[mdarscott]

My wife is in France and took her Playbook with her. She calls me several times a day to my Playbook here in Montreal (she's pretty much always in range of wi-fi there as I am here). It's marvelous. The chat is clear and stable. And FREE!.

I wouldn't buy everyone in the family a Playbook just for this but we both already had playbooks for our own reasons so this is a big bonus. Gives you a little hint of what would happen if everyone had a video chat like everyone has BBM.

BTW everyone in France is terribly fascinated with her Playbook.

[PatrickMJS]

I also love the PB videochat. In my case, I decided to buy 6 more PB's for people in the family and now we can all see and talk with each other whenever we want to... as you point out for free regardless of where someone is as long as they are in wifi range.

Wonder how long before the "trolls" come in with a hundred criticisms of your post? FYI: not one of these PB's have had wifi issues or videochat issues. They all just work. You would never get that impression reading the posts here.

[Dim-Ize]

Awesome! Yes, it works great PB to PB.

Who needs Skype? Users who want to use the same service you did - but go PB to 3rd party device like an iPhone, iPad, PC, etc. There are some free 3rd party video chat services like AV by AOL, but Skype would certainly be a welcomed addition to the compatability of our platform.

[mcmolineux]

It's not the quality of the program that's the problem, it's the (lack of) popularity.

Great video conference software isn't very useful if there is nobody on the other end to talk to. Nobody else I know has a Playbook.

Skype is the "industry standard" for VOIP and video conferencing. Without it, Playbook is cut off from the rest of the world in this regard.

[dragons9sons]

First off like many others here I love my PB. Initially I didn't see what the the big deal was as about having Skype on the PB. Now I'm a bit sick, slowly on the mend and my family (and most of my friends) live on the other side of the country so using my playbook to video chat with my family and friends would be helpful to say the least. Sure I have Skype on just about all my other gadgets including my television but as my PB is always with me and everyone doesn't have a PB it would be a nice addition to an already awesome piece of hardware.

[alan510]

I agree having a cross-platform video chat would be great. Having said that, I find my Playbook video chat works extremely well and my network is growing as other family and friends are getting on board. Using chat to see family thousands of miles away has meant that my brother, brother in law, a cousin and at least two other friends have bought PBs recently. At the current price, it is the least expensive way to get a mobile video chat system and a big plus for BB. So tell your friends and family, grow the network and we'll all be happy with the result.

[SifJar]

The problem with PB Video Chat is the same as iOS's FaceTime - it's exclusive. Skype can be installed on virtually every PC, phone and tablet (except PB). Therefore it lets you connect to all those platforms. Pretty much anyone I know who ever does any video chat, does it on Skype. I do not know anyone else with a PB. That's why Skype is essential to a decent communication platform.

[MOTH477]

Like most people here, PB video chat is great if the people within your circle all have PB and use video chat. Unfortunately, most of our friends and family have access to Skype but not PB video chat.

[jesus marion joseph]

The ability to video chat between a PB and a BB phone would be pretty neat. My younger brother has a PB and we've used the video chat several times. Works very well. Cross platform would obviously be the bomb, though.

[Calico5]

the number of people i know with a playbook... zero
the number of people i know with skype... hundreds

this is why i need skype

[kb5zht]

the number of people i know with a playbook... zero
the number of people i know with skype... hundreds

this is why i need skype

....And that would increase the sales for playbooks....
....Which would draw more quality developers....


...We ALL should want skype on playbook even if we don't personally use it.

[PiotrJot]

I also love the PB videochat. In my case, I decided to buy 6 more PB's (...)

Hmmm... Interesting...

I thought it was a problem on skype side with the availability of skype for PB...
Now you got me into thinking, it may the the strategy of RIM: the longer no skype, the more PB's sold.

;-)))
Nahhh... just kidding

[louzer]

The Playbook's video chat app is a very good implementation and it works quite well. The few times I've used it (because I only know two other people with Playbooks who I'd ever care to video chat with), I've really enjoyed the experience.

The problem with the Playbook's video chat is the same problem with BBM. While BBM is, in my opinion, the best implementation of chat available anywhere, I barely use it anymore since most of my BBM contacts have migrated to iOS.

Facetime became a factor for many people I know moving to iOS and the people who used to be on BBM are using iMessage. If you have the greatest technology and no one is using it, then what is the point?

If there was an OS-independent video chat client, I think that people would lose at least one reason for migrating away. Unfortunately, I don't think that it's going to be Skype for many reasons. Skype is facing major problems being integrated into WP7 and who knows what the barriers in Playbook OS/BB10 are? Skype has already indicated that it's not going to allocate resources to Skype development (I know that Alec Saunders offered up BB developers to help them if they want). And finally, I've been reading more and more lately how carriers don't like the idea of devices on their network allowing users to Skype instead of using their regular calling network or carrier-specific voice over IP options.

[BB_Bmore]

Skype is a must have for bb10 to survive. RIM knows this so I am sure the rumors of it being integrated into video chat are probably true. Who needs Skype? Rim needs Skype #fact

[JPMorgan_]

I could not tell, unfortunately I don't know anyone with a PlayBook around here, so I've never tried PlayBook's video chat.

[alnamvet68]

My wife is in France and took her Playbook with her. She calls me several times a day to my Playbook here in Montreal (she's pretty much always in range of wi-fi there as I am here). It's marvelous. The chat is clear and stable. And FREE!.

