LAST week, we touched on one of, if not the world’s, most popular Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) software: Skype. To continue, I now introduce you to Apple’s FaceTime, a technology similar to Skype used by most Apple lovers, including me.

FaceTime was announced by then Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, during his presentation on June 7, 2010 at the 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference, in combination with the iPhone 4. Support for the fourth-generation iPod Touch, the first iPod Touch to be equipped with cameras, was announced in conjunction with this device’s release on September 8, 2010.
The ‘FaceTime’ name was purchased by Apple from FaceTime Communications, which has since changed its name to Actiance.
On February 24, 2011, FaceTime left beta (A development status given to a programme or application that contains most of the major features), and was listed in the Mac App Store. Apple claims that it intended to provide the application free of charge, but was prohibited. However, the free beta is still available for download from the Apple servers. It is, however, included free in Mac OS X Lion.
On March 2, 2011, FaceTime support was announced for the newly introduced iPad 2, which has forward and rear-facing cameras.

Why would people use FaceTime over Skype?
It [FaceTime] integrates with your contact list and phone application, and when the connection is decent, provides much better audio and video than Skype, with very rare drop-outs or disconnects — FaceTime is point-to-point video-calling. FaceTime also does not require the FaceTime client to be running to receive a call, a feature that helps save batteries. Now, if you are a party to the crusade  for a better and greener Earth, then this feature would best suit you.

Skype, on the other hand, supports more platforms, especially mobile ones. It provides IM, a contact list in the cloud, and Skype-to-phone and long-distance calling features. However, to receive incoming calls, the Skype client needs to be running and connected, costing you battery power and some data usage. Skype also uses a peer-to-peer routing model, which sometimes results in spurious, bogus disconnects and degraded audio and video (when peers resign suddenly).

Apple’s iMessage (check their site on iOS 5) will add the IM features of Skype (without the need for persistent connections).

I would avoid running any video-chat over 3G, unless you have unlimited usage, however, as it’s a huge bandwidth hog. No need to worry about that, anyhow, as we don’t have much access to 3G network in Guyana.

Consider being able to buy your Mom or Dad, or someone who doesn’t want a data plan or an iPod Touch, and having a simple, elegant solution to video chatting, with no set-up; no “Why is my microphone not working?” or “I can’t see you!”; blending easy software with simple hardware. This will probably be the biggest catalyst for FaceTime becoming a viable form of communication.
I believe if more people had FaceTime, they’d be inclined to try it more often, instead of wasting their  time, trying to FaceTime with friends and asking, “Do you have an iPhone 4?” or “Are you on Wi-Fi?”
Apple is also uniquely placed, because it can integrate FaceTime functionality into many more of their products. If you could hook up a webcam to the device, then do some sort of fantastic video-chat integrated with television shows, there could be some really interesting possibilities. A developer could create a video-chat-based discussion during a show, or a video-based game. Admittedly, it does sound fantastic, given FaceTime’s current state, but it would be wrong to assume these types of interactions can’t be commonplace in a few years.

This isn’t to say that video chats are going to completely supplant voice conversations; there are definitely times I don’t want to be seen by the person on the other end, but there are also times I wish I could easily video-chat with a friend anywhere I am. I want to show them a cool new couch I bought, or an awesome street performance, I want to be able to see their reaction, live; and I want them to be able to see me. This, also, isn’t to say that FaceTime will be the be-all-end-all version of video chatting, but it seems to be taking the lead, compared to its competitors, notably Fring and Skype.

Video chatting is something that people have been waiting for years to be easy and simple. Apple has done it before with iChat’s video-chat capabilities; iChat’s easy, high quality, and stable. Millions of people use it, and, at least anecdotally, many of my friends bought Macs instead of PCs to simply have the ability to chat with friends, using iChat. Skype has added similar functionality, and is now growing in popularity. FaceTime could likely go the same way as iChat, and be supplanted by Skype; but either way, it seems to be making important steps in the right direction.
Apple has the opportunity to incorporate FaceTime into all of their upcoming product lines, and spur the innovation that seems long overdue to finally make video chatting an ubiquitous form of communication.
Whatever your choice — FaceTime, Fringe or Skype — it’s all @ your fingertips!