[tavilach]

I'll be going away to college in September.

I'll be getting a PowerBook in September.

I'll have iChat AV is September.

My family will still be using Windows is September.

So...

Given that my family cannot use iChat AV, how would I be able to video conference with them? Are there any multi-platform video conferencing programs that work well?

Any suggestions?

[deekay1]

ivist

[tavilach]

Originally posted by deekay1:
ivist

Huh?

Let's see, what could you mean...

- iVist? That's a search engine...
- iVisit? Are you implying that I should visit? Across the country is a long visit, my friend.
- Visit? See above.
- I Visit? See above.

Hmm...

[deekay1]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Huh?

Let's see, what could you mean...

- iVist? That's a search engine...
- iVisit? Are you implying that I should visit? Across the country is a long visit, my friend.
- Visit? See above.
- I Visit? See above.

Hmm...

*g*

no, ivist, - the world renowned midgit pornstar...

[tavilach]

Ohhh.

Heh.

Is it good? How does it compare to iChat AV? If it's at all decent, then what made iChat AV such a great step up?

[deekay1]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Is it good?

it's okay.

Originally posted by tavilach:
How does it compare to iChat AV?

it is ugly, slow and works with both pcs and macs.

Originally posted by tavilach:
If it's at all decent, then what made iChat AV such a great step up?

it's an apple product. everybody knows that apple makes the best interweb and computer applications in the world. they're number one for a reason. just like america.

[tavilach]

I thought America Online was #1.

[deekay1]

Originally posted by tavilach:
I thought America Online was #1.

ooops, sorry, typo!

[mitchell_pgh]

I know you are pumped about going to college and being away from home, but just call them on the telephone and email them. You will be labeled a geek the first day if you video chat home a thousand times and have your mother checking out your room. One of the best parts of going to college is the fact that you don't have your parents "spying" on you.

You are free, enjoy it... write them letters and call them. Send them a digital photo of you at a party with REAL people, send them a photo of a road trip you take with your roommate, drop in on them some weekend with your new girlfriend that you found while hanging out at a friends place.

College is one of the few times in your life where you can work on your social skills without having to worry about the impacts on your life. It's a time to explore yourself (and I'm not talking about drugs and drinking alone... but rather the whole picture). My words of wisdom for college are:

1) Don't waste your time behind a computer screen.
2) Don't waste your time with hangovers.
3) Focus your attention on schoolwork and friendships (with your teachers as well as your roommate and the guy/girl next door)
4) REMEMBER IT.

At the "Old School" movie site, they have a poll which states What would you do differently if you went back to college?
40% said "Remember It"
20% said "Pull off that panty-raid"
20% said "take back that "let's experiment" line
20% said "make good use of web-cam technology"

I focus on "Remember It" because many people will sit in their dorm rooms, all alone, playing PS2, chatting with virtual friends and surfing the web. I'm not saying you can't do those things, but I think you would be better off trying to keep that to a minimum. If you want to play PS2, play with someone, chat... but do it with friends from college, surf, but only do it when nobody else is around...

[tavilach]

I appreciate your advice, Mitchell, but I was never planning on webcamming with my family the second I arrived at college.

I'm just thinking, if I don't see them for months on end, I might occasionally want to see them virtually. Of course it doesn't have to be when others are around, I'm just saying...

I may end up in Boston, while I'm currently in LA, so I mean...it's pretty far...you know?

And for the record, I don't do video games, after a bad experience of addiction with one--I've totally quit that realm of computing, so I really don't see that as a risk.

College, you're right, is a time to build friendships and to become an individual, but I don't see how the occasional iSight conversation would hurt.

P.S. I am a geek, and I'm quite proud of it...so the sooner people label me a geek, the better...I'll feel quite accomplished if I manage to pull that off on the first day. Of course, there are multiple definitions of the word "geek," and I see at as being very different than "loser," so...yeah...

[DeathToWindows]

Which one in boston?

I've been accepted to Boston University...

[tavilach]

Well, I'm hoping to get into MIT (not technically in Boston, but whatever), and this long wait until the April letter is killing me.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by tavilach:
Well, I'm hoping to get into MIT (not technically in Boston, but whatever), and this long wait until the April letter is killing me.

Well, if you are going to MIT, it's going to take a ton to be labeled a geek.

If it's very long distance, I can see why you might do the video chat. Most people stay within a 6 hour drive of their home. Sorry about the assumption.

[tavilach]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Well, if you are going to MIT, it's going to take a ton to be labeled a geek.

If it's very long distance, I can see why you might do the video chat. Most people stay within a 6 hour drive of their home. Sorry about the assumption.

No problemo.

And yeah, that's why I was saying...the sooner I get the geek reputation, the better .

Of course, I might just end up at UCLA, and in that case, I promise I won't do video chatting .

[DeathToWindows]

I've interned at the media lab... land of the �bergeeks.

Yeah, short of being a true android, you'll just be normal there.