SightSpeed to Announce Linux Version

I no sooner write about SightSpeed, and how things have been looking good for them, than I hear that there is going to be an announcement of a Linux version. Hooray! This is going to be very, very good news for a lot of people.

Apparently it will at least initially be announced under the Dell Video Chat powered by SightSpeed name. I suppose that this is because Dell was a major motivation in getting this done, so that they could offer it on their mini-notebooks with Linux the same way that they offer it on their regular Windows notebooks.

This says to me that Dell really puts a lot of faith in the Dell Video Chat product, if it is important enough to them that it figures into their new product releases like this. That's very good news, both for SightSpeed and for Dell customers. There has been a lot of discussion saying that a Linux version would never be worth the investment it took to produce it, that Linux users are only looking for free software and would never sign up for paid or subscription services, and such. I have never agreed with that, but there hasn't been much hard evidence to go on.

Another really important factor about this is how it might develop in the future. It sounds like a lot of the mini-notes will have built-in 3G wireless support (HSPA). I have been testing the alpha release of Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex), and one of the big changes in it is improved support for GPRS/UMTS/HSPA cards. It looks like they are trying to make it as easy as they have already done with WiFi networking. Assuming that succeeds, you can then have a really portable video calling system - no more running around looking for an adequate WiFi hotspot. Here in Switzerland HSPA coverage is already very good, and I can attest to the fact that I have made video calls over an HSPA connection, and they were good!

Here's a good example of how the availability of SightSpeed on the Dell notebooks with Linux might pay off for both of them. I have recently been thinking that I would get a mini-note for my partner (that's also why I have been asking questions about switching users from Windows to Linux), she has always said that she liked the idea of a notebook, but she didn't want to lug around a full sized (full weight) notebook just for email and web surfing. I had just about decided to get her an Asus, as I have seen a few good offers here for them. I'm glad that I haven't bought one yet, because I'll be looking very seriously at the Dell mini-notes now, and I probably wouldn't even have considered them before. Giving her SightSpeed on top of everything else really makes a difference.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on SightSpeed for Linux - on top of everything else, it will mean that I can finally wipe Skype from my Linux systems

What an excellent way to start a week!

jw 15/9/2008