Maybe the best proof why custom made HTPC setups are superior to stock ones is this hack in which I've added video conferencing feature to my box. Problem with such software on my personal laptop is that it is available only when laptop is turned on (which is, to be worse, only when I have some work to do), but personal communicators should be always on. Just like our HTPC.
Videoconferencing software of my choice is Skype. I've deliberately didn't say "of course", because even from early days of Skype I didn't like communication software that runs on its own, proprietary protocol. This has nothing to do with Skype application being a closed source code, but it simply bothers me to rely my communications on protocol that only one company can support. Skype's poor support for Linux (at the time of writing these lines, Skype on Linux still officially do not support video calls) only worsen my picture of that protocol.
Unfortunately, solutions are still limited here. For days I was looking for client that can support standardized SIP protocol, but Ekiga failed to work behind my personal NAT. Still, I believe that audio/video telephony will be very soon available on open protocols (SIP, Jabber, some kind of "open Skype" - it doesn't matter), but for now, Skype if the only solution that works. And it works well, actually.
