How do I iChat with someone on Windows?
The problem: Apple doesn't make iChