6 ms·

The N900 has skype and google talk video calling already, and people don't call that epic. It also works on 3G, unlike the iphone.

weeksie 16y ago
The iphone ecosystem is much larger, at least within the circle of people whom I will have to apologise to for dialing them up and showing them various parts of my body.
cwilson 16y ago
You and many others are missing the point of why this is epic. When was the last time a device with so much market penetration and insane adoption rates allowed video chat in such a simple way? The reason it is epic is because this is the first time it'll actually work. Who cares about N900s? Does my grandma know what an N900 is?
- someone_here 16y ago
  Does your grandma have an iphone 4G hooked up to Wifi, and a friend that has an iphone 4G hooked up to wifi? My father has an N900, and he video calls europe every day. I didn't need to show him how to use it or anything.
  - cwilson 16y ago
    She doesn't, but I'm guessing she will as soon as she sees that nice commercial that shows grandparents talking to their grandkids. Hooked up to Wifi? Is that hard to do? Or are you making the point that it's wifi only for now. Jobs specifically stated that they are working with carriers to support it. That means it's coming. Baby steps. This is what Apple does. We don't always get the full package with iteration 1, but when it does come they do it right (see copy/paste, see multi-tasking). I don't know a single person who owns an N900, and I don't know a single person outside of a very small group of tech friends who knows what one is. I'd guess that 80% of the people in my friends/family/work circles have Apple devices, most of which are iPhones.
- davidw 16y ago
  My Nokia 6120 has video calls, and it's certainly not one of their really high end products. They're easy to set up, and work fairly well, but I have only ever really used it once or twice - it's honestly not that compelling a feature. Likely, Apple will do a better job of it, but "first time it'll actually work" is hyperbole. For a bit of hyperbole of my own, let's try "first time Americans, who have been the laggards in the mobile phone space until the advent of the iPhone, will take note of it".
  - cwilson 16y ago
    I agree with you -- that's a better way of putting it. Does it change anything? I'm American, a very large majority of the people I talk to on the phone use iPhones to do so. I suspect there are many others like me out there. That is why I am speculating this will "actually work".
- buro9 16y ago
  Now you're missing the point. When I was in Sweden last (some 5 years ago) I was blown away during a bus journey by watching a deaf person signing into a bog standard Nokia with her friend on the screen signing back. Now that's epic. 5 years ago. Commodity mass-market phone. Watching a deaf person video conference on public transport.
- axod 16y ago
  huh? I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or what. Hardly anyone has an iPhone in the real world. Most still have crappy Nokia thingys.
- blub 16y ago
  I believe the answer to your question is "three years ago", except it wasn't a single device, it was most phones. I've owned "dumb"phones that could do this five years ago as easy as regular calls.

weeksie 16y ago

The iphone ecosystem is much larger, at least within the circle of people whom I will have to apologise to for dialing them up and showing them various parts of my body.

cwilson 16y ago

You and many others are missing the point of why this is epic. When was the last time a device with so much market penetration and insane adoption rates allowed video chat in such a simple way? The reason it is epic is because this is the first time it'll actually work. Who cares about N900s? Does my grandma know what an N900 is?

someone_here 16y ago
Does your grandma have an iphone 4G hooked up to Wifi, and a friend that has an iphone 4G hooked up to wifi? My father has an N900, and he video calls europe every day. I didn't need to show him how to use it or anything.
- cwilson 16y ago
  She doesn't, but I'm guessing she will as soon as she sees that nice commercial that shows grandparents talking to their grandkids. Hooked up to Wifi? Is that hard to do? Or are you making the point that it's wifi only for now. Jobs specifically stated that they are working with carriers to support it. That means it's coming. Baby steps. This is what Apple does. We don't always get the full package with iteration 1, but when it does come they do it right (see copy/paste, see multi-tasking). I don't know a single person who owns an N900, and I don't know a single person outside of a very small group of tech friends who knows what one is. I'd guess that 80% of the people in my friends/family/work circles have Apple devices, most of which are iPhones.
davidw 16y ago
My Nokia 6120 has video calls, and it's certainly not one of their really high end products. They're easy to set up, and work fairly well, but I have only ever really used it once or twice - it's honestly not that compelling a feature. Likely, Apple will do a better job of it, but "first time it'll actually work" is hyperbole. For a bit of hyperbole of my own, let's try "first time Americans, who have been the laggards in the mobile phone space until the advent of the iPhone, will take note of it".
- cwilson 16y ago
  I agree with you -- that's a better way of putting it. Does it change anything? I'm American, a very large majority of the people I talk to on the phone use iPhones to do so. I suspect there are many others like me out there. That is why I am speculating this will "actually work".
buro9 16y ago
Now you're missing the point. When I was in Sweden last (some 5 years ago) I was blown away during a bus journey by watching a deaf person signing into a bog standard Nokia with her friend on the screen signing back. Now that's epic. 5 years ago. Commodity mass-market phone. Watching a deaf person video conference on public transport.
axod 16y ago
huh? I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or what. Hardly anyone has an iPhone in the real world. Most still have crappy Nokia thingys.
blub 16y ago
I believe the answer to your question is "three years ago", except it wasn't a single device, it was most phones. I've owned "dumb"phones that could do this five years ago as easy as regular calls.