Mrs C has a monthly bookclub. They use Zoom.
At the last, it was announced by the organiser that they aren't going to use Zoom anymore for some reason that escapes me, but move to Teams.
We were using zoom on an Amazon fire tablet, which worked fine. Teams is not available on it.
My Windows 10 PC doesn't have a microphone, or a webcam.
So apart from the cost of that kit, is Teams, being an MS product, going to be the right pain in the hoop I imagine it will?
Given I've had years of experience with MS overblown software that is anything but simple to install and run, is it just download it from somewhere and it runs for free, like Zoom does? Or am I into "oh, you need a business account that works with a connected Facebook account but only if your PC has a licence number ending in a 6, plus you'll get error 19 of course which we won't explain...etc etc.
It would be a shame if she has to drop out of the bookclub because of this, but I'm not that excited about trying to get this working if it's a predictable nightmare. If the answer is "buy a new laptop with Teams already on it, assuming that's a thing, I'd rather do that.
Experience, anyone?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 10 Oct 20 at 21:03
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I've used at work a few times, it seems to work fine. The computers are good knows how old and it seems to work OK, just click on a link and you have access to the meeting.
Can't comment on how easy it is to install, all done for us by IT bods.
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Ta. Sounds as if the user experience will be ok for her then, but I retired from being an IT bod three years ago and really don't want to go back to it much!
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Microphone & camera say £10-£15
(I threw one out a few months back as all IT in this house has cameras).
Give a smartphone a shot at connecting - costs nthing apart from time (If you have a ssmartphone that is)
Here are the supported mobile platforms for the Microsoft Teams app:
iOS operating system version 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
Android operating system version 4.4 or later.
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Now I'd not thought of a smartphone at all - that's a bonny idea. I'll look into that, thanks.
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I used Teams via the ole woman's phone for virtual removal company quotes when selling my olde quintessential Cornish country cottidge, and it all worked very well.
I also used Facetime & WhatsApp.
Last edited by: God on Sat 10 Oct 20 at 11:46
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I think Teams is M/S answer to FaceTime and Zoom type products, derived from Skype. I suspect the reason for the change is due to the security issues that have been reported with Zoom, persons of ill intent hacking in and displaying porn etc. No doubt that loophole has been closed now in any event.
I use Zoom on a very regular basis and find it excellent, easy to use with problem free video/audio. Teams has a rather more corporate feel to it and some organisations I interact with use it as standard. No problems with it, seems to work well enough but I cant help thinking that Zoom meets all my needs. As said above a cam/mike combo is cheap enough from Amazon etc, mine was "Amazons Choice", cost £23 and works fine.
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Isn't a Fitre Tablet Android? I know the Firestick is, in which case you can sideload Android apps, in which case someone above says it is supported on Android.
I've not done much of it (on a Firestick not tablet) and the VPN I put on was a bit hard to use with the standard Firestick remote but there is an Android Firestick Remote app.
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>> Isn't a Fitre Tablet Android?
The fire OS is based on the same open source as Android. How/whether that allows compatibility with Android Apps I don't know.
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Thanks folks. I tried putting it on my phone and it installed, let me log in and sits there. So I think that will do it.
When she actually gets the Teams invite, or however it works, we can test it. Hope that's sufficient.
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Just a thought, make sure the smart phone is connected to your wifi or it may start using your in plan mobile (g3/4/5) data and could be expensive.
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Ta - it will be on wifi, but in any event only apps I approve get mobile access anyway. So no danger of something unexpected. And I've set a warning on the phone if more than a tiddly amount of mobile data gets used anyway, so hopefully should be ok.
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Teams - sooty123
