Zoom Client (Mac) – Download & Review

Zoom seemed to come out of nowhere at the start of the pandemic, but the company had been working on their conferencing platform for a long time, launching the first version of the software all the way back in 2013. The idea was to make video conferencing more stable and intuitive, something existing platforms like Skype were struggling with.

It’s safe to say that Zoom Meetings has been a resounding success, despite some initial controversies regarding lackluster encryption and alleged disregard for user privacy. Most of these issues have been dealt with, and the service in its current form absolutely deserves its popularity.

A more stable video conferencing platform

In the old days, video calls could be an absolute nightmare. Setting up a connection was difficult in and of itself, and the video feed would often be choppy and cut off for no apparent reason. This was the main motivation for developing a new service in the first place.

For those of you wondering why Zoom became as popular as it is now, look no further than its stability and intuitive design. At the start of the pandemic, people who had never used video conferencing software found themselves with no way to avoid it. Zoom is dead simple to set up, and most users want something that “just works.”

Get started in minutes

If you receive a meeting invitation and don’t have the app installed, you will be prompted to download and install it. Once you have it on your Mac, you can create, join, and schedule meetings from your desktop, though you will still need to confirm the latter action from your browser.

Zoom checks your video and audio devices when joining a meeting automatically, something a lot of novices struggle with. For your ears’ content, the app also integrates a noise suppression feature, though it’s not quite as effective as some dedicated third-party solutions.

Stability and features for days

Another explanation for Zoom’s popularity lies in the sheer amount of features included. It supports up to 100 participants in the free version (1000 for paid users), and the video quality/stability is just as good or better than its competitors.

The app also bundles screen sharing and collaboration tools, the ability to record content and create transcripts, as well as fun features like polls, hand raising, media sharing, reactions, and more.

Great for both individual users and companies

As a free user, you get access to all of the platform’s key features, the only limitations being that you can host up to 100 participants and group meetings are limited to a maximum of 40 minutes; one-on-one calls are not affected.

Companies can take advantage of more advanced features, as well as the ability to host up to a whopping 1000 participants.

In the end, Zoom really is a great choice for pretty much anyone. If you need a video conferencing service, either for personal or professional use, it has the features you need. With the initial privacy-related issues solved, there is no good reason not to use this app.