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iChat for Windows

C

Craigy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 14, 2003
403
48
New Zealand
It's probably been asked before, but I wonder if / when Apple will get around to porting iChat to windows. We use it to communicate with our mac based customers, have tried it with AOL but it sucks!

I know WWDC is around the corner and I havn't heard anything on this subject for a long time. I can't see why Apple won't do this, They did the same for iTunes and dramatically increased their sales of ipods - I'm sure the same would be true of the iSight, even if they had to include a Firewire PCI card..

Any thoughts?
 
I don't think Apple will give iChat over to Windows. There are a lot of IM programs for the pc and iChat could just get lost in the mix. Remember, iTunes was ported to sell iPods and promote the itms. The only profit Apple could make after spending the time to port iChat would be to sell iSights. Apple would also have to improve iChat quite a bit to include the same support (and more) as AIM offers. I miss tabbed IM windows, animated GIF icons and profiles from my Windows day, and I'm sure the vast majority of AIM'ers wouldn't give those things up.

AIM and iChat already play nice through USB (and firewire) video chat. Unless Apple thinks they can convince PC users to buy a $150 webcam, there is no motivaton for such a project.
 
edesignuk said:
iChat is a sh*tty IM client, Windows users have far better options, so do Mac users for that matter (AdiumX!!!!)
Click to expand...

We use iChat for Video only with our customers.. Are there better PC / Mac Video solutions?
 
edesignuk said:
iChat is a sh*tty IM client, Windows users have far better options, so do Mac users for that matter (AdiumX!!!!)
Click to expand...
iChat isn't as bad as you make it out to be. If you're a .Mac user, it makes sense to use iChat, as Adium/Proteus/Fire may not be aware of .Mac usernames for AOL chats. Some people complain about the fact that iChat doesn't support profiles - my response to that is that I don't care, because I don't use profiles, and the best way to get Apple to implement something is to send feedback.
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
iChat isn't as bad as you make it out to be. If you're a .Mac user, it makes sense to use iChat, as Adium/Proteus/Fire may not be aware of .Mac usernames for AOL chats.
Click to expand...
I'm a .Mac user and I sign in to Adium with my .mac account and talk to other .Mac users with no problem what-so-ever.
 
edesignuk said:
I'm a .Mac user and I sign in to Adium with my .mac account and talk to other .Mac users with no problem what-so-ever.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info about Adium. IMO, Adium/Fire/Proteus have one major disadvantage - they can suffer connectivity loss when the Big 3 tinker with their protocols. I'd much rather use three clients and have constant connectivity than one client that can't talk to anybody - that's why I prefer iChat.
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
Thanks for the info about Adium. IMO, Adium/Fire/Proteus have one major disadvantage - they can suffer connectivity loss when the Big 3 tinker with their protocols.
Click to expand...
I sign in to MSN & AOL via Adium, I have never had the connection drop.
 
edesignuk said:
I sign in to MSN & AOL via Adium, I have never had the connection drop.
Click to expand...
Do you check frequently for Adium updates? You need to do that if you use Adium, since all sorts of things can change that will cause Adium to not work as expected. If I used Adium (or Fire/Proteus), I'd make sure I got the latest updates so that I'm covered regardless of what happens to the IM networks.
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
Do you check frequently for Adium updates? You need to do that if you use Adium, since all sorts of things can change that will cause Adium to not work as expected. If I used Adium (or Fire/Proteus), I'd make sure I got the latest updates so that I'm covered regardless of what happens to the IM networks.
Click to expand...
Adium checks it's self for updates, and they are frequent :cool: I keep up to date with it and have no problems.
 
edesignuk said:
Adium checks it's self for updates, and they are frequent :cool: I keep up to date with it and have no problems.
Click to expand...
That's good. I hope you continue to have success with Adium, and I'll continue using iChat.
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
That's good. I hope you continue to have success with Adium, and I'll continue using iChat.
Click to expand...
LOL, same here. I'll just use what's easy. Now if Apple could throw in a FTP client w/ 10.4...

Tabbed message windows... got that on DeadAIM for AIM.
 
FuzzyBallz said:
LOL, same here. I'll just use what's easy. Now if Apple could throw in a FTP client w/ 10.4...

Tabbed message windows... got that on DeadAIM for AIM.
Click to expand...
Surely you mean a read/write FTP client, as opposed to the read-only one currently in Panther?
 
Kingsnapped said:
Cant you FTP through the terminal?
/uses transport
Click to expand...
Yes you can - that's what I use when I need to write via FTP. Not all Mac OS X users are as familiar with the command line as I am, and would thus appreciate a graphical FTP client in Mac OS X.
 
Is there an iChat AV - ish program that will allow me to use my iSight with someone else on a PC using a regular webcam?
 
aricher said:
Is there an iChat AV - ish program that will allow me to use my iSight with someone else on a PC using a regular webcam?
Click to expand...

iChat AV and the current AIM will let you videochat between a PC and a Mac
 
edesignuk said:
iChat is a sh*tty IM client, Windows users have far better options, so do Mac users for that matter (AdiumX!!!!)
Click to expand...

I agree, but the iChat upgrade coming in 2k5 in Panther does allow more than two to video chat which is a significant. Of course that real improvement gets lost in Jobs' BS about inventing everything.

The video conference enhancements and the Automator are significant enhancements.
 
aim - ichat problem

Sorry about the previous "Can" entry. What can I say -- "Newbie!"

I am having problems doing audio chats between my pc and various macs. i am using aim 5.5 and ichat av2.1. I have checked quite a few help sources and have tried a few remedies, but no luck. All the AIM/iChat info/help pages say it is possible.

I have tried within my home network, outside the network, using two diff isp's, working outside my router, dialup and cable, with and without camera attached to the mac, etc.

I can do audio chat between my mac and other macs, but not with any of several pcs.

any ideas?
 
dfitzmahan said:
Sorry about the previous "Can" entry. What can I say -- "Newbie!"
Click to expand...
Well, you can say that you were glad that I wasn't around...
new_shocked.gif



dfitzmahan said:
I have tried within my home network, outside the network, using two diff isp's, working outside my router, dialup and cable, with and without camera attached to the mac, etc.

I can do audio chat between my mac and other macs, but not with any of several pcs.
Click to expand...
I'm 75% sure that the problem stems from your PCs and not iChat AV 2.1. Check your configuration settings on all of the PCs that you've tried, and experiment around with different ports and available network settings until you get the connection to work. I think that if my certainty is correct, then you're about to find out just what it's like to have audio chats between PCs.
new_shocked.gif
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iChat for Windows

King Cobra, have you been able to have audio chats with AIM users using your iChat, without webcams? Thanks
 
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