iChat AV 2.1, iPhoto 4.0.1 Released 74
Milanek writes "Apple has released final version of iChat AV 2.1. It's available on Apple's iChat site or via Software Update. It adds support for video conferencing with the new AOL Instant Messenger 5.5 for Microsoft Windows." Also available this week is an update to iPhoto, to version 4.0.1. Apple says it has performance, stability, and organization enhancements, including faster importing, smoother image viewing, easier Rendezvous sharing, and improved thumbnails.
Ahem (Score:5, Funny)
Not to be a spelling nazi, but that should be eHancements.
Re:Ahem (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ahem (Score:2)
Improve the Finder's Previews too? (Score:1)
Re:Improve the Finder's Previews too? (Score:2)
I'll likely get flamed to holy hell for saying so, but I always liked the "Filmstrip" view of picture folders und
And I'd like it to share with Windows! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:And I'd like it to share with Windows! (Score:1)
Kinda like the whole MP3/Ogg Vorbis thing.
Re:And I'd like it to share with Windows! (Score:2)
First off: Nobody's 'ramming OGG' down anyone's throats.
and now to the beefier point:
If there was an official RFC posted and a standard written there wouldn't be anyone 'unsatisfied with the "openness" and "freeness"' with it because it would be a FREE AND OPEN STANDARD.
I'm sure KDE, GNOME, Apple, and maybe even MS would be more than happy with a simple standard for little stuff like this. Is it too hard to cache thumbs in a hidden '.t
Small but very nice updates (Score:3, Informative)
As for iChat, it seems like the beta version, but final. I can't wait to try the video tomorrow with a friend... She coulden't make it work the last time with aim 5.5 beta, so I gess I'll have to go to her house and do the aim config myself
Now, if only MSN Messenger for mac would be *close* to the PC version I would not have to try to convince 99% of my friends to change to AIM in order to get vid...
BTW, I must thank the people of the aMSN sf.net project, for giving me a reason to continue to use MSN... Keep it up!!! (and pleeeeeeeeeeease, gimme some more use for my iSight, if M$ doesn't!
Re:Small but very nice updates (Score:5, Funny)
As for iChat, it seems like the beta version, but final.
I don't even need to say anything about this sentence.
Re:Small but very nice updates (Score:1)
Same here, but it did give the option to do it later, and even while running it gave the option to stop and finish later.
Haven't had a chance to play with the update much, but I can't really tell any difference in the thumbnails. What is it that other people are seeing?
Re:Small but very nice updates (Score:2)
I think they're about the same speed as with 4.0, but they're of much better quality. The iPhoto 4.0 thumbnails didn't seem to bear a lot of resemblence to the original photo...
Re:Small but very nice updates (Score:2)
I had no problem video chatting between iChat 2.1 Beta and AIM a few nights ago. I suspect there's a firewall to blame. Could the built in XP firewall interfere?
Re:Small but very nice updates (Score:1)
Agreed. (Score:2)
If you're having problems getting a route to the Software Update server, it's (obviously!) a connectivity issue.
As for iChat requiring a restart, I was surprised by that. But then I noticed I had the menuling open still. Perhaps if you close everything, it might not require a restart? Not sure. I went ahead and restarted anyway, since it was just a Powerbook and it had been a while since I'd restarted anyway.
Re:Disagreed. (Score:1)
It's loading XML documents through HTTP. The whole process is documented: http://www.cunap.com/~hardingr/projects/osx/explo i t.html
I never heard of anyone having a problem like that, and SoftwareUpdate has been in use since when it was introduced with Mac OS 9 - back in fall 19
Re:Agreed. (Score:1)
The reason Apple recommends a restart is that the private "InstantMessaging" framework - the backend of iChat, which Mail.app and others use as well - gets updated, and it can obviously cause instabilities to do so while the apps continue to run. Just like your OS *might* crash if stuff close to the kernel gets replaced
Ummm... (Score:5, Funny)
These things are all good, but wouldn't it be much simpler to accomplish all these performance improvements by releasing THE NEW G5 POWERBOOK!! COME ON, APPLE! I'M DYING HERE!
Thank you.
My Visa is ready, since I'm pretty sure Steve Jobs reads Slashdot.
Re:Ummm... (Score:5, Funny)
Now consider the effects of 150 - 180 degree temperatures on the male genitalia.
Nothing says G5 quite like "boiled eggs"...
Re:Ummm... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Ummm... (Score:1)
Re:Ummm... (Score:2)
Re:Ummm... (Score:1)
PowerBook G5? Hell yeah! [mitsi.com]
Re:Ummm... (Score:4, Funny)
In fact, it's more than a feature, it's a life-support system for when I'm buried in an Avalanche.
Re:Ummm... (Score:3, Informative)
Nothing says G5 quite like "boiled eggs"...
Umm... I hate to tell you this, but the male genitalia does not contain eggs. They're the female reproductive cells.
Re:Ummm... (Score:2)
For those running OS X Server... (Score:5, Informative)
Applications Server Update 2.0 (95.6 MB)
The Application Servers Update provides JBoss version 3.2.3 GM, Tomcat version 4.1.29, and WebObjects Deployment 5.2.3. WebObjects Deployment 5.2.3 provides qualification for WebObjects applications running under Java 1.4.2 and improvements to stability and correctness.
For further information about this update, please see:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=10
RAID Admin 1.3 (5.2 MB) (actually available about a week ago?)
The RAID Admin 1.3 Update improves over all reliability of the RAID Admin software. This update is recommended for all Xserve RAID users.
