Hey everybody, IĀ“m testing NC13RC1 with Nextcloud Talk. I really like this solution and I think it has potential. The mobile apps works as expected. The one thing IĀ“m missing is a Windows Desktop Client. Such a client would enable to create a companywide āWhatsappā alternative. Without a Windows Desktop Client I do not think that the Talk-functionality will be established in companies, unless everyone use a mobile with Nextcloud-Talk app. Our users use the sync client automatic in the background. So there is no need to be online in the web interface all day, and this will be even more unattractive with NC13 and the Client side encryption. And what brings a chat function when only a few users are online in the web interface?
A Windows Client must not be a standalone application, I could imagen an Outlook plugin or even a modification of the existing sync client.
Why everybody wants a client when everything can be run in a webbrowser? and when talking about outlook: This is the most worst software regarding basic and open web-standards. It lacks even simple webdav protocols. Of course I understand, many people in business uses outlook/exchange, but does this argument makes it better? Riding a prehistoric client-server solution with all its security and usability flaws and bottlenecks? IMHO Micosoft itself will sooner or later axe Outlook/Exchange in favour of their own cloud web services. it would be a waste of time in supporting either Outlook or Windows with a fat, overblown client. For sure somebody will manage to create an Outlook plugin (and maybe you or your company could support him/her) but it would be a mistake if Nextcloud would add every feature and function into the file-clients.
I understand your point and technically IĀ“m on your side. But you cannot change the world over night and you cannot force companies (especially the traditional management) to solutions they do not want, even when there are better. In the time the world has changed the way you want it, it would be nice to have the tools to work in our current technical environment.
I guess once XMPP integration is done, you could use it through an Jabber client that also supports WebRTC video chat? Not 100% sure though how the NC Talk implementation will function in that regard.
Well you could try to set a NC Website as Homepage within any Outlook Folder. But then Outlook would use an old MSIE Engine without support of modern Web Standards, without WebRTC etc.
IMHO and with my background with such kind of management and users: Let them work in their well knwon Ecosystem (and fail due limitations, security issues, licenses, TCO etc). Do not try to get lost somewhere between non-transparent 3rd party systems, applications or interfaces where other players set the rules. Stick to simple Mozilla Webbrowser and Web Applications. Present this not as alternative but as something complementary. Give them the a bit of time and sooner or later they will start to use and to ask the right questions (e.g. why windows or outlook do not support basic web and security standards?)
A fat Nextcloud Client (with chat, Video, File-Sync, Outlook Plugins) sounds like a horror, it would be something like Skype bloatware.
Why everybody wants a stupid web browser open all day waiting for a call via Nextcloud when everything can be run in a simple daemon or a part of the NC client which is already running 24/7 on a computer? I have to use crap like Skype at the moment because my mom and I need a ring tone in case of an incoming call. We do not sit in front of a web browser all day long, most people in the real world donāt do that.
What we need is a ring or call tone, a notification of some sort that there is an incoming call. Instead of adding more bloated bling-bling to Nextcloud Talk why not just integrate it into the Nextcloud Sync Client which is already running everywhere?
I guess there are different tastes. The feature you are asking for does exist inside Jitsi. One way to do things is to take best of breed Open Source and integrate or you go ahead and invent everything from scratch. If you follow the later path - like with Nextcloud - then you canāt expect all features to show up and exist. Thats what Open Source is for - choice!
Does the Nextcloud Desktop Client App not show incoming calls? On Desktop I am connected via WebDAV directly so I am not using the Client App. And for calls I am using Nextcloud Talk App on my iPad and iPhone. This works pretty fine for me.
Could anybody confirm if Nextcloud Desktop App indicates incoming calls?
The webclient indicates calls with an icon. This requires you to have the browser already open. There is no sound or other signal. Last time I just called someone on Skype and left a message that I like to talk with them on Talk. That worked as the Skype client has a ringtone and popups appearing on the desktop.
I believe there is value in an Office environment to take calls on a PC/laptop, it just need a clear notification. Perhaps just a small helper App which can be installed optionally or as suggested above as part of the sync App.
Here is another one who would love to see NC-Talk in my business environment, but without real Desktop-Clients for Windows and Mac I see no chance at all. Weāre currently using a proprieteary, commercial chat solution to match GDPR-rules. There are a couple of competitor on the marked, but all have in common that they offer real client Apps for all platforms. In Business-environments this is a must.
IMO this are the reasons:
on a working desktop PC or Mac people leave their client App in the background, but the software must inform the user with 100% reliability of incoming calls/messages. A browser, even with Desktop-notifications, canāt fit that need
people just donāt want to have their browser open all the time. The client must start with the PC/Mac, but then stay in background until it is needed
Not just windows client, a desktop client (Linux, Windows and Mac) for NC Talk would be essential for corporate environments, where administrators doesnāt want let the users to access to the nextcloud instance, but use just the Talk application for chat and videoconference internally.
As this seems such a popular feature perhaps it is possible to raise a bounty?
BTW there is a very round about way to get a desktop app on Linux, install anbox (android environment layer), install FDroid in that and from there install Nextcloud android app and Nextcloud talk android app