AOL IM problems

[UserofMacOSX]

Hi, this is my first post here, I have been a Mac user for about a year now, and will never go back to a PC! I am also new to vBulletin boards, I am used to phpBB ones, but this seems easy enough. My problem is that whenever I use the two-finger scroll on my iBook G4 it causes the application to quit, and I get the "The application AOL Instant Messenger has quit unexpectedly" message. But it never does anything except when I scroll with it in the foreground, any other time I can scroll as long as an actual IM window isn't in the foreground.
Thanks for any help!
UserofMacOSX

 

[EricNau]

Have you tried using iChat instead? (It's fully compatible with AIM.)

 

[UserofMacOSX]

You may have to fill me in on how to get everything switched over to it. I'd like to stick with the Apple programs, but I haven't even ran half of them since I got this computer.

 

[TheAnswer]

Yeah...see if iChat works better for you. Or you check out Adium which will let you chat with your MSN and Yahoo buddies if you have a lot of them.

 

[After G]

Switching to iChat:

1) Open iChat; in the iChat menu click on Preferences.
2) In the Accounts pane, click the + on the lower left to add an account.
3) Check "Use this account" and "automatically log me in" so you login whenever you start iChat.

 

[EricNau]

Open up iChat, go to Preferences > Accounts and click the "+" button in the lower left corner. Select AIM as the account type, enter your screen name & password (and add a description if you wish).
...Then you'll want to check "use this account," and if you wish, "When iChat opens, automatically log in." You might want to check the account security settings, but it should have your AIM settings already configured.

Other than fooling around with the other preferences to fit your needs, you're pretty much done.

 

[UserofMacOSX]

I just got it done. I'm not sure how, but I didn't see any of those boxes. I just opened it, and changed the accound to AIM and just kept clicking continue and now it works great! Yaaay, I can scroll again! LOL

 

[After G]

LOL, forgot there was a startup wizard deal. Glad it works for you, though.

 

[UserofMacOSX]

Thanks! That is one thing that I love about a Mac, it just kind of does all the leg work for me and all I have to do is click continue and done, not search around for every freakin installer and such. But iChat came on it, so it is great! I have another question; what is/where can I get back that little @ on a spring icon that comes in the dock next to the Trash Can? I lost it on like the second day and didn't even know what it was. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[After G]

The spring icon is just a link to Apple's homepage. Don't worry too much about losing it.

You can make your own spring by dragging a link from the address bar in Safari to your dock.

 

[UserofMacOSX]

WOW, I didn't know that. I learn something new every day about this. Like the Command+Tab thing, and how to get stuff out of the Finder bar. Thanks for all the quick responses!

 

[EricNau]

I have another question; what is/where can I get back that little @ on a spring icon that comes in the dock next to the Trash Can? I lost it on like the second day and didn't even know what it was. Thanks for all the help guys!

The only method I am aware of is to erase the dock preferences, reverting it back to the default settings (it would look just like when you first used your computer). You wouldn't loose anything, but any icons you've added/deleted from the dock would be gone/re-appear.

EDIT: ...And I'm an idiot. For some reason I was thinking that spring icon was unique compared to other links placed in the dock.

 

[UserofMacOSX]

Thanks for telling me that! I really appreciate it! Are there any other cool Mac tricks that are not advertised? I am amazed by the slo-mo minimize and all that stuff, it doesn't take much. LOL

 

[EricNau]

Press the Cmd (Apple) + Option + Control + 8 keys all at once.

 

[UserofMacOSX]

WOW, I never knew the command for that, but knew it was in the System Prefs under visually impaired or something. Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[PippinTheJedi]

Hey, I've got a problem similar to this. I got a new macbook and I set up my AIM account in iChat. But everyone time I login it, after a few seconds, it kicks me out saying that the connection to host was unexpectedly lost. Any advice? and I'm a new switcher, so I'll need "baby step" replies. Thanks in advance! I know I can use AIM, but I really want the video confrencing AV features. Any help. Please?