Text chatting is a favorite way to communicate for many people. It is not as intrusive as a phone call, but more immediate than e-mail; and text chatting is easy to use. With iChat, you can text chat with other people using a variety of accounts.
iChat also enables you to audio and video chat just as easily as you can text chat. Because MacBooks include a built-in iSight camera and microphone, you do not need any additional hardware to have true audio- and videoconferences. You can even communicate with more than one person at the same time.
Like the other "i" applications, iChat is both powerful and easy to use. Its interface is simple and elegant, but packs all the features you need to have great text, audio, and video chats.
After you have done some quick configuration of iChat, you can use it to communicate with people all over the world in any format you choose. It can even help when you have problems because you can also use iChat to share your MacBook's desktop.
Text conversations appear in their own window
At the top of the window, you see who you are texting with
On the left side of the window, you see the other person involved in the conversation
On the right side of the window, you see your contributions to the conversation
When you want to add to the conversation, enter text in the text box
You can add emoticons to a conversation by selecting them on the menu
When you audio chat with people, you see a visual representation of the sounds you hear
At the top of the window, you see how many people are participating
Participants in the conversation have their own sound bar so you can see when they speak
The bottom bar represents how loud your speech is
Use this button to add more people to the conversation
Click this button to mute your sound
Use this to set the volume level of a conversation
Shows each of the people you are videoconferencing with
Each participant gets his or her own window for the chat
During a video chat, you see yourself as the other participants see you
You can use the Effects tools to distort the video images in different ways
You can add up to three other people in a videoconference
Use the Mute button to block sound from your end
When you click this, the videoconference fills the desktop
You can use iChat to view and control another person's computer
When you are sharing a desktop, you see a preview of your desktop; click it to move back to your computer
When someone shares a screen with you, you can work with documents and commands just as if you were seated in front of the other computer
Before you start chatting, you need to do some basic configuration of iChat, such as setting up the chat accounts you are going to use, and setting volume levels for the microphone. iChat's Setup Assistant guides you each step of the way.
Configure an iChat Account
The first time you launch iChat, the Setup Assistant runs.
Note
You can use a .Mac, America Online Instant Messenger (AIM), Jabber, or Google Talk account with iChat.
Note
If you do not have a chat account, click the Get an iChat Account button and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you use a .Mac account, you see the Encrypted iChat screen.
iChat opens, you see your buddy lists, and you are ready to start chatting.
Tip
Do I have to use the Assistant to configure iChat?
You can configure all aspects of iChat using its Preferences dialog box (Press
What kind of Internet connection do I need to audio and video chat?
Audio and video chats require broadband Internet connections. As long as you can connect via a Wi-Fi, DSL, cable, or T1 connection, you can chat with audio and video. Be prepared to be amazed at the quality of both audio and video chatting.
Text chatting is a great way to have almost real-time conversations with other people while not consuming all of your and their attention throughout the conversation. Text messaging is a great way to communicate short messages in the format of a conversation.
iChat enables you to text message other people (called buddies) easily and quickly.
Chat with Text
ADD A BUDDY
If the person with whom you want to chat is not on either list, continue with the following steps.
Note
A buddy that appears on the Offline list is unavailable for chatting.
The Add Buddy sheet appears.
The sheet expands to show a mini Address Book.
The person is added to your buddy list.
A new text chat window appears.
Your message is sent and is added to the message log at the top of the window next to your icon.
Your response is sent and added to the conversation log.
Note
Text chatting is supposed to be fast and simple. So, expect to see misspellings and shorthand in chats.
Tip
What happens when someone starts a chat with me?
When someone wants to chat with you, a new message window appears in iChat and you see the message sent to you. Click the message; the window expands to show the response box. To decline the chat, click the Decline button. To block all attempts to chat, click the Block button. To accept the chat, type your response and click Accept. Chat just like when you start a chat session.
You can use iChat and Mac OS X's Bonjour networking function to text, audio, and video chat on your local network. When people on your local network sign in to chat, they appear on your Bonjour List. You can chat with them just like chatting over the Internet, except the conversation never leaves the local network.
Text chatting is great, but being able to talk to someone can be even better. Of course, you can always use the phone, but that can be expensive. Using an iChat audio chat, you can have conversations with one or more people at the same time at no cost to you.
Before you start talking, take a couple of moments to set up your MacBook's microphone. Then you can talk at will.
Chat with Audio
CHECK THE MICROPHONE
The iChat Preferences dialog box opens.
Note
If the Audio Chat button does not become active when you select a buddy, the buddy is not capable of audio chatting with you.
Tip
What if I do not want to chat in any form?
To prevent any chat requests from popping up, you need to quit iChat. If you want to show your status to others, open the Status pop-up menu that is just below your name at the top of the buddy and Bonjour list windows. Choose the status you want them to see on their buddy lists. Choose Offline if you do not want to chat. To chat again, choose Available on the menu. No matter what status you choose, you see windows pop up when someone tries to chat with you. You can just ignore those windows or decline the chats if you do not want to chat.
Are audio chats basically free phone calls?
Yes. If you already have an account that supports audio and video chats, there is no additional charge for the chats. In effect, you can make free phone calls and have free videoconferences with anyone with whom you can chat, no matter where the person is located in the world.
With the rise of iChat, iSight cameras, and broadband Internet connections, video conferencing has become simple and easy to do. With MacBook and an Internet connection, you can see people while you talk to them. This is the next best thing to being there in person.
Chat with Video
CHECK THE CAMERA
The My Built-in iSight window opens.
Note
Click the Preferences button to open the Audio/Video pane of the iChat Preferences dialog box.
Tip
How many people can I have in a video or audio conference at the same time?
You can have up to four participants (including yourself) in a single videoconference. You can have up to ten people in an audio conference at the same time.
Is iChat compatible with other kinds of videoconference systems?
No. To use iChat for videoconferences, all participants must be using iChat.
With iChat, you can share your desktop with other Macs so that the people with whom you are chatting can see what is happening on your screen. This is useful for many things, such as doing online presentations, collaborating on a document, and so on.
But it can also be very useful when you need to get help from people. You can share your desktop with them and they can watch to see exactly how and where you are getting into trouble, which is usually most of the remote troubleshooting battle (more on getting help with problems in Chapter 19). They can also take control of MacBook to help you fix problems.
Share MacBook's Desktop
SHARE YOUR DESKTOP
The buddy with whom you are sharing your screen can now use your MacBook.
SHARE SOMEONE ELSE'S DESKTOP
iChat sends a share request to the buddy. When he or she accepts, you see two windows on the screen.
Note
You can move the preview window around the screen if it blocks the part of the shared desktop that you want to see.
The two windows flip-flop so your desktop is now the larger window.
Tip
What happens when someone wants to share his or her screen with me?
You receive a screen sharing invitation in iChat. When you click the invitation, you have the options to Accept to start screen sharing, Decline to prevent it, or Text Reply to send a text message back instead. If you choose to share your screen, the person who sent the invitation to you is able to see and control your MacBook.
What if I just want to show something to someone without letting him or her have control?
You can use the iChat Theater to present documents to people. Choose File, Share a File With iChat Theater. Move to and select the file you want to share. Click Share, then choose the buddy to whom you want to present the document. That person sees two windows. One contains the document you are sharing, and the other shows you. You can move through the document, such as a slideshow, and the buddy sees it in the document window.