[Samsquanch2]

well i just have to tell everybody part of the reason i purchased two(2) playbooks is so i could talk to my family while traveling for business.
to my pleasant suprise i was flying this week with american airlines and they had the on board wifi and YES at 30000 feet i could talk to my family with video using video chat!
all i can say is amazing. i am so glad i purchased a playbook instead of an ipad.
thought everyone would like to know!!

[Fmar]

I'm not trying to be clever... it just begs the question: did the airline ban travelers with Android or iOS devices? Surely they wouldn't have had a problem either?

In fact they could have chatted to just about anyone not having to buy two devices!

[Snoman002]

Yes, typically those services are banned while the plane is in the air. The popular services from Apple and Android are banned, however with the Playbook not being very popular they just didn't know to lock that feature out.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

Any tablet can video chat. In fact, you could have just bought one and tell the family to use the computer on the other end, thus saving you a couple of hundred bucks to spend on accessories for the PB! (unless you truly needed a second PB)

[juliankueh]

To the OP, awesome. To the replies above me.........bad apples.

[Fmar]

To the OP, awesome. To the replies above me.........bad apples.

Bad Apples? I fear not, sadly I own a PB! Just not a misguided fanboi!

[hpjrt]

I suspect that "bad apples" is fairly accurate. Besides weren't you moaning and groaning because you failed to safeguard your 90 minutes of input and decided to say goodbye to BB, PB and RIM? Wasn't that just yesterday?

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, and so am I and the OP. It was a great post OP!

[1959gazza]

Perhaps video chat in the sky will be the new mile high (club).

[Fmar]

Saying you used a PB to make a video call is ace!
Saying you made it at 30,000 feet... ace!

Saying you had to buy two PB devices to do this and then knock the Ipad?

Come on!

[vespajet]

I know that Skype (as well as other VoIP services) was blocked by Gogo at the request of the airlines (as was streaming access to Netflix and other video streaming sites, but that's for another discussion).

[hpjrt]

Saying you used a PB to make a video call is ace!
Saying you made it at 30,000 feet... ace!

Saying you had to buy two PB devices to do this and then knock the Ipad?

Come on!

Gee ... if you want to use FaceTime you'd better have purchased two Apple products because there's nothing cross platform about that app!

I don't get why what's good for Apple isn't good for anyone else?

Besides, the OP could purchase two PBs for the cost of 1 of the other brand!

[lightfingers99]

i encouraged my inlaws who are retired to buy the 16gb playbook and we bought the 64gb and now we chat regularly over video chat. we live in different cities, and they were initially intimidated by the pb but its so easy to use. i also use it for business meetings that i used to have in person. im really impressed with it and happy to hear you used at 30,000!!!
ps. typed on my pb

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

I know that Skype (as well as other VoIP services) was blocked by Gogo at the request of the airlines (as was streaming access to Netflix and other video streaming sites, but that's for another discussion).

I've been blocked on my tablet, although I thought Netflix worked for a while. I think there would be a mutiny if people made constant calls on airplanes, for whatever reason people tend to speak twice as loud when on a phone, not even the best noise cancelling / isolating earbuds can block that. But maybe blocking streaming video is a bandwidth thing...

[Fmar]

Gee ... if you want to use FaceTime you'd better have purchased two Apple products because there's nothing cross platform about that app!

I don't get why what's good for Apple isn't good for anyone else?

Besides, the OP could purchase two PBs for the cost of 1 of the other brand!

Oh I understand now... so everyone I wish to have a video call with needs me to buy them a PB. Why didn't I see that earlier!

As for Apple, you have a choice of video chat clients:
Skype
IM+ (that does video calling) through various providers.
MSN Messenger video calling.
Google Chat Video.
And a whole range of other offerings such as the first class 'Paltalk' client.

[Bla1ze]

*groan*

Yes other tablets do other things.