Jamie's Random Musings
Various thoughts and adventures, including but not limited to Video IM, Linux, Windows XP and Widows Vista, and various bits of hardware new and old.
Friday 27 June 2008, 10:27 AM
Dell Video Chat by SightSpeed - Excellent Technically and Commercially
I've had some time now to look into the "Dell Video Chat powered by SightSpeed" announced yesterday. I am very impressed with what they have done, both technically and commercially. I said earlier in the week, when I looked at the new SightSpeed build, that I had the feeling it was only the beginning of something much larger, and this is it.
First, commercially. This is such a good move by both SightSpeed and Dell. For SightSpeed, it will increase their user base dramatically, and very quickly. For Dell, it puts a first-rate video chat program on their computers, provided by and presumably supported by a company that is known for quality in both product and support. The first thing that I noticed after installing Dell Video Chat was that SightSpeed Support was included in the contact list. How refreshing that must be for Dell! For both of them, the decision to include what is essentially the SightSpeed "Personal Plus" package on new Dell systems was very good. It includes up to 4-way video chat, which lets the users see one of SightSpeed's strongest points.
Technically, it is essentially the same as the SightSpeed 6534 build that I wrote about earlier this week, with a slightly different user interface. The biggest difference is that the window backgrounds are all black, rather than white, which I suppose gives it a more "elegant" look. Between using the new SightSpeed build all this week, and looking specifically at the new Dell Video Chat version, I have seen a few more things that I want to comment on in this release.
First, THIS is the direction that I think IM program development needs to go for the future, not in the bloated, overbearing, mindless direction that the new Skype 4.0 beta has gone. The new Dell and SightSpeed clients are still as compact, visually appealing and efficient as the previous versions were, only better. Place the mouse cursor on the line for a contact, and you see buttons for video call, audio call, text chat, or video messaging - but only the buttons which are applicable to that contact. It doesn't get much easier than that, anyone can recognize the icons on the buttons, and it doesn't stick a graphic the size of a silver dollar (or a pound coin) in your eye for each one of them.
There is a "Test Call" button in the Dell Video Chat client, which simply records a short audio and video message on your computer and plays it back for you - the simplest way in the world to confirm that both are working, and that volumes are set reasonably.
Once you have started a video call, the video is displayed in a window within the main SightSpeed/Dell window, with the rest of the main window around it. There are buttons to switch to a video-call-only window (remove the rest of the SightSpeed main window), and to full-screen video. If you go to a video-only window, you can then resize that as you like, by simply dragging the corner. This is a very nice touch, because you can make the window large enough to see clearly and comfortably, but still keep the rest of your desktop available for other things. Besides, while full-screen video sounds like a good idea, the simple fact is that most video chats are still not up to a quality that looks good full screen, mostly because of the cameras that are being used, or the speed of the internet connection. It doesn't take long to realize that you can size the video-only window so that you get an excellent picture, rather than looking at jaggy lines in full screen mode.
There are also buttons for camera/microphone/speaker mute, and sliders for microphone and speaker volume, and a button to start a text chat alongside the video chat. Very convenient.
Finally, shortly after installing the Dell Video Chat client, I received a welcome via video message. While the content of the message was pure fluff (to be honest, I can't even remember what it showed), but the fact that it was sent, and it illustrates to a new user what can be done with video messaging, is a good thing.
jw 27/6/2008
First, commercially. This is such a good move by both SightSpeed and Dell. For SightSpeed, it will increase their user base dramatically, and very quickly. For Dell, it puts a first-rate video chat program on their computers, provided by and presumably supported by a company that is known for quality in both product and support. The first thing that I noticed after installing Dell Video Chat was that SightSpeed Support was included in the contact list. How refreshing that must be for Dell! For both of them, the decision to include what is essentially the SightSpeed "Personal Plus" package on new Dell systems was very good. It includes up to 4-way video chat, which lets the users see one of SightSpeed's strongest points.
Technically, it is essentially the same as the SightSpeed 6534 build that I wrote about earlier this week, with a slightly different user interface. The biggest difference is that the window backgrounds are all black, rather than white, which I suppose gives it a more "elegant" look. Between using the new SightSpeed build all this week, and looking specifically at the new Dell Video Chat version, I have seen a few more things that I want to comment on in this release.
First, THIS is the direction that I think IM program development needs to go for the future, not in the bloated, overbearing, mindless direction that the new Skype 4.0 beta has gone. The new Dell and SightSpeed clients are still as compact, visually appealing and efficient as the previous versions were, only better. Place the mouse cursor on the line for a contact, and you see buttons for video call, audio call, text chat, or video messaging - but only the buttons which are applicable to that contact. It doesn't get much easier than that, anyone can recognize the icons on the buttons, and it doesn't stick a graphic the size of a silver dollar (or a pound coin) in your eye for each one of them.
There is a "Test Call" button in the Dell Video Chat client, which simply records a short audio and video message on your computer and plays it back for you - the simplest way in the world to confirm that both are working, and that volumes are set reasonably.
