These iChatAV (Version 2) pages are coloured Green and have the iChat 2 icon on them that was in use at the time, so you know where you are. The icon differs from Version 1 by having the camera logo added.

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 In that time the AIM servers have been closed down (2017) and iChat has been superseded by Messages. That effectively make this a sort of Historical Document of how it worked.

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iChatAV (Version 2)

Before

iChat made it's it way into the Apple Application fold in about 2002 with the first version. We are talking at the time of Jaguar (10.2.x).

At that point it was just a basic AIM client. That means that Apple developed an application that worked with other Clients that use the AIM Service. They came to an agreement with AIM that @mac.com email IDs would be recognized by the AIM Servers as valid AIM screen names (See iChat 4 section about changes to @mac.com/.mac).

So iChat (ver 1) can Text chat (including Group chats) and send Files and Pictures to other AIM based clients

Then Came

Then comes iChatAV (iChat vers 2) In June 2003. It came initially as a Beta and then as a $29.00 Add-on application for 10.2.x (Had to be 10.2.5 or above though). What it added was the ability to do Audio only and Video Chats with similar equipped Buddies (AIM went A/V for PCs around the same time). It was free with Panther (10.3.x).

Somewhat ignored when people talk about iChatAV (2) is that it added the possibility to display your Buddy List with restrictions based on Groups. A pop out drawer can be displayed with the Buddy Groups and if these are turned off the List is restricted to the ones left "On"

iChatAV, as Apple called it, had one update which Software Update may pick it up for you to iChat 2.1 (It was in March 2004 and I can't find a link), although i doubt it due to the time elapsed. The Standalone Update from Apple is no longer available and the link that was here has been removed. .

A note about Passwords with Apple Screen Names

As with other versions of iChat the Password for any Screen Name has to be 16 Characters or less to be accepted by the AIM Servers for a Log in. As @mac.com (and the newer @me.com) passwords can be longer, this needs to be watched.

 Functions, Pictures and How-tos

Other Help

As well as these Pages here, help can be found at the Apple Discussion Boards This link is to the Front Index page. (Edit 2024: you now need to access the Mac OS option and then Earlier OSes on the next page.)

A Word about Navigating the Apple Discussion Boards

The Boards are hierarchical. The links onwards to the Forums are shown with Icons on the Index page. What you will find is that there is often another level to go through (Edit 2024: Now "Earlier OSes").

You can not post until you are in a Forum where the Search or New Question field box shows or have clicked on a Topic listed below that. You also have to be registered with Apple and logged into Discussions. Apple uses a common ID for iTunes, the Store and the Discussion - so you may have one already.

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©  Ralph Johns Created October 2008 Edited September 2024.

Information Block

This site is about iChat from Version 1 through to iChat 5.x.x
Mostly this is kept as an Historical Document. Some small tense changes have been made but the content is by and large untouched.

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

The sections below will change for Specifics about info on the page on view

About This Page

A combo of what went Before as a basis of abilities and basic list of what iChat 2 added to that.

Screen Names from Apple

In June 2008 Apple launched their MobileMe service to replace the .Mac one. This has a knock on effect as to the Screen Names you can now get from Apple. Apple Screen Names are based on the email ID you have from them. This can be the older (name)@mac.com style from .Mac or the (name)@me.com from the MobileMe service where (name) is anything you care to use. These were later replaced themselves with @me.com and @icloud.com ones with the iCloud registrations

Trial @mac.com names work in iChat after the 60 Days trial was up - as do Lapsed paid for accounts. They continue to work at the time of writing. With MobileMe names the trial accounts work in iChat up to the time the trial runs out. There has not been along enough period at the time of writing to find out if Lapsed accounts continue to work, but it seems unlikely they will. (Edit 2024 - they didn't)

It is worth noting that for a while after the introduction of Mobile Me the @mac IDs could still be gained but they only worked for iChat and were adertised as such.

Compatibility

Much of this page has been altered to be as HTML 5 compatible as possible. This may cause issues with any of the Browser below.

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.

Previously confirmed to work 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) should only see a text-based page which, while not the prettiest option, is still entirely usable.

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