Chuck Croll
April 16th 03, 10:26 PM
Please forgive the length of these musings. I tend to substitute
length of narrative for removal of expletives.
My current environment includes:
Computer 1: Pentium IV, Windows XP Pro SP0, Windows Messenger (WM)
V4.7 and Yahoo Messenger (YM).
Computer 2: Pentiun III, Windows 2K Pro SP3, MSN Messenger (WM) V5.0
and YM.
I have a girlfriend in Thailand, who has internet access only thru the
many internet cafes (Windows 98 and ME) there, some with webcams. We
have used both MM / WM and YM for several text based chats. I never
bothered to install a webcam until this week.
4/13: Got message from girlfriend, telling me that she was going to
use an internet cafe with webcams. She misses me as much as I miss
her.
4/14: Went to local computer store, purchased 2 Logitech Quickcam
Messenger webcams. Proceeded with installation and setup of webcams.
Computer 1: Connected webcam, installed software, restarted computer.
Finished in 15 minutes. Started YM, selected Tools - Start My Webcam,
and I was looking at myself, on Computer 1 webcam.
Computer 2: Connected webcam, installed software, restarted computer.
Finished in 15 minutes. Started YM, selected Tools - Start My Webcam,
and I was looking at myself, on Computer 2 webcam. Clicked on YM
Computer 1 userid, set permission for Computer2 userid from Computer
1, and I was looking at myself, on Computer 1 webcam, from Computer 2.
Computer 1: Clicked on my YM computer 2 userid, set permission for
Computer1 userid from computer 2, and I was looking at myself, on
Computer 2 webcam, from Computer 1.
Install and first test of webcams (successful), using Yahoo Messenger,
was 1 hour.
MM / WM doesn't clutter up its main window with a Start Webcam
instruction. First you start a conversation with somebody, then you
start a webcam conversation from the conversation window (after you
find the correct command).
From Computer 1, started WM conversation with MM Computer2 userid.
Hit "Start Camera":, got response "You cannot have a voice
conversation with Computer2 user. This person needs one or more of the
following: a computer sound card, version 4.0 or later of MSN
Messenger or Windows Messenger, permission from his or her network
administrator."
From Computer 2, started MSN Messenger conversation with WM Computer1
userid. Hit "(I want to) Start Webcam for MSN Messenger", and got
response "Computer1 user does not have Webcam for MSN Messenger
installed (or it is disabled) and is not able to accept your
invitation." No "Start Camera" command on Computer 2 MM conversation
window.
First test of webcams (not successful) using MSN / Windows Messenger
was 1/2 hour.
4/15: Girlfriend called me from Thailand on all 4 of my userids (WM
and YM on computer 1, MM and YM on computer 2). She started her
webcam from Yahoo Messenger, I started my two webcams, and we were in
video / text conversation.
Second test of webcams (successful), using YM, was 1 hour (very
enjoyable test that).
Wishing to conduct a video / voice conversation with her in the
future, I continued with my research after she signed off. In hopes
that I could get SOME video conversation functionality, I tried
installing MSN Messenger on Computer 1. Downloaded and installed MSN
Messenger V5.0 onto Computer 1, restarted Computer 1.
After installing MSN Messenger on Computer 1, I could "Start Camera"
from a conversation with Computer2 user. I would then get a response
regarding waiting for Computer2 user to accept my conversation. I
could see a webcam display in the Computer1 to Computer2 conversation
window, but it displayed as all black. I got the same result from "(I
want to) Start Webcam for MSN Messenger".
From Computer 2, I could accept the conversation with Computer1 user,
but no camera window showed anywhere. Upon hitting "(I want to) Start
Webcam for MSN Messenger", I would get similar advice regarding
waiting for Computer1 user to accept my conversation. From Computer
1, I could accept the conversation with Computer2 user, but still
could see no camera from Computer 2. And the single camera display
was still black.
I tried "Actions - Start Talking" from both computers. I would get
similar result that I was waiting for the other user to accept my
conversation; upon accepting conversation from the other computer, I
could hear no conversation either way. Oy yes, I did the "Tools" -
"Audio Tuning Wizard" a few times from both computers.
Second test of webcams (not successful) using Windows / Windows
Messenger was 1/2 hour.
Total successful tests: Yahoo Messenger 2, MSN / Windows Messenger, 0.
I kept MSN Messenger on Computer 1, in hopes that I could make MSN
Messenger work for voice conversations, sometime. Until I noted that
the Taskbar auto-hide feature on Computer 1 had stopped working. Once
a hidden taskbar popped up, it would simply not hide itself again.
Upon removal of MSN Messenger, taskbar auto-hide started working
again.
Taskbar autohide is a necessity with my screen situation (I need every
millimeter of screen space for program display), so MM stays off
Computer 1. Until Microsoft makes a MM / WM that supports webcams for
more than Windows XP.
Here's a hint, Microsoft: Everybody who wants to use webcams in a
conversation isn't going to get Windows XP. For many reasons. And
they won't be using MM / WM either.
Final score: Yahoo Messenger 2, MSN / Windows Messenger -1.