Once you have started a video call, the video is displayed in a window within the main SightSpeed/Dell window, with the rest of the main window around it. There are buttons to switch to a video-call-only window (remove the rest of the SightSpeed main window), and to full-screen video. If you go to a video-only window, you can then resize that as you like, by simply dragging the corner. This is a very nice touch, because you can make the window large enough to see clearly and comfortably, but still keep the rest of your desktop available for other things. Besides, while full-screen video sounds like a good idea, the simple fact is that most video chats are still not up to a quality that looks good full screen, mostly because of the cameras that are being used, or the speed of the internet connection. It doesn't take long to realize that you can size the video-only window so that you get an excellent picture, rather than looking at jaggy lines in full screen mode.
There are also buttons for camera/microphone/speaker mute, and sliders for microphone and speaker volume, and a button to start a text chat alongside the video chat. Very convenient.
Finally, shortly after installing the Dell Video Chat client, I received a welcome via video message. While the content of the message was pure fluff (to be honest, I can't even remember what it showed), but the fact that it was sent, and it illustrates to a new user what can be done with video messaging, is a good thing.
jw 27/6/2008
Thursday 26 June 2008, 1:27 PM
Dell Video Chat - A Coup for SightSpeed
Dell made several announcements today. The one which caught my eye was "Dell Video Chat powered by SightSpeed". The newly announced Studio line of laptop and desktop computers will have Dell Video Chat preloaded - which will apparently be a custom version of SightSpeed.
There's not a lot of information out on this yet, so I'm not sure about all the details. But this certainly looks like a good way to increase the SightSpeed installed base, and one of the few good ways to combat the average users tendency to install Skype without considering any of the alternatives.
jw 26/6/2008
Update: Here is a link to the SightSpeed web page for Dell Video Chat.
There's not a lot of information out on this yet, so I'm not sure about all the details. But this certainly looks like a good way to increase the SightSpeed installed base, and one of the few good ways to combat the average users tendency to install Skype without considering any of the alternatives.
jw 26/6/2008
Update: Here is a link to the SightSpeed web page for Dell Video Chat.
Wednesday 25 June 2008, 2:15 PM
First Significant Disappointments with Linux
I've run into the first significant problems with Linux on my laptops. I had pretty much decided to go with a dual-boot XP/Ubuntu setup on my main laptop (S6510), the same as what I am currently using on the test laptop (S2110). But I had not yet tried the S6510 with its port replicator bar, which has a lot of the peripherals that I use in the office permanently connected to it. So I tried it... and uh-oh...
First, the Logitech AudioHub speakers sort of work, in that they emit the correct sounds, but they also have a loud buzz accompanying any sound. A very irritating sound... not good.
Second, the support for dual monitors is rudimentary, at best. From what I can tell, Ubuntu supports a second monitor only as a clone of the first, which I suppose would be fine for a beamer or some such, but is of no interest to me. Anyway, not only does it show the same thing on both monitors, but they both have to be the same resolution. In my case, the laptop display does 1280x800, while the external monitor looks awful at that resolution, so I use it at 1280x1024.
In searching the web, and testing other Linux versions, I have found that other drivers for the Intel 965 chipset include a dual-head mode, which may then allow the two displays to be different resolution, but even then they either display the second as a clone of the first, or they merge the two into one huge meta-display that spans both. Neither is what I want.
I suppose I have gotten spoiled by the way Windows handles this situation. I can set different resolution for the laptop display and external monitor, and the correct display and resolution are automatically selected based on whether the laptop lid is open or closed. Hmmm. In theory, the "clone" display mode I mentioned above is what I want, but what is missing is the ability to automatically select the display and change the resolution.
This is not the end of the world, or even the end of my Linux experiments. The S6510 has a large enough display that I can simply do away with the external monitor, and recover some space on my desk as a bonus. The AudioHub speakers are nice, but they are certainly not critical, and I already know that the Logitech V20 speakers work just fine with Ubuntu. But I hope that I don't run into many more of these sorts of limitations.
jw 25/6/2008
First, the Logitech AudioHub speakers sort of work, in that they emit the correct sounds, but they also have a loud buzz accompanying any sound. A very irritating sound... not good.
Second, the support for dual monitors is rudimentary, at best. From what I can tell, Ubuntu supports a second monitor only as a clone of the first, which I suppose would be fine for a beamer or some such, but is of no interest to me. Anyway, not only does it show the same thing on both monitors, but they both have to be the same resolution. In my case, the laptop display does 1280x800, while the external monitor looks awful at that resolution, so I use it at 1280x1024.
In searching the web, and testing other Linux versions, I have found that other drivers for the Intel 965 chipset include a dual-head mode, which may then allow the two displays to be different resolution, but even then they either display the second as a clone of the first, or they merge the two into one huge meta-display that spans both. Neither is what I want.
I suppose I have gotten spoiled by the way Windows handles this situation. I can set different resolution for the laptop display and external monitor, and the correct display and resolution are automatically selected based on whether the laptop lid is open or closed. Hmmm. In theory, the "clone" display mode I mentioned above is what I want, but what is missing is the ability to automatically select the display and change the resolution.
