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  • 2 Post By Epidavros
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  • 3 Post By Pauljoecoe
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How do you see your family online for longer periods?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    184

    How do you see your family online for longer periods?

    Hello. What is the best tablet/laptop/device and software for webvideo, say 2 hrs on weekdays and whole day on weekends? I will place it in the living room to see my family as I'm here at HK for a long time.

    Amazon echo show is good but I want a multipurpose device. If ip cam, I still need another display device.

    Which software, messenger, whatsapp, skype, zoom, ms teams?

    Thank you.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    香港特别行政区
    Posts
    2,841

    What's your budget, your current setup and what problems/annoyances are you trying to overcome?

    shri likes this.

  3. #3

    I have used all of the software you mention (including the Echo) and finally, I settled on an iPad with Facetime to speak to my parents in the UK. It is the only Apple device I own. For me, the signal is robust and the picture is clear. They bought a second-hand iPad and are equally delighted with the results. As I mentioned I have no real interest or need for other Apple devices, (Windows PC and Android phone) but am more than satisfied with the iPad.

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  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Beautiful Britain
    Posts
    2,089

    A whole day online?? I love my family but it's not often I spend a whole day with them in person let alone online.

    Personally I'd go for 20 minutes 'quality time' every now and again.

    shri, chuckster007 and mrgoodkat like this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    7,790

    I talk with my mum maybe 30 mins max and thats mostly her compaling about this and that LOL where as with my dad its like 5-10 mins max catch up. both parents I do maybe 1 call a week or sometimes two, no way can I handle 2 hours or even a whole day, I will need a lot of

    Just get a tablet and have strong wifi.

    muzzdang likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    island east
    Posts
    455

    Depends on how much interaction you want.

    iPad and facetime is okay for just parking it in the background and idle chatter or random conversations.
    Teams or Zoom if you want to do screen sharing. Supposedly facetime can do screen sharing - found it confusing and non-intuitive on iPad. If you are in the apple ecosystem, buying a MacBook to run teams/zoom and facetime is a bit of an overkill, but they can see your video and see what you're sharing on teams/zoom.

    Make sure to get them separate apple ids from the get-go. It's a PITA to swap later (if your kid has all his games linked to your apple-id).

    I like teams as it has a good hand-over feature, can swap from phone to laptop and keep in the conversation.

    ymmv.


  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Epidavros:
    I have used all of the software you mention (including the Echo) and finally, I settled on an iPad with Facetime to speak to my parents in the UK. It is the only Apple device I own. For me, the signal is robust and the picture is clear. They bought a second-hand iPad and are equally delighted with the results. As I mentioned I have no real interest or need for other Apple devices, (Windows PC and Android phone) but am more than satisfied with the iPad.
    Same here. iPad works great provided you've got a decent internet connection.