Membranophonist’s Ramblings

I say “not bloody likely,” but Business Week’s Alex Salkever thinks so.

Given that Apple no longer manufactures digital cameras (QuickTake, I remember ye well), I think iChat AV is a more likely candidate for porting to Windows because of the similarity between the iPod -> iTunes relationship and iSight -> iChat AV. The software is useful by itself, but it is all the better with a complementary (not free!) Apple hardware product to maximize its utility. There are ways to derive revenue from iPhoto, but the profits have to be divided between several partner companies, whereas Apple could sell both iChat AV and the iSight without having to dole out portions.

AOL may have a clause in their AIM protocol access contract with Apple saying that Apple cannot move into the Windows IM software market, but if not, I think it is the move they would make. Then again, Apple may be working with AOL to add iChat AV-compatible SIP video chatting to AIM - the QuickTime and Rendezvous components are already available and working, so it might be a matter of connecting AIM to those pieces.