Windows Live Messenger alternative with webcam support, Japanese input?

[stonefury]

Windows Live Messenger pissed me off by removing the option to just show/view webcam without initiating a video call. The video call is also causing it to crash. So I'm looking for an alternative IM client, but most of the alternatives (Pidgin, Digsby, etc) seem to lack webcam support.

Can anyone recommend one that allows both
- webcam use (decoupled from audio call)
- Japanese input

?

[Slowboto]

Windows Live Messenger pissed me off by removing the option to just show/view webcam without initiating a video call. The video call is also causing it to crash. So I'm looking for an alternative IM client, but most of the alternatives (Pidgin, Digsby, etc) seem to lack webcam support.

Can anyone recommend one that allows both
- webcam use (decoupled from audio call)
- Japanese input

?

You using a G73? Sounds like there is a clash with the webcam and Creative software. People have had issues trying to use Skype unless they uninstall the Creative stuff. Only problem with that is last I heard, that results in you being unable to use the subwoofer.

[Maverick494]

http://www.igniterealtime.org/projects/spark/index.jsp

spark maybe?

[stonefury]

You using a G73? Sounds like there is a clash with the webcam and Creative software. People have had issues trying to use Skype unless they uninstall the Creative stuff. Only problem with that is last I heard, that results in you being unable to use the subwoofer.

Yeah just got the G73. I'll see what I can find about this conflict.

[Slowboto]

I tried finding the thread where some others were talking about it but couldn't find it. Might be in the pre-order thread but that one moves so fast that it is hard to find old info in there.

Edit:
If you find an answer let me know about it. One of the functions I planned on using was Skype and was a bit annoyed to find out about this issue.

Is there maybe a way to disable Creative without uninstalling it altogether? Still trying to learn how a lot of stuff works. The easy answer is uninstalling it but it seems ridiculous that you then lose sound out of the subwoofer.

[jbermi]

I tried finding the thread where some others were talking about it but couldn't find it. Might be in the pre-order thread but that one moves so fast that it is hard to find old info in there.

Edit:
If you find an answer let me know about it. One of the functions I planned on using was Skype and was a bit annoyed to find out about this issue.

Is there maybe a way to disable Creative without uninstalling it altogether? Still trying to learn how a lot of stuff works. The easy answer is uninstalling it but it seems ridiculous that you then lose sound out of the subwoofer.

i am surprised this issue hasn't been addressed yet by creative or ASUS. but I would think the realtek drivers would be good enough, (they are for me and I have 2.1 speaker setup on my N71 and the subwoofer works fine)

[Slowboto]

i am surprised this issue hasn't been addressed yet by creative or ASUS. but I would think the realtek drivers would be good enough, (they are for me and I have 2.1 speaker setup on my N71 and the subwoofer works fine)

Yeah, considering the popularity of Steam and Skype, you would figure that this problem would have been solved already.

I know the others were saying that for whatever reason the realtek drivers don't offer any options for the G73 to reenable the subwoofer. Very strange and annoying problem.

[stonefury]

I found one called aMSN which is an MSN clone and the webcams are working with that despite the Creative drivers. Japanese input is crashing it though.

[stonefury]

I found one called aMSN which is an MSN clone and the webcams are working with that despite the Creative drivers. Japanese input is crashing it though.

Finally got it. Installed older version of amsn, made copies of bin and lib folders, then reinstalled the newest version and merged the folders. In this way both webcam and Japanese input work.

[danny0085]

I use this msn for linux (http://tips-linux.net/en/linux-ubuntu/linux-software/linux-internet/msn-linux) . It worked for me