PRESS RELEASE
June 23, 2003
Apple Introduces iChat AV and iSight
Video Conferencing for “The Rest of Us”
MARKHAM, Ontario—June 23, 2003—Apple® today introduced a major breakthroughin video conferencing—the iChat™ AV software application and the iSight™digital video camera. Together they enable high-quality video conferencesbetween two Mac® users over any broadband connection, revolutionizing theway people communicate with business associates, colleagues in education,friends and family. iChat AV also features audio conferences even overdial-up connections to the Internet. iChat AV requires no set up orconfiguration beyond installing the software and plugging in any FireWire®video camera and microphone. Buddies with audio or video conferencingcapability automatically show up in your buddy list, and initiating a videoor audio conference is as simple as pushing one button. iChat AV is a keyfeature of the upcoming release of Mac® OS X version 10.3 “Panther,” and isavailable as a public beta today for Mac OS X version 10.2 “Jaguar.”
While iChat AV works with any FireWire video camera, Apple’s iSight digitalvideo camera was designed for video conferencing, delivering sharp imagesand clear sound through its built-in, dual-element noise-suppressingmicrophone. Smaller and lighter than most cell phones, iSight has a uniquecenter mount design which allows video conversations to be far more engagingand natural. iSight is available today and demonstrates Apple’s uniqueability to create a tightly integrated hardware and software solution.
“iChat AV is a major breakthrough in communications—users can now videoconference with their business associates, colleagues in education, friendsand family with just the push of a button,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.“iChat AV and iSight truly offer video conferencing for the rest of us, andsince they were designed with Apple’s legendary ease-of-use, anyone can setthem up in under five minutes.”
Building on the success of the iChat instant messaging application in Mac OSX, iChat AV extends instant communication to the next level with the world’sbest personal video conferencing application. With high-quality, fullscreen, full motion video over broadband, crystal clear audio over 56K modemand a familiar easy-to-use interface, iChat AV makes natural conversationsover the Internet immediate and effortless. Automatic display of video andaudio icons within the familiar iChat buddy list instantly identifiesbuddies with video or audio conferencing capabilities so conversations canbegin at the click of a button from the office, home or anywhere.
Featuring Apple’s legendary design and ease-of-use, iSight is a small, lightand incredibly portable aluminum alloy camera that features a customdesigned lens with auto-focus and a high-end CCD sensor to providehigh-resolution images and full-motion video at up to 30 frames per second.iSight includes an integrated microphone that suppresses ambient noise forcrystal-clear digital audio. With its on-board processor, iSightautomatically adjusts color, white balance, sharpness and contrast toprovide high-quality images with accurate color reproduction in any lighting conditions.
iSight is designed to be center-mounted on the top of any computer screenand uses its integrated tilt and rotate mechanism to easily position thecamera for natural, face-to-face video conferencing. iSight is smaller andlighter than most cell phones and extremely portable. With all audio, videoand power provided by a single FireWire cable, simply clipping the compactiSight camera to any PowerBook® G4 or iBook® for convenient on-the-go videoconferencing, makes it easy for travelers to keep in touch with family,friends and business associates while they are on the road.
Pricing & Availability
The time-limited iChat AV public beta is available immediately for freedownload at www.apple.com/ichat, and requires Mac OS X version 10.2.5“Jaguar.” Video conferencing requires a PowerPC 600 MHz G3 or greaterMacintosh® computer. The final version of iChat AV will be included as a keyfeature of the upcoming release of Mac OS X version 10.3 “Panther” and willalso be downloadable from Apple for $29.95 (US) as a standalone upgrade forusers of Mac OS X v10.2.5 “Jaguar” or later.
The time-limited iChat AV public beta is available immediately for freedownload at www.apple.com/ichat, and requires Mac OS X version 10.2.5“Jaguar.” Video conferencing requires a PowerPC 600 MHz G3 or greaterMacintosh® computer. The final version of iChat AV will be included as a keyfeature of the upcoming release of Mac OS X version 10.3 “Panther” and willalso be downloadable from Apple for $29.95 (US) as a standalone upgrade forusers of Mac OS X v10.2.5 “Jaguar” or later.
The iSight video camera is available today through the Apple Store®(www.apple.com/canadastore) and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggestedretail price of $219(CDN). iSight requires the iChat AV public beta and MacOS X v10.2.5 “Jaguar” or later.
Mac OS X v10.2 “Jaguar” requires a minimum of 128MB of memory and isdesigned to run on the following Apple products: eMac™, iMac®, iBook, PowerMacintosh® G3, Power Mac® G4 and any PowerBook introduced after May 1998.
Apple Canada Inc. is headquartered in Markham, Ontario and is a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Apple Computer, Inc. Apple products are available at more than450 Authorized Apple Canada Dealer locations across Canada.
- © 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.Apple, the Apple logo, Mac,Mac OS, Macintosh, iChat, iSight, FireWire, PowerBook, iBook, Apple Store,eMac, iMac, Power Macintosh and Power Mac are either registered trademarksor trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks oftheir respective owners.