Three Tips for Video Conferences on a Mac A guide to boosting the video collaboration aptitude of your Apple devices

Computers and other hardware from Apple like to act the role of slam-dunk video tools. Most Macs come with built-in microphones and iSight cameras, plus the line is supported by easy-to-use video chat tools like iChat and FaceTime.

But as video-cool as Macs might be, less than 10 percent of the world's business computer users use them. So most business collaboration must be done in complex mixed-platform networks--and that often is trickier than it appears.

Cost-conscious small firms hold on to their beloved Apple computers longer these days, and those older units often have low-quality cameras, if they have them at all. Plus, Macs must play in the digital web sandbox with software that was initially made for PCs, so many features can be wonky and hard to use--all very un-Mac-like.

With that in mind, here is our real-world guide for turning your Mac into a video conferencing powerhouse.