Section 67. Set Up Your AIM or .Mac Account


67. Set Up Your AIM or .Mac Account

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

30 Configure Networking Manually

45 Sign Up for .Mac

54 Configure a New Mail Account


SEE ALSO

68 Set Up Your Picture

70 Start a Text, Audio, or Video Chat Session


67. Set Up Your AIM or .Mac Account


The first step in using iChat is to set up your iChat account , an identification that's necessary for you to use iChat. Either your .Mac member name or a pre-existing AIM screen name qualifies as an iChat account ID. iChat supports both .Mac accounts and AIM screen names ; if you already have an AIM namefor example, if you're an AOL user or if you used AIM previouslyyou can continue to use that as your identification in iChat, and you won't have to create a new identity when you first start iChat. If you have a .Mac account, however, you might want to use it for your identification in iChat, as it stores more information about you than an AIM identification does. You can add all your AIM buddies to your iChat Buddy List just as they appear in AIM.

KEY TERM

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) One of the leading instant-messaging applications, used by millions of people (who may or may not be subscribers to the America Online service). iChat users can communicate with AIM users and vice versa.


If you don't have a .Mac account or an AIM screen name, follow the Get an iChat Account link (a button on the account information screen) during iChat's initial setup. Setting up an iChat account using this method is free of charge; it signs you up for a trial 60-day .Mac account, and your iChat ID remains active after that period expires , even if you don't fully activate a paid .Mac account.

1.
Launch iChat

Click the iChat icon in the Dock; alternatively, navigate to the Applications folder and double-click the iChat icon.

If this is the first time you have run iChat, you will be taken through the initial setup screens. Click Continue after reading the information on the first screen.

2.
Enter Your Name

In the next screen, enter your account information. Type your first and last name in the boxes provided. You must enter both names before you can proceed.

3.
Select a .Mac or AIM Account

Depending on whether you will be using a .Mac or an AIM account with iChat, select the account type from the drop-down menu. Fill in the remaining blanks with your account name and password. Click Continue when you're done.

NOTE

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is a part of the America Online service (AOL), but it can be used by people who aren't AOL subscribers. If you're an AOL customer, the Instant Messenger service is automatically configured for you, just as iChat's setup is streamlined if you have a .Mac account, but millions of people use the standalone version of AIM who are not AOL subscribers, and iChat can use either a true AOL screen name or a separately created AIM name, if you don't have a .Mac account.

4.
Enable Jabber and Bonjour Messaging

iChat primarily operates using the AIM network, in its primary function of communicating with other people across the Internet. However, it also interoperates with two other types of instant-messaging networks: Jabber and Bonjour . These two kinds of networks are somewhat different, but both operate similarly from your perspective. Both Jabber and Bonjour are ways for you to communicate instantly with other people on a local network (such as a corporate intranet, a university, or a home network).

Jabber communication requires that a central Jabber server be present on the network; if your organization has such a server, iChat will detect it automatically and list all the other users on it. Consult your network administrator to see whether your network supports Jabber.

Bonjour, on the other hand, is a networking technology built into Mac OS X that enables many advanced features having to do with your computer automatically "discovering" other computers on the local network, such as other computers running iTunes that can share their music with you, or Macs running iPhoto with shared photos. iChat benefits from this technology by automatically finding all other iChat users on your local network and listing them for instant communication, without the need for any central server to be present.

KEY TERM

Jabber An instant-messaging protocol that allows communication and file exchange between computers on a local network, such as a corporate intranet or a university, where a central Jabber server is present.

In the next setup screen, choose to enable Jabber instant-messaging by selecting the check box and entering your Jabber account name and password; or skip Jabber by simply clicking Continue .

The next screen lets you select whether you want to enable Bonjour messaging. Select the check box if you wish to be able to see and communicate with other iChat users on your local network. Otherwise, skip the check box by clicking Continue , and your chatting will be limited to the iChat and AIM partners that you explicitly add and that appear in your Buddy List window. You might choose to disable Bonjour messaging if your Mac is the only one on the local predominantly Windows networkBonjour would be of no use to you in this case.

NOTES

Chatting with Bonjour or Jabber partners is faster than chatting with the AIM/.Mac users in your Buddy List , as the text you type appears immediately on the other person's screen letter by letter as you enter it, rather than waiting for you to finish typing and press Return before each message is sent.

iChat operates using three different lists of chat partners: your Buddy List (which shows users with AIM and .Mac accounts, to which you add chat partners manually), and your Jabber and Bonjour lists (which automatically show all other potential chat partners on your local network). You can choose to show one list, two, or all three, depending on your circumstances and needs. To display or switch to any of the three lists, select Buddy List, Bonjour , or Jabber from the Window menu in iChat.

5.
Check Audio and Video Input

The next iChat setup screen shows you the current status of your camera, if you have one connected. Be sure to open the camera's shutter (as you have to do with Apple's iSight camera) so that the camera is active. iChat will show you the camera's current image, as well as the audio input level. This lets you ensure that the camera is working properly. When you're satisfied that your camera and microphone are working correctly, click Continue .

NOTE

With the exception of the Power Mac G4 and G5 (which have a port for an external microphone), all Macs have a built-in microphone that can be used for audio input. The microphone is a little pinhole next to the screen on most Mac desktop and laptop models.

If your camera has a built-in microphone, you can choose whether to use this microphone or the one that's built into your Mac, using the drop-down menu that appears.

6.
Enable AOL Instant Messenger

If you entered information for a .Mac account, you might be prompted to enable AOL Instant Messenger access. Click Enable to do this.

You are now set up to use iChat. You can communicate immediately with other iChat users on the local network who appear in the Jabber or Bonjour windows, or add .Mac or AIM buddies to your Buddy List (see 69 Add a Buddy ).

7.
Enable Privacy Features

If you're concerned about your privacy, you can take some extra steps to ensure it in iChat. Choose Preferences from the iChat menu; under the Accounts tab are listed all your iChat accounts. Remember that because iChat uses the AIM network but integrates .Mac users into it, you have both a .Mac and an AIM account, but only one may be marked with a check at once, indicating that that's your primary account. You might also have a Jabber account and a Bonjour account, or more than one of each, depending on how you initially set up iChat.

Select your primary .Mac or AIM account (the one with the check mark) and click the Security tab. Under the Privacy Level heading, choose a privacy profile that describes how you want to use iChat. The option you select, ranging from Allow anyone to Allow specific people or even Block everyone (if you only want to be able to contact others and not be contacted by them), determines who is able to see you in their own Buddy Lists and send you messages. Use the Edit List buttons to set up " whitelists " (for Allow specific people ) or " blacklists " (for Block specific people ) that define exceptions to the overall rule you choose.



MAC OS X Tiger in a Snap
Mac OS X Tiger in a Snap
ISBN: 0672327066
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2001
Pages: 212
Authors: Brian Tiemann

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net