newbie to iChat, best way

[roshi]

A friend of mine just bought a new Macbook, has a built-in camera. What is the best way to get an iChat account? Does he have to sign up with an AOL instant chat?

[kap]

I use iChat with all of my Mac using family and friends. I use iChat via Jabber to chat the Windows users on GoogleTalk.

Kap

[Ken Sp.]

go to AIM.com and sign up for an AIM account there---then go to iChat prefs and enter the username and password.
DO NOT LET HIM SIGN UP FOR AOL. AIM only.

[roshi]

thanks.

[chas_m]

He should really give the .Mac trial account a spin, if for no other reason than to "reserve" his .Mac user name. Besides it's a great value. Let me put it this way: Apple gives me a FREE .Mac account that is limited in some ways because I'm a rep. Out of my own pocket I pay for a full account because I really make it work for me.

YMMV, of course, but it's worth a spin IMHO.

[Jimmypoo]

Dot Mac, if you make use of all it has to offer, is really something of a bargain.

The sync functions for multiple machines, the IMAP mail, the web drive for storage of large items up to 1GB, iWeb/iPhoto, etc., much like Tiger itself - once you start using it, you begin to see just how valuable the thing really is.

[roshi]

I just bought him a year's dot mac subscription.

The guy is a photographer, and the one who developed the chain-mail diving suit that allows underwater photographers to hang out with sharks!

[Kiva]

remember the days when we were all ticked off that .mac was no longer going to be free? now, we're calling it a bargain...go figure...

Or was that just the email features? I was thinking of getting my mom a subscription soon..

kiva