[X4U] 1st time with iChat

[Stroller]

On 12 Jan 2006, at 23:17, Crandon David wrote:

> Ok, so I started to do this....it appears that I can't use iChat  
> unless I have a .Mac account (which I have to pay for?), or an AOL  
> Instant Messenger account. Does this mean I have to sign up for AOL  
> or what. I've never had an AIM account/screen name or whatever, and  
> I don't particularly want to have any AOL stuff on my computer....

Either type of account is free, at least for the purposes of iChatting.

AIM stands for AOL Instance Messenger and an AIM screenname is not  
the same as an AOL account - although AOL account holders  
automatically have a AIM screenname you can also get a free  
screenname just for chatting. Go to <http://aim.com>, click on the  
"Get It Now" button and fill in the form.
I think the software for the Mac version of AOL's on AIM client will  
download automatically - it's neither a big not a nasty application &  
if you install it you can remove it easily, but I don't think you  
need to use it at all. Once your screenname is confirmed you can  
connect with that screenname to iChatAV.

Likewise you can sign up for a free 3-month trial of .Mac and use  
your .Mac address for iChatting. Although other features of DotMac -  
the email account & iDisk - expire after 3 months if you don't pay a  
subscription, the screenname remains active indefinately for iChatting.

Personally, I prefer to use an AIM screenname with iChat, and if  
you're signing up for iChat now then that's the one I'd get. I guess  
PC users can probably message you if you have a .Mac screenname, but  
it's probably simpler for them if you use an original AIM one. A Mac  
user wouldn't be bothered one way or the other, but once you start  
iChatting you'll probably find that your favourite niece or grand- 
daughter has AOL on her PC & can easily chat with you.

There's a third option of using a Jabber account with iChatAV but  
that's only really useful as a second account.

Stroller.