From the monthly archives:
February 2007
Chat with iChat
Chat with iChat
Mac Tip #278/28-Feb-2007
After the last couple of Tips you should be ready to chat. Connect to the Internet and open iChat.
iChat should automatically log in when you start it up, but if it does not then click on “Offline” in the Status Menu in the Buddy window, just below your username. Choose Available from the drop-down.
If the Buddy List isn’t visible choose it from the Window menu. Once you’re connected to the chat server any buddies who have their chat software running and are online show up in the Buddy List in dark text. Offline buddies may be displayed in light grey text. Look under the View menu for display options.
Double click a buddy’s name in the list, and then type a short message. Press Return to send it.
The intended recipient will see a small window with your message. Once they accept the invitation by clicking on your message, typing a response and clicking Accept, the chat is on. A chat window opens, displaying your comments on one side and theirs on the other.
Type your side of the conversation into the text area at the bottom of the window and press Return to send. Send files, such as photos or other files by dragging them into the text area and pressing Return.
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In my experiments, photos and PDFs tended to be displayed in the chat window, while other files appeared as a message containing the filename.
When the recipient clicked on that message a window popped-up, showing the file was being transferred.
To end a chat close the chat window.
That should get you started, but there are a few more tips yet about chatting. More next week.
You can sometimes find me available on iChat as mirazmac@aim.com.
I’d like to thank Tips reader Jo Fothergill for agreeing to chat with me so I could make some of the screenshots available in the online archive. Jo writes a blog called ‘out and about in aotearoa‘.
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Set up iChat
Set up iChat
Mac Tip #277/21-Feb-2007
If you followed last week’s Tip and signed up for an AOL screen name you’re ready to chat. Every new Mac comes with iChat in the Applications folder.
Start up iChat. If you’ve never used it before a Setup Assistant appears to help you through the set up process. Read the information and click Continue. On the next screen enter your name, choose AIM as the Account Type, enter the screen name you signed up for and the password you chose, then click Continue.
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Unless you know what Jabber is, ignore that screen for now and click Continue.
Bonjour messaging is useful if you have other computers nearby, as the next screen explains. Make a choice and click Continue.
If you have a modern Mac with an iSight camera above the monitor then the next screen may take you by surprise as you should suddenly see yourself. A green light beside the camera will be lit too.
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A final screen tells you how you can get underway and how to change the settings you’ve just chosen. Click Done to quit the Setup Assistant.
Two windows appear: the Bonjour window shows computers nearby that have chat available, while the Buddy List shows a list of people whose chat address you have saved on the Instant Messaging server.
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To add a new buddy make sure the Buddy List window is active (click on it once, if necessary) then go to the Buddies… menu and choose Add Buddy…. A window into your Mac’s Address Book appears.
If your new buddy is already in your Mac’s Address Book select their name from the Address Book list. Otherwise, click New Person, choose their Account Type, enter their screen name, then click Add. Their screen name is added to your Buddy List. The name is dimmed in your Buddy list if they’re not online, or are online but don’t have their chat software running.
If they come online and start up their Chat software their screen name will appear in black in the Buddy List. Double click their name and you can start chatting.
You can sometimes find me available on iChat as mirazmac@aim.com.
Coming soon: How to actually chat with iChat.
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Chat around the world
Chat around the world
Mac Tip #276/14-Feb-2007
A dear friend will soon be going to live for a while on the other side of the planet. It seems certain she will have access to a computer and a fast Internet connection which means we’ll be able to correspond by email, blog, Instant Messaging and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Instant Messaging is also known as IM, or chat. It’s an extremely useful method for discussion and exchanging files (eg photos). Businesses and individuals are using IM daily for work and pleasure. Depending on your Internet connection and the hardware you have available, you may chat by typing, by talking or even by video.
Every Mac comes with IM client software: look in your Applications folder for iChat. But before you can use iChat you need two things: someone to talk to and a (free) screen name with a service that enables the chatting.
It’s easy to get a free Screen Name from AIM. Click the link called Get a Screen Name near the top of the AIM page.
On the Signup page be sure to read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, then work though the signup process. Once you have a screen name you don’t need to download any software, but instead open iChat.
Enter the screen name and password you chose when you signed up with AIM, and you’re ready to get chatting.
You can sometimes find me available on chat at: mirazmac@aim.com.
Next week: How to use iChat.
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is jointly authored by Miraz Jordan and Maria Langer.