I need free video chat software that works better than AIM

[NewHampshireDem]

My mom just upgraded to DSL so she and I both got webcams so she can see the grandkids from 1,200 miles away. We got AIM working with video, but the window is teenie-tiny. Anyone have any suggestions for free video chat software that my mom would be able to install herself?

Thanks! :)

[samdogmom]

1. My daughter uses MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger

with her video cam. They're free, but how good....? I'm sorry, I don't know. She doesn't complain--but we've never had AOL so we can't truly compare. I've watched some of her video transmissions--they're a little slow (by this I mean you can tell it's not truly happening in real time) but overall the clarity is good. No complaints from us. If you have a Windows machine, Windows messenger is built into the operating system. I can try to figure out how to access it if you need this info. You can Google MSN--it's pretty easy to find a download site for this program. I think this is a great way for grandparents and grandchildren to stay in touch. Good luck!

[NewHampshireDem]

2. TY ... We'll give that a try next

It could just be that my monitor is 1280x1024 as well ... everything is smaller unless fiddled with, and there seems to be no way to fiddle with the video box size.

Any, interestingly enough, I see you're from Wisconsin ... my mom just moved to Waukesha. She had been in Denver for a couple of months but her job fell through. :( We're planning to visit her in February ... is it going to be as cold as I think it is? :scared:

[samdogmom]

4. It gets cold here in the winter. But, I lived in NC for awhile--

I much prefer the cold to the heat of the summer in the south. There's always one season where you can't spend a lot of time outside--I prefer to be indoors in the winter rather than inside in the summer. (Getting into a parked car in NC in July is torture!) If you live in New Hampshire you already own the proper winter gear--coat, hat, gloves, etc. My car has heated seats--even the back seats are heated--a necessity for those truly cold days! Once your body adjusts, you don't really notice the cold. Anything below freezing is cold!

[Tripper11]

3. I use Messenger with my Mom and Dad....

It used to be great. Like being there. Then the MS started building and adding crap onto it until it got really bad. I still use it, but it sure isn't as good as it used to be.
I would love to go back to my basic version, it worked great, did what I needed and that was all. Now it's really lousy.
The video, which use to be almost tv quality is now choppy and slightly delayed. Sometimes we connect sometimes we don't. I run a decent 1.6 Ghz system with 512 MB RAM, my folks have a 2.4Ghz with 512 RAM and both of us are on high speed, yet we get a "Network appears to be slow" message and it gets really bad.
I am wondering if they might get it right now that Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger have joined together. Time will tell.
Just my 2 cents.

[brainshrub]

5. Yahoo Messenger is great.

[Tripper11]

6. brianshrub...could you please tell me...

what you like about Yahoo Messenger based on my reply above?
I'm seriouly thinking about changing, but with the consolidation of the 2, it makes me wonder if it's even worth it.

[brainshrub]

7. I just like Yahoo Messenger.

While I keep it on all the time, I don't use it as much as I used to.

Maybe old habits die hard?