Use iChat

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iChat is an application for instant messaging, or IM—instantly sending and receiving messages with others who are online at the same time as you. (Instant messaging is often referred to as “chat”—hence, iChat’s name.) iChat can also handle teleconferencing, the live, remote interaction of several people complete with audio and video transmission.

To use iChat, you need to have an account with Apple’s .Mac online service or an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) screen name and password. To transmit audio, your Mac must have a microphone; and for you to hear audio, your Mac must have speakers. To send video, you must have a video camera connected to your Mac via FireWire.

Set Up iChat

To set up iChat:

Note

The easiest video camera to use with iChat is Apple’s iSight, which comes with stands for mounting on PowerBooks and iBooks, desktop Macs, or your (physical) desktop. But you can also use a digital video camcorder that attaches to your Mac via FireWire.

  1. If you plan to use a video camera with iChat, attach it to your Mac. If the camera has a power control, turn it on.

  2. Click the iChat icon in the Dock. iChat will display a Welcome To iChat AV dialog box.

  3. Click Continue. iChat will display the Set Up A New iChat Account dialog box (see Figure 4-13).

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    Figure 4-13: Enter your .Mac or AIM details to set up a new iChat account.

  4. Enter your details and click Continue. iChat will display the Set Up Rendezvous Messaging dialog box. Rendezvous is an Apple technology for exchanging messages and data with other users of your local network (as opposed to exchanging messages and data across the Internet).

  5. If you want to use iChat with other local users, click the Use Rendezvous Messaging option button. If not, make sure the Do Not Use Rendezvous Messaging option button is selected.

  6. Click Continue. iChat will display the Set Up iChat AV dialog box, on which you can check that your web camera is working. If iChat doesn’t detect a camera attached to your Mac, it warns you of this. Likewise, if your Mac doesn’t support video conferencing, iChat lets you know.

  7. Click Continue. iChat will display the Conclusion dialog box.

  8. Click Done. iChat will open.

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Quicksteps: Configuring iChat

iChat contains several dozen configurable options that enable you to customize its behavior to suit your needs and preferences. To start configuration, open iChat and click Preferences. The Preferences window will open. Click the button for the sheet you want to work with.

General Sheet Options

Options on the General sheet include controlling whether iChat automatically logs you in when it opens, choosing whether to show your status in the menu bar, specifying what iChat should do when you return to your Mac and your status is Away, and deciding where to save files you receive.

Accounts Sheet Options

On the Accounts sheet, you can change the AIM screen name you’re using for iChat.

Messages Sheet Options

On the Messages sheet, you can choose colors and fonts for your text balloons and senders’ text balloons, choose whether to confirm the sending of files, and decide whether to automatically save chat transcripts (which can be useful for work and love).

Alerts Sheet Options

On the Alerts sheet, you can choose what kinds of alerts iChat uses when a particular event occurs. For example, when a buddy becomes available, you might choose to have iChat bounce its icon in the Dock and announce out loud that your buddy is now online.

Privacy Sheet Options

On the Privacy sheet, you can control which people can see you are online and send you messages: Allow Anyone, Allow People In My Buddy List, Allow Specific People (you specify who), Block Everyone, or Block Specific People (again, you specify who). You can also choose to block others from seeing that you are idle.

Video Sheet Options

The Video sheet lets you check the video camera you’re using, choose which microphone to use, control the bandwidth iChat uses (for example, to prevent it from hogging your Internet connection), automatically open iChat when you turn on the camera, and play the repeated ring sound when you’re invited to a conference.

After choosing suitable options in the Preferences window, click the Close button (the red button) to close the window.

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Now that iChat is set up, you’re ready to use it. First, you must enter contacts, or buddies, with whom you want to communicate:

Add Buddies to iChat

  1. If iChat isn’t running, click the iChat icon on the Dock to launch it. iChat will display the Buddy List window.

  2. Click the + button. iChat will display a dialog box for selecting an address from your address book.

  3. If the buddy is in your address book, select the name and click Select Buddy. If not, click New Person to display a dialog box for entering the person’s details (see Figure 4-14). You must enter at least the account type (.Mac or AIM) and the account name; usually it’s helpful to add the first and last names and the e-mail address as well. Click Add to add the new person.

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    Figure 4-14: iChat uses colored dots to give a rough indication of each buddy’s status.

