iChat and AIM

jonnyfolk · #1 May 29th, 2004, 05:39 AM

Hi Everybody,

I'm looking for some advice concerning the above. I have not yet migrated to MadOSX, still being on OS9.2. However I run a Windows XP computer which I use successfully with the Messenger service between other Windoze PCs.

Recently my Mum (who is in australia (I'm in europe) got herself a Mac running Panther. I saw that if I installed AIM then we could chat. So I duly did that but I need to get synchronised with my mum and she doesn't really do computers very well!

If somebody could give me a step by step (not missing anything out bar switch on the computer!

process for signing up with iCht and networking with AIM then I shall be eternally grateful.

If there are some help pages out there covering this then that would also be good.

Thanks in advance,
Jon

Zammy-Sam · #2 May 29th, 2004, 08:02 AM

Hi Jon and welcome to the forum!

Let me try to write a step by step instruction:
1. click on ichat so you will see the ichat menu on top of your screen (file edit view buddies..)
2. press on the big "+" button on the ichat window
3. press "New Person"
4. Now you are supposed to enter your buddy's screen name. For that you should change the account type to "AIM" instead of ".Mac"
5. Fill in your (Jons') AIM screen name (jonnyfolk?).
6. optionally you can fill in first and last name, but this one could be skipped.
7. press the button "Add" and the new buddy will be listed in the ichat buddy list (the regular window).
8. Jon, you should make sure you are not somehow in an invisible mode on your winxp AOL. Also make sure you have the most recent AOL messenger, since the previous ones do not support this compatibility to macs ichat.
9. That's it.

If you are just into text message, you might want to take a look at yahoo! messenger as well. Works on both systems as well and allows you to videochat.
Good luck!

MacMuppet · #3 May 29th, 2004, 08:12 AM

Assuming she's already on the internet so connectivity is taken care of, it should be relatively simple for her - I have just done this a few days ago to talk to my brother in New Zealand.
As you know she needs an AIM account - if she starts iChat now, she should get an account wizard thing that pops up saying please enter her details, at which point she should select 'sign up for an AIM account'.
Currently you can't do this without getting the 60 day trial of .Mac (I couldnt find a way around it), but they say when the trial expires you keep your .mac name and so your AIM account.
If she's ok to fill in a basic online form then the rest should be easy.
I'm sorry I know this is a bit vaguer than you wanted - I tried to trash my preferences and go through the sign-up from scratch, but as soon as you launch iChat it detects your .mac account if you already have one....
It seems to me though that you could probably talk her through what she sees on the screen over the phone once she's gone 'Go/Applications..' and dragged iChat to the dock and clicked on it.

MacMuppet · #4 May 29th, 2004, 08:14 AM

Zammy how old are those instructions? I'm just wondering as I only wanted to get an AIM name and not bother with the .Mac thing, but couldnt seem to do it with the free trial offer in place....
I knew someone would manage the blow-by-blow thing better though, just wanted to get across how easy it was....

fernando.alonso · #5 May 29th, 2004, 08:15 AM

then I shall be eternally grateful with your tips too, since I'm suffering from the same symptons as this poor european guy.

Thanks!

jonnyfolk · #6 May 30th, 2004, 04:22 AM

Sam,

You're help is much appreciated and, as promised, the gratitude will be eternal!

I shall send my Mum the url of this thread and hopefully between us we can work it out. Thanks also to everyone else who replied - I'm so pleased to have found such a friendly, helpful forum even before I get myself set up with MacOSX!!

Regards,
Jon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zammy-Sam

Hi Jon and welcome to the forum!

Let me try to write a step by step instruction:
1. click on ichat so you will see the ichat menu on top of your screen (file edit view buddies..)
2. press on the big "+" button on the ichat window
3. press "New Person"
4. Now you are supposed to enter your buddy's screen name. For that you should change the account type to "AIM" instead of ".Mac"
5. Fill in your (Jons') AIM screen name (jonnyfolk?).
6. optionally you can fill in first and last name, but this one could be skipped.
7. press the button "Add" and the new buddy will be listed in the ichat buddy list (the regular window).
8. Jon, you should make sure you are not somehow in an invisible mode on your winxp AOL. Also make sure you have the most recent AOL messenger, since the previous ones do not support this compatibility to macs ichat.
9. That's it.

If you are just into text message, you might want to take a look at yahoo! messenger as well. Works on both systems as well and allows you to videochat.
Good luck!

bobw · #7 May 30th, 2004, 08:59 AM

Just go to http://www.aim.com, download the AIM program and install. Then you'll get on screen prompts to sign up and choose a user name.

Once you do that, and AIM works for you, quit it and start iChat and it'll ask for an account (.mac or aol) choose AOL, then your name - give it your new AIM screenname

enathan1085 · #8 May 31st, 2004, 10:45 PM

i second bobw. you can use either iChat or the AIM program itself to chat. once you sign up for a user name on AIM then you just start up iChat and its pretty easy from there.