Since it was introduced to the iPhone and iPod Touch, FaceTime has been a hit software with a lot of support and a huge user base. However, for a while, it was completely limited to the new generation Apple mobile devices, and as such, forced a lot of people interested in using FaceTime to look elsewhere for their VoIP services. In October, 2010, Steve Jobs announced the inclusion of the software on Mac computers, a much requested feature for those with older generation mobile devices; as such many of the users who were left out of the FaceTime circle the first time around are now able to jump right in and start video-calling.
One of the great features of the FaceTime app is its ability to support multiple email addresses. A lot of people nowadays have different email addresses for different purposes. For instance, John Doe might have “jonnyboy@emailprovider.com” for personal reasons but “dr_john_doe@emailprovider.com” for professional reasons. For people used to one address, they won’t find him on the other. Simply go to the Preferences dialogue in FaceTime and add a new email address, so people from all walks of one’s life can find and message them.
Another nice feature of the FaceTime for Mac is that it always works in the background, regardless of whether or not the app is actually open. Once a message is received, FaceTime automatically alerts the user with a caller ID dialogue. Of course, this can be turned off if avoiding calls is one’s prerogative; simply go to the Preferences dialogue and select “Off.”
Sometimes, videos just aren’t displayed properly and other times, you want to see a different angle. Maybe, for some reason, the video-call is showing the other person as being sideways or you just want to see them better from a portrait view. FaceTime allows users to adjust whether or not the video is supposed to be a portrait (vertical orientation) or a landscape (horizontal orientation).
One additional benefit of the Mac FaceTime is its ability to support high-quality full-screen video streaming. Sometimes, you just want it to be you and that other person, and that’s not a problem with the new full-screen ability.
Of course, like all new software, it has its quirks. The app populates the list of contacts directly from your Mac Address Book, so you should make sure it’s updated as you’ll need to provide a registered email address for someone using FaceTime. Also, FaceTime and iChat are still separated. While iChat requires an AIM, Jabber, .mac or, .me account, FaceTime only requires an Apple account and has the ability to chat with anyone using FaceTime as well. Of course, it would be nice to see the two merged, allowing for FaceTime chat through iChat, but in time, Apple might very well do just that.
These issues are minor, and with other fairly standard features such as the ability to mute the call, change the speaker and microphone settings, or change your own caller ID information, FaceTime is an innovative tool that allows for loads of fun and interaction from the comfort of your home or office.