Despite the Mac’s video prowess, VideoLink pro 1.1 is the Mac’s first commercial videoconferencing package to support the H.323 standard, making it compatible with Windows programs such as Intel ProShare.
VideoLink pro is a snap to set up. And if you register with Smith Micro’s Gatekeeper server, you can connect using e-mail addresses, rather than IP addresses, which change with every session. (This feature won’t work if you use NAT connections such as DHCP and BootP.)
You’ll need a broadband connection, such as DSL, cable modem, or high-speed LAN, to get reasonable video quality. With a 56K modem, you can use the program’s audio and text chat features but not the video features. Even with broadband, the video is not exactly smooth (compared with equivalent Windows products)-we clocked VideoLink pro at about 10 frames per second over a 128-Kbps connection.
The Phone of the Future? On the left is the outgoing video, and on the right is the (somewhat choppy) incoming video over DSL.