I wouldn't buy everyone in the family a Playbook just for this but we both already had playbooks for our own reasons so this is a big bonus. Gives you a little hint of what would happen if everyone had a video chat like everyone has BBM.

BTW everyone in France is terribly fascinated with her Playbook.

My exact sentiments. 5 stars folks.

[kennyliu]

Skype:

• Number of registered users - about 800 million; 30-40 million concurrent users at any given time
• Skype out calls (calling landlines and cellphones) = much larger potential userbase
• Cross-platform = runs on all major platforms (Windows, Windows Phone, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, even BlackBerry (VZW).)

PB Chat:

• Number of potential users = about 1 million; number of concurrent users should be extremely small due to non-existent network effects
• No calls to phones
• Runs on PBOS only, not even on Blackberry phones

In other words, if an average person's probability of knowing another person with Skype is 1, his/her probability of knowing another PB owner is 0.00125

Hmm. Who needs Skype?

[rcm1301]

The problem with PB Video Chat is the same as iOS's FaceTime - it's exclusive. Skype can be installed on virtually every PC, phone and tablet (except PB). Therefore it lets you connect to all those platforms. Pretty much anyone I know who ever does any video chat, does it on Skype. I do not know anyone else with a PB. That's why Skype is essential to a decent communication platform.

Facetime?? What is that? The people I know with iPhone use Skype, not FT. So RIM, closed video chat is OUT and nobody wants it. Give us Skype!

I agree having a cross-platform video chat would be great. Having said that, I find my Playbook video chat works extremely well and my network is growing as other family and friends are getting on board. Using chat to see family thousands of miles away has meant that my brother, brother in law, a cousin and at least two other friends have bought PBs recently. At the current price, it is the least expensive way to get a mobile video chat system and a big plus for BB. So tell your friends and family, grow the network and we'll all be happy with the result.

If RIM can get Skype on PB (RIM, even if you have to, please PAY them), @ $199 for 16GB it can be a huge marketing campaign! Just think about it. For $199, you can call, chat and see ANYBODY as long as you have wifi - the communication of the future!

[jhimmel]

My wife is in France and took her Playbook with her. She calls me several times a day to my Playbook here in Montreal (she's pretty much always in range of wi-fi there as I am here). It's marvelous. The chat is clear and stable. And FREE!.

I wouldn't buy everyone in the family a Playbook just for this but we both already had playbooks for our own reasons so this is a big bonus. Gives you a little hint of what would happen if everyone had a video chat like everyone has BBM.

BTW everyone in France is terribly fascinated with her Playbook.

You had a great testimonial for the Playbook video chat feature. It's just a shame you ruined it with a silly thread title. Two Playbook users video chatting with each other has very little at all to do with Skype. The value of Skype, obviously, is its ability to bring together all kinds of users. My friend who I video chat with, almost daily, is in the philippines. She relies on cellular modem internet service for her laptop - meaning no wifi. A Playbook will do her no good. Skype would work, or better yet, ooVoo which works even better for us. Skype is on desktops, laptops, portable devices, mobile devices, you get the picture. Buying Playbooks for everyone you might want to vid chat with is not only impractical, in many cases it would not be an ideal solution, or in my case not even a workable solution. That's "who needs (wants) Skype".

[CairnsRock]

Skype on mobile devices has become the "norm". It's part of the basic package. So much so that iOS and DROID users take it for granted and don't even discuss it any more.

In fact what is remarkable is that there are any mobile devices that don't have it.

Which is why it is very difficult, mind boggling, impossible to understand RIM'S intransigence on the subject of Skype on their devices.

They don't even use the well worn "soon" anymore.

I am not a troll, I like my PB a lot. If I need Skype I use it on my laptop, like we all do. It's not a "need" for me, but it very definitely is a need for RIM.

My laptop is on it's last legs, right now it,s replacement will have to be an iPad or another laptop.

[posadajulian]

Are you serious? Who needs skype?

I would say RIM needs skype.

Im sure one of the most important reasons why almost no one has playbooks is beacause it doesnt support skype.

[kb5zht]

Are you serious? Who needs skype?

I would say RIM needs skype.

Im sure one of the most important reasons why almost no one has playbooks is beacause it doesnt support skype.

More than just skype, there are several major apps that a tablet needs to have a chance at succeeding. Playbook doesn't have any of them.

[SifJar]

Facetime?? What is that? The people I know with iPhone use Skype, not FT. So RIM, closed video chat is OUT and nobody wants it. Give us Skype!

That was exactly my point.

[_StephenBB81]

I Like RIM's Video Chat,

But I had an Interview this month, it was done via Skype
I have done product training seminars, done via Skype

When I am working Skype is better than video chat on the PlayBook, for play Video Chat on the playbook is better.
So I want BOTH!!

[bounce007]

I Like RIM's Video Chat,

But I had an Interview this month, it was done via Skype
I have done product training seminars, done via Skype

When I am working Skype is better than video chat on the PlayBook, for play Video Chat on the playbook is better.
So I want BOTH!!

In agreement... Who needs skype? I do! Many of us do, well not necessarily "need" but we want it. Only 1 of my friends has a PlayBook and every other one has a skype account. It sure would be nice to skype them from my PlayBook. Just waiting patiently to see if it will be released. If not, oh well, life goes on...