This is not the end of the world, or even the end of my Linux experiments. The S6510 has a large enough display that I can simply do away with the external monitor, and recover some space on my desk as a bonus. The AudioHub speakers are nice, but they are certainly not critical, and I already know that the Logitech V20 speakers work just fine with Ubuntu. But I hope that I don't run into many more of these sorts of limitations.
jw 25/6/2008
Wednesday 25 June 2008, 10:02 AM
Windows XP SP3 - I'll Join the Chorus
Here comes yet another SP3 lament. As an individual end user, I try to keep my laptops up to date via Windows Update, or Microsoft Update, as appropriate. As I have mentioned previously, both my S6510 (Intel Core 2 Duo) and S2110 (AMD Turion 64) laptops had updated to SP3, as just another step along the way in the continuous update procedure, just fine.
However, as I have now decided to permanently configure the S6510 as a dual-boot Ubuntu/XP system, and the current XP installation has started to show the typical signs of flakiness that inevitably arise after Windows has had sufficient time to start corrupting itself, I decided to create a new system disk, with a fresh installation of XP and Ubuntu. It should be easy, as I have a Recovery DVD from Fujitsu, which will restore the C partition to XP SP2. I should just need to install a few updates on top of that to get to SP3 and be back up and running...
Unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way (everyone here who is surprised raise your hands... ok, I thought so).
After restoring the Fujitsu recovery DVD, I let Windows Update pick up whatever it wanted. On the second cycle of that, it said that it wanted to install SP3. Fine, go ahead. After that finished, the next run through Windows Update said there were two optional software updates and one optional hardware update to install:
- Root Certificates Update
- Windows Media Player 11
- Agere AC'97 modem
I told it to go ahead and install those. It downloaded them, the installation thrashed for a while, and then it said "The following updates were not installed", and listed all three. All subsequent attempts to install them produce the same result. It now skips the download - at least it realizes that they are already available on the system - but never installs them, and they are always listed the next time I run Windows Update. Sigh.
I remember these updates from before SP3 came out, and I am sure they were successfully installed then. Apparently, something happened when it jumped to SP3 this time which is preventing those updates from installing. During one run through this, I told Windows Update that I did not want to jump to SP3, and then it offered me a long list of mandatory updates that would be installed. Perhaps one of those is what is necessary to get these three updates to install.
jw 25/6/2008
However, as I have now decided to permanently configure the S6510 as a dual-boot Ubuntu/XP system, and the current XP installation has started to show the typical signs of flakiness that inevitably arise after Windows has had sufficient time to start corrupting itself, I decided to create a new system disk, with a fresh installation of XP and Ubuntu. It should be easy, as I have a Recovery DVD from Fujitsu, which will restore the C partition to XP SP2. I should just need to install a few updates on top of that to get to SP3 and be back up and running...
Unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way (everyone here who is surprised raise your hands... ok, I thought so).
After restoring the Fujitsu recovery DVD, I let Windows Update pick up whatever it wanted. On the second cycle of that, it said that it wanted to install SP3. Fine, go ahead. After that finished, the next run through Windows Update said there were two optional software updates and one optional hardware update to install:
- Root Certificates Update
- Windows Media Player 11
- Agere AC'97 modem
I told it to go ahead and install those. It downloaded them, the installation thrashed for a while, and then it said "The following updates were not installed", and listed all three. All subsequent attempts to install them produce the same result. It now skips the download - at least it realizes that they are already available on the system - but never installs them, and they are always listed the next time I run Windows Update. Sigh.
I remember these updates from before SP3 came out, and I am sure they were successfully installed then. Apparently, something happened when it jumped to SP3 this time which is preventing those updates from installing. During one run through this, I told Windows Update that I did not want to jump to SP3, and then it offered me a long list of mandatory updates that would be installed. Perhaps one of those is what is necessary to get these three updates to install.
jw 25/6/2008
Tuesday 24 June 2008, 4:25 PM
Skype NON-Support
Lest the real problems with the current version of Skype get lost in all the revulsion over the Skype 4.0 beta, here is a thread from the Skype Community which very nicely summarizes the current dismal state of Skype's so-called "Customer Support". The synopsis:
- Customer Support never answers technical queries
- Customer Support seldom answers commercial queries, and then only after days or weeks have passed since they took the customer's money.
- The redesigned Skype "Community" has succeeded in making that so diffiult to use and follow that it has become nearly useless for getting assistance.
Considering this, it is no surprise that desperate Skype users keep showing up in the Skype Cheerleading Squad (aka The Skype Journal begging for help.
jw 24/6/2008
- Customer Support never answers technical queries
- Customer Support seldom answers commercial queries, and then only after days or weeks have passed since they took the customer's money.
- The redesigned Skype "Community" has succeeded in making that so diffiult to use and follow that it has become nearly useless for getting assistance.
Considering this, it is no surprise that desperate Skype users keep showing up in the Skype Cheerleading Squad (aka The Skype Journal begging for help.
jw 24/6/2008
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