. The video quality is poor, and choppier than an MTV music video. Webcams connected through FireWire or USB2 offer better picture quality and smoother video, due to the increased bandwidth.

iChat AV adds audio and video capabilities to its already great text features. Apple claims that you can use the audio feature between any two Macs on dial-up connections. Video requires at least a G4 Mac, a broadband (DSL or cable modem) connection, and a FireWire connected digital video camera. Unlike other solutions, iChat presents a 640 x 480 pixel picture that’s as crisp and fluid as TV, and can expand to larger (even full screen) sizes with little resolution loss. I tried it the other night, with a Buddy in upstate New York, and the picture quality and fluidity was awesome.

Apple also announced (and is shipping) the perfect companion for iChat AV – iSight - a FireWire video camera and microphone. Unlike other golf ball shaped webcams that sit on your desk and provide the viewer with a nice “desk-eye” view of you, iSight comes with clips so you can place the camera at eye level and look right at the person you’re talking to. iSight retails for $149.

iChat AV will come bundled in the upcoming Mac OS 10.3 “Panther” release, and a public beta is downloadable from www.apple.com.

Keep those emails coming to petez@macmaineiac.com, and, as always, Semper Mac! Take care.

© 2003 Peter F. Zimowski