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 In that time the AIM servers have been closed down (2017) and iChat has been superceded by Messages. That effectively make this a sort of Historical Document of how it worked.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 Buddy LIst Index >> Status Messages
Folder with Back and Up Arrow Back Arrow icon Disabled Next Arrow icon 4[4] 04 The Status Messages Oct 2008
Status Message slot
4 The Status Messages

If you click on the Current Status message you get access to change it.

Drop down Status Messages

At the beginning there are just 2. Available and Away. There is also a Custom option for both Available and Away and that will change the Status to Away if that is the one you chose and open this Text field shown in the main picture where you can type what you want.

If you wish to Save the Status Messages you have to use the Edit option, shown at the bottom of this iChat 3 version picture (it has the iTunes Option).

 

Edit Pane Status Messages

This will bring up another pane where you can set Status Messages in advance and then they are selectable from the list.

Double Click a line to change the Text in it.

You can type quite long Status Messages but iChat will only display 42 characters of them (Or anyone else's Message under their name), no matter how wide you make the Buddy List. However if you hover the mouse over the Status Message a Tooltip box will appear with the whole message.

If you type the keystrokes for a Smiley it will display at your end as Text but at your Buddies as the Smiley.

In the iChat 3 Picture it has the iTunes option. This is actually an AppleScript that checks iTunes as to what is playing and displays the tune and the Artist. Doug's AppleScripts has this that can do it for iChat (1) and 2. (Edit 2024: This lin still works but the info points out that it is doubtful to work in later OS verions 1. because iChat AV that it was originally written for is no more and 2 the Applescript used at the time was for PowerPC chips, the G3, G4 and G5's and we have had Intel and the M series Apple Chips since then.) Other Applescripts can be used to create a sort of Scrolling message.

From here it is either How Tos or Functions

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

Status Messages can only be created from the Buddy List so I have included this page with the pictures on the Buddy List.

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.