Key enhancements include:
Solves issue where fibre channel link LED goes off even when link is up
Addresses condition where management coprocessor does not respond to RAID Admin
Prevents erroneous enclosure events that caused buzzer and email notification
Corrects situation where disks have a RED status LED after a RAID controller restart
Battery modules will now be detected by RAID Admin 1.3 on Xserve RAID systems with firmware 1.1-117
Addresses RAID Admin Java 1.4.2 compatibility issues
Re:For those who have wireless keyboard and mice (Score:2)
Improves Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse performance and reliability.
-S
reboot! (Score:2)
I was thinking the same thing. (n/m) (Score:1)
Re:reboot! (Score:1)
Re:reboot! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:reboot! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:reboot! (Score:2)
Right, because a reboot isn't an inconvenience or anything. Having to close all running apps, stop what you're doing, and then set everything back up the way you had it.
My linux box has been up for 211 days, and it's fully up-to-date.
Re:reboot! (Score:5, Insightful)
I realize you're being sarcastic - but you're right, it's not. Having to schedule some down time for a 24x7 server that's used by an office (or building) full of people is a pain. But a desktop workstation? Puhleeze. You're the only person on that machine - if you choose an inconvenient time, that's your own damn fault.
My linux box has been up for 211 days
So? What do you want, a medal or something?
Re:reboot! (Score:1)
Re:reboot! (Score:2)
If your kids have been playing in the family room and didn't put their toys away, do you complain to Hoover because the vacuum cleaner can't magically navigate around them? Of course not - you hold the kids responsible for not cleaning up their mess.
What makes you think the family computer is any different? Yes, fast login clears away the onscreen clutter - but everything is still there, eating up RAM, and potentially CPU. Leaving a bunch
Re:reboot! (Score:2)
Re:reboot! (Score:3, Informative)
Right. Fully up-to-date. I can think of at least one Linux kernel vulnerability that's been found in the last 211 days. Unless I missed something, Linux can't upgrade its kernel without a reboot.
system frameworks (Score:4, Informative)
Okay, can somebody please explain why an iChat update requires a reboot?
A lot of iChat is within the .app, but there's an entire framework for it (including code and graphics) within the system files. Ppresumably it gives it a bit of a speed boost, but iChat is also tied with a lot of Apple's other apps (while reading an email in Mail, for example, you can see if the person who sent it to you is online without actually looking at iChat).
Whatever. It's still not as good (or pretty!) as the nightly builds of Adium [sourceforge.net].
Re:reboot! (Score:1)
Re:reboot! (Score:2)
AIM video support is nice and all. . . (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:AIM video support is nice and all. . . (Score:5, Interesting)
Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:5, Insightful)
I like tabs. Tabs are such a great benefit when browsing the web. However, if I want to send instant messages to people, my only really option for tabbed IM conversations is Adium, which while it has benefits, doesn't have nearly all the features of a normal client, and suffers greatly because of it.
On top of this, I wish that iChat had Konfabulator-type features that would allow the buddy list to be docked on the main window. That's a pretty darn cool (though memory-intensive) feature that Adium has that would really add a lot of appeal to iChat for me. I don't wat to have to leave the window open all the time to find out who's online. It should just stay open in a way that is unobtrusive.
Apple strives on thinking different? Well, they should think less in the AOL mold of instant messaging, because there's some really cool stuff that some of the other indie IM clients have that I really want to see iChat implement.
I think AOL and Apple have seriously overestimated the market for video IM. Instant messaging should be free to use in the middle of the day, at night, when people are sleeping (because it makes a GREAT replacement for a phone) and any other time when a phone isn't very helpful to have around. Video offers few of those benefits to everyday life.
Small little details that make IMing easier, however, offer many.
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:2)
I think it would definitely be worth Apple's while to contribute to Adium (and libgaim, which Adium 2 uses as the backend), and rename it as iChat when bundled with the OS. There's honestly almost nothing that compares to Adium as far as interface goes, and I think Apple should really be taking an example from the developers.
Re:video (Score:2)
Fire and the official AIM client use HTML... much better.
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:2)
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:5, Informative)
both of these are actually supported by AOL, so by extension it works with all AIM clients - iChat included
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:2)
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:1)
(decent) ICQ support (as in using your icq account) would be much more useful - noone here (australia) uses AOL (tho they do use hideous MSN - only because of its default install on XP damn microsoft!)
what i like about icq is the fact you can leave msgs for people who aren't online - the essence of paging services! (i wont go i
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:1)
Re:Single window option (Score:1)
It would also be nice if iChat automatically put the icon of a cell phone next to the name of anyone who has a mobile phone number in the address book. Click on the button and shoot them an SMS.
Re:Needs more functionality, Apple. (Score:2)
Just enable the 'Show status in menu bar' checkbox, in the prefs. One-click access to who's online. I never leave the window open. This is better than Adium's method IMHO.
Wireless Mouse and keyboard updates too... (Score:2, Informative)
application locations inconsistency (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:application locations inconsistency (Score:2)
Re:application locations inconsistency (Score:2)
Re:application locations inconsistency (Score:1)
Only iLife's iPhoto is updated (Score:1)
Don't know if anyone else got caught by this, but note that only iPhoto 4.0 - which can only be obtained in Apple's iLife bundle - is subject to the update
The latest version of iPhoto that comes free with MacOS X (even 10.3 a.k.a. Panther) is version 2.0. The update installer refuses to install the update if you have this version, and forcing the update using something like Pacifist [charlessoft.com] makes iPhoto unworkable.