  4. Your buddies will appear in the Buddy List, together with an icon indicating their status if they’re online: a green dot for online and active, a yellow dot for online but inactive, a red dot for online but away, and no dot if they’re offline (see Figure 4-14).

Start an Audio Chat

To start an audio chat:

  1. control+click or right-click a buddy who’s online and click Invite To Audio Chat.

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  2. iChat will display an Audio Chat window while it waits for your buddy to reply:

  3. If your buddy accepts the invitation, iChat will establish audio contact. Speak to your buddy as you would in a telephone conversation. Drag the Volume slider to adjust the audio volume. Click the Microphone button to temporarily mute your microphone.

    Note

    If your buddy’s Mac doesn’t have a microphone, the Invite To Audio Chat item will be unavailable, and the Invite To One-Way Audio Chat item will be available instead. This item lets your buddy hear you and respond using text.

  4. To end the chat, click the Close button (the red button).

Start a Video Chat

To start a video chat:

  1. control+click or right-click a buddy who’s online and click Invite To Video Chat. iChat will display a Video Chat window while it waits for your buddy to reply.

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    Note

    If your buddy’s Mac doesn’t have a video camera, the Invite To Video Chat item will be unavailable, and the Invite To One-Way Video Chat item will be available instead. This item lets your buddy see you and respond verbally.

  2. If your buddy accepts the invitation, iChat will establish audio and video contact. Chat as you would on a normal video phone. Click the Microphone button to temporarily mute your microphone. Click the Full-Screen Mode button (the button with two arrows) to zoom the Video Chat window to full screen. Double-click anywhere to exit full-screen mode.

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  3. To end the chat, click the Close button (the red button).

    Tip

    If you want to check your video camera before starting a call, click the green-and-white camera button at the top of the Buddy List window. iChat will display a window showing you what the camera is seeing.

Start a Text Chat

To start a text chat:

  1. control+click or right-click a buddy who’s online and click Send An Instant Message. iChat will display an Instant Message window.

  2. If your buddy responds, iChat shows the responses on the other side of the window from yours.

  3. Type messages and press return to send them. To send an emoticon, or “smiley,” click the symbol at the right end of the text box and choose from the panel. The text below the panel shows the name of the emoticon and the key sequence for entering it from the keyboard.

    Note

    iChat provides two different ways to send a text message to a buddy, both from the menu that iChat displays when you control+click or right-click a buddy. Send An Instant Message sends a text message to your buddy through the central messaging server. This method ensures the message will reach your buddy, but it’s less secure than a direct connection. Send A Direct Message sends a text message to your buddy directly (avoiding the central messaging server) if your network settings and your buddy’s permit this connection. Because Send A Direct Message is less sure to work, Send An Instant message is a better choice for general use.

  4. When you’ve finished chatting, click the Close button (the red button).

Send a File

To send a file to a buddy:

  1. During a chat, open Buddies and click Send File. Use the resulting dialog box to select the file, and then click Open. Type any necessary message and press return to send the message and the file.

  2. To send a file without starting a chat, control+click or right-click your buddy’s entry in the Buddy List window, and then click Send File. Use the resulting dialog box to select the file, and then click Open.

In either case, your buddy can choose whether to accept the file (by clicking Save File) or decline it (by clicking Decline).

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Respond to Chat Invitations

  1. When a buddy sends you an invitation, iChat displays a pop-up window to let you know. Here’s an example of an audio invitation:

  2. Click the pop-up window to display more detail:

  3. Click Accept to accept the invitation. iChat sets up the connection.

  4. When you’ve finished chatting, click the Close button (the red button).

Control Your Status

To control how iChat shows your status, click the status button in the toolbar and choose the appropriate entry from the pop-up menu. Click one of the Custom entries to display a text box in which you can type your preferred descriptor, for example, Caffeinated, Bored, or Pretending to work.

If you leave your Mac unused for a while, iChat changes your status to Idle (meaning that the Mac is idle—not necessarily that it thinks you’re idle); after a long while, iChat changes your status to Away. If your Mac goes to sleep, iChat changes your status to Offline.

Tip

To add several descriptors at once, click Edit Status Menu and work in the resulting dialog box.

After you return from being away, iChat offers to change your status back to Available. Click Available if you want to accept this offer. Otherwise, click No. Select the Don’t Show Again check box if you don’t want to see this prompt again.

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Mac OS X Panther QuickSteps
Mac OS X Panther QuickSteps
ISBN: 0072255056
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 68

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