Ralph Johns

iChat Information Pages

iChat Icon

These iChat (Version 1) pages are coloured Blue and have the iChat (1) icon on them that was in use at the time, so you know where you are. The icon differs from later ones by having the Running Man.  

These pages have sat here since 2008 with no update. In that time the AIM servers have been closed down (2017) and iChat has been superceded by Messages. That effectively make this a sort of Historical Document of how it worked.

iChat 1 Pictures

You are In:- iChat >> Versions >> iChat 1 >> iChat 1 Pictures Index >> iChat 1 Add Buddy Index >> Add Buddy: Mac
Folder with Up and Back arrow Back Arrow icon Next Arrow icon 3[4] 03 Add Buddy: Mac Oct 2008
Adding New Contact @mac Screen
3 Add Buddy: Mac

After the link to Address Book Screen and choosing the New Person option you will come to this Screen.

You will also come here or to the next picture version if you use the Buddies Menu > Add Buddy whilst a Chat is active with a Buddy not in the Buddy List- and the screen will be filled in with the Screen Name and the Account Type will have been chosen

To highlight the difference in Adding an AIM Screen Name or @mac.com Screen Name I have included the two views of this Screen with the top drop down changed.

In this picture the choice is to add a Buddy with an @mac.com name as stated at the top drop down. In the Account Name part you only have to enter the part of the Screen Name before the @mac.com suffix. I once used an @mac trial account with the name ralphjohns2@mac.com. I have entered the first part of this as the Account Name in the picture. iChat will add the @mac.com part for you.

The fact the iChat software adds the @mac.com suffix is less clear in iChat (1) than it is in subsequent versions.

The adding or filling in of First Name and Last Name details is optional but if you do it will create an Address Book entry once you use the Add Button to commit this to be saved.

The Buddy will display "Real Name" info by preference but will use the Screen name if that is all you have.

If you click the Buddy Icon box you will be offered the choice to navigate to a Picture to use as the Buddy's pic. This will be your choice and will override any Buddy Pic they may be sending from their end. This will become their Address Book pic if you do this.

The AIM version of this Screen is next.

Created with JAlbum 4.0.6

©  Ralph Johns. Created October 2008

Revised and Edited Links and Content with corrections and updates Nov 19th 2024.

Information Block

These pages have sat here since 2008 with no update. In that time the AIM servers have been closed down (2017) and iChat has been superceded by Messages. That effectively make this a sort of Historical Document of how it worked.

This 2024 Edit/Update does make some tense changes to the Contents but mostly it stands as written. The general purpose of the update was to move, as much as possible to HTML 5 compliance where I could.

This site is about iChat from Version 1 through to iChat 5.x.x

It has a mixture of basic info and problem solving help.

This Information Block will change for Specifics about info on the page on view

About This Page

At the risk of boring people I have stressed the point that the iChat Software adds the @mac.com suffix for you.

It is important to make the choice for the correct Account Type hence this and the following picture.

Compatibility

As mentioned above this has had a major Edit/Update in September 2024 meaning that the Browsers listed below are likely to no longer work.

I have tested in Safari 18.1, Firefox 130.x and 131.0, Vivaldi 6.9.3447.48 and iCab 6.2.3 (All Mac Browsers) I don't have access to a PC let alone multiple browsers to test on.

The original pages worked with Win/IE 5.5 and later (should work in 5.0, but not confirmed), Firefox 2, Safari 3, Opera 9, iCab 3.02 and later, Mac/IE 5, Netscape 6 and later

Old browsers (IE version 4 or earlier, Netscape 4 or earlier) would only see a text-based page which, while not the prettiest option, is still entirely usable.