First ever forum Zoom meetup. Who is interested?

[rebrascora]

@SB2015 Likewise! The Libre View will be the driving force for change of PC I think but it would be nice for there to be other silver linings to it and meeting some of the people from this forum that I have come to know and admire and be grateful to would definitely be a bonus!

 

[Ralph-YK]

No thank you. I don't know what Zoom is but if it involves talking to people then I can't do that. Torture and then some.

Personally, I'd preffer instant messaging (IM), over having do things verbally. At one point I was doing a lot of it & groups could work really well. People could message whenever they had the time. Everyone I used to know who did that have moved on though And the way things are, I doubted there was less chance of getting an IM groups going was lower than a Zoom meetup. Paticularly as we've got the forum already
Video conferences the way things seem to be.

I find the dodgy sound, wobbling screens and sometimes blurry faces are doing my head in.

I know what you mean. However, those are down to the people who are in the meeting, over Zoom itself. A lot of people in the groups I've joined have excellent sound, of a reasonable volume. A couple have been too loud, clipping. Others are on the quiet side. Only some have distortion/static/crackerly sound.
The bad sound is why I've dumped the Diabetes support group Zoom meet. It was the guy running it in particular though. Sound of some of the others was great.
Wobbling pictures is just ignorant. Use A STAND!!!

Very much doubt my ancient PC will support something like Zoom so count me out for now, but it is starting to look like I need to invest in a computer upgrade as Libre View won't work on my PC or my Android phone and getting a new phone is too much of an upheaval! So if/when I psych and save myself up to a new computer system, I might be interested.

You can get Zoom app on Android, and it might very well work on your phone. Though it depends how you feel about the screen size for video playback.
That's if it's a video meeting, not just audio. (All the ones I've had have been video, not conference calls.)

 

[silentsquirrel]

Use A STAND!!!

Use a stand for what, Ralph? I thought the camera was at the top of the laptop frame?

 

[Stitch147]

I'm up for it if I'm not I work.

 

[Robin]

Can you use Zoom on an iPad? If so, I could try and crawl into the 21st century and join in. I think my laptop is too old, ( I certainly couldn’t get Libreview to work on it.)

 

[trophywench]

Yes the camera is - but if the laptop is situated on your lap and the screen is tilted back too far, it eg shows on screen as the join between the wall behind you and the ceiling and not your face. Only one participant can successfully speak at any one time and you can't make aside comments like sod it there's another fly in here, or ooh look it's raining - if two people try to speak at the same time, the other participants don't have a clue who's saying what - so it needs a certain discipline.

Also - you have to make sure you show your name so that other people in any particular meeting know who you are, otherwise Zoom identifies new participants only by a number on screen.

Your name in RL might be Gertie Bloggs, but on this forum people only know you as Trophywench !

 

[trophywench]

Yes Robin, I believe so.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Use a stand for what, Ralph? I thought the camera was at the top of the laptop frame?

Some people use phones & tablets, and hand hold them. That's when you get the wobbly picture that was mentioned. Sometimes the camera is all over the place!

but if the laptop is situated on your lap

I wasn't thinking of that. If the person can't sit still, that could give a wobbly picture too.

Also - you have to make sure you show your name so that other people in any particular meeting know who you are, otherwise Zoom identifies new participants only by a number on screen.

Your name in RL might be Gertie Bloggs, but on this forum people only know you as Trophywench !

I believe you're allowed to use different names in different meetings (the displayed name can be changed during meetings etc). (Terms and conditions does mention does mention "accurate" information for an account. However, you don't need to set up an account to use Zoom. And a name used in an account does not need to be used in a meeting.)
In practice, you can give whatever name you like. I don't use any sites or apps that requires me to use any part of my real name (let alone all of it) (like Facebook).

 

[Ralph-YK]

Yes the camera is - but if the laptop is situated on your lap and the screen is tilted back too far, it eg shows on screen as the join between the wall behind you and the ceiling and not your face. Only one participant can successfully speak at any one time and you can't make aside comments like sod it there's another fly in here, or ooh look it's raining - if two people try to speak at the same time, the other participants don't have a clue who's saying what - so it needs a certain discipline.

All valid points I'm afraid. Though you can send private/direct messages (pm/dm) to other "attendees".

 

[Ralph-YK]

Can you use Zoom on an iPad? If so, I could try and crawl into the 21st century and join in. I think my laptop is too old, ( I certainly couldn’t get Libreview to work on it.)

I believe so. I'm using it on an Android tablet myself.

 

[SB2015]

Can you use Zoom on an iPad? If so, I could try and crawl into the 21st century and join in. I think my laptop is too old, ( I certainly couldn’t get Libreview to work on it.)

You can use an iPad. You will only be able to see 9 faces on the screen at any one time but you can scroll through to find others. Perfectly feasible.
With a lap top the images just get smaller until you have about 25 on screen then it goes to a second page.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate that these virtual meets don't suit everyone... and there are so any different flavours that some will just not want (or be able) to use Zoom, but it seems quite widely supported, is free, and is kind of the app-du-jour for lockdown, so it seemed a reasonable choice.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Can you use Zoom on an iPad? If so, I could try and crawl into the 21st century and join in. I think my laptop is too old, ( I certainly couldn’t get Libreview to work on it.)

Yes - iOS and Android have downloadable apps. I also think you can simply use the web browser on a phone or tablet.

 

[Sally71]

Can you use Zoom on an iPad? If so, I could try and crawl into the 21st century and join in. I think my laptop is too old, ( I certainly couldn’t get Libreview to work on it.)

Yes I use it on an iPad

 

[trophywench]

What version of Windows does your lappy run @Robin? The majority of progs are optimised for w10 by now - and I've had shedloads of updates to it this last week.

 

[Robin]

What version of Windows does your lappy run @Robin? The majority of progs are optimised for w10 by now - and I've had shedloads of updates to it this last week.

It’s so old, my Windows doesn’t even have a number, it’s XP, I think!

 

[Ralph-YK]

It’s so old, my Windows doesn’t even have a number, it’s XP, I think!

Oh, Cool. I'm about to dump W7 and put XP on. I've already got XP on another machine. And a couple of virtual machines.

 

[Robin]

Oh, Cool. I'm about to dump W7 and put XP on. I've already got XP on another machine. And a couple of virtual machines.

Oops, I stand corrected, son tells me it’s Vista, not XP!

 

[rebrascora]

@Robin I'm like you I haven't got a clue about these things... I just know that Windows 7 is no longer "supported" whatever that means and I probably should upgrade to Windows 10.

I hate going to buy anything when I know absolutely nothing about it because it puts me in a position of weakness and the salesman could easily take advantage and I have an inherent distrust of car, computer and phone salesmen!.... probably because these are usually expensive purchases and I dislike change and spending lots of money and parting with things which are still serviceable! Unfortunately my eyes glaze over and my brain refuses to work when I start trying to do research on these things.... probably why I took a mental nose dive last night after trying to do a bit of online window shopping for computers. Arrgh!

 

[Ralph-YK]

it's Vista

Ugh

I just know that Windows 7 is no longer "supported" whatever that means

All support amounts to is updates. And that's it.

and I probably should upgrade to Windows 10.

No. Go to XP. Or Linux. I used to use Linux Knoppix quite a bit, boots from a CD and works well with lower amounts fo memory (256mb) & older machines. Now I'm more likely to use Linux Mint.