Chuck Croll
Spam sucks - Get rid of the spam to email me
length of narrative for removal of expletives.
My current environment includes:
Computer 1: Pentium IV, Windows XP Pro SP0, Windows Messenger (WM)
V4.7 and Yahoo Messenger (YM).
Computer 2: Pentiun III, Windows 2K Pro SP3, MSN Messenger (WM) V5.0
and YM.
I have a girlfriend in Thailand, who has internet access only thru the
many internet cafes (Windows 98 and ME) there, some with webcams. We
have used both MM / WM and YM for several text based chats. I never
bothered to install a webcam until this week.
4/13: Got message from girlfriend, telling me that she was going to
use an internet cafe with webcams. She misses me as much as I miss
her.
4/14: Went to local computer store, purchased 2 Logitech Quickcam
Messenger webcams. Proceeded with installation and setup of webcams.
Computer 1: Connected webcam, installed software, restarted computer.
Finished in 15 minutes. Started YM, selected Tools - Start My Webcam,
and I was looking at myself, on Computer 1 webcam.
Computer 2: Connected webcam, installed software, restarted computer.
Finished in 15 minutes. Started YM, selected Tools - Start My Webcam,
and I was looking at myself, on Computer 2 webcam. Clicked on YM
Computer 1 userid, set permission for Computer2 userid from Computer
1, and I was looking at myself, on Computer 1 webcam, from Computer 2.
Computer 1: Clicked on my YM computer 2 userid, set permission for
Computer1 userid from computer 2, and I was looking at myself, on
Computer 2 webcam, from Computer 1.
Install and first test of webcams (successful), using Yahoo Messenger,
was 1 hour.
MM / WM doesn't clutter up its main window with a Start Webcam
instruction. First you start a conversation with somebody, then you
start a webcam conversation from the conversation window (after you
find the correct command).
From Computer 1, started WM conversation with MM Computer2 userid.
Hit "Start Camera":, got response "You cannot have a voice
conversation with Computer2 user. This person needs one or more of the
following: a computer sound card, version 4.0 or later of MSN
Messenger or Windows Messenger, permission from his or her network
administrator."
From Computer 2, started MSN Messenger conversation with WM Computer1
userid. Hit "(I want to) Start Webcam for MSN Messenger", and got
response "Computer1 user does not have Webcam for MSN Messenger
installed (or it is disabled) and is not able to accept your
invitation." No "Start Camera" command on Computer 2 MM conversation
window.
First test of webcams (not successful) using MSN / Windows Messenger
was 1/2 hour.
4/15: Girlfriend called me from Thailand on all 4 of my userids (WM
and YM on computer 1, MM and YM on computer 2). She started her
webcam from Yahoo Messenger, I started my two webcams, and we were in
video / text conversation.
Second test of webcams (successful), using YM, was 1 hour (very
enjoyable test that).
Wishing to conduct a video / voice conversation with her in the
future, I continued with my research after she signed off. In hopes
that I could get SOME video conversation functionality, I tried
installing MSN Messenger on Computer 1. Downloaded and installed MSN
Messenger V5.0 onto Computer 1, restarted Computer 1.
After installing MSN Messenger on Computer 1, I could "Start Camera"
from a conversation with Computer2 user. I would then get a response
regarding waiting for Computer2 user to accept my conversation. I
could see a webcam display in the Computer1 to Computer2 conversation
window, but it displayed as all black. I got the same result from "(I
want to) Start Webcam for MSN Messenger".
From Computer 2, I could accept the conversation with Computer1 user,
but no camera window showed anywhere. Upon hitting "(I want to) Start
Webcam for MSN Messenger", I would get similar advice regarding
waiting for Computer1 user to accept my conversation. From Computer
1, I could accept the conversation with Computer2 user, but still
could see no camera from Computer 2. And the single camera display
was still black.
I tried "Actions - Start Talking" from both computers. I would get
similar result that I was waiting for the other user to accept my
conversation; upon accepting conversation from the other computer, I
could hear no conversation either way. Oy yes, I did the "Tools" -
"Audio Tuning Wizard" a few times from both computers.
Second test of webcams (not successful) using Windows / Windows
Messenger was 1/2 hour.
Total successful tests: Yahoo Messenger 2, MSN / Windows Messenger, 0.
I kept MSN Messenger on Computer 1, in hopes that I could make MSN
Messenger work for voice conversations, sometime. Until I noted that
the Taskbar auto-hide feature on Computer 1 had stopped working. Once
a hidden taskbar popped up, it would simply not hide itself again.
Upon removal of MSN Messenger, taskbar auto-hide started working
again.
Taskbar autohide is a necessity with my screen situation (I need every
millimeter of screen space for program display), so MM stays off
Computer 1. Until Microsoft makes a MM / WM that supports webcams for
more than Windows XP.
Here's a hint, Microsoft: Everybody who wants to use webcams in a
conversation isn't going to get Windows XP. For many reasons. And
they won't be using MM / WM either.
Final score: Yahoo Messenger 2, MSN / Windows Messenger -1.
Chuck Croll
Spam sucks - Get rid of the spam to email me