WSJ.com - Macintosh Users Can Now 'Video Chat' With PC Users On AOL: "Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) released a new version of its iChat software Thursday so Macintosh users can now do video chats with America Online subscribers who have Windows-based PCs.
The move is the latest example of Apple expanding beyond its enclosed world of Macintosh owners. Last month, Apple signed a deal allowing Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) to bundle its iTunes digital jukebox software with HP's Windows-based PCs.
Apple users already can do instant messaging with AOL users, but using only text. The new iChat AV 2.1 version adds video conferencing support for AOL's latest version of its instant-messaging program, AIM 5.5, also launched Thursday.
That means iChat users are no longer confined to face-to-face talks with only users of Macintosh's OS X Panther - a chief complaint - and can reach any of AOL's 60 million instant-messaging account holders who are equipped with Internet video cameras.
The lack of widespread 'interoperability' between different instant-messaging systems remains, however, since AOL still has not opened up its AIM network to rival systems by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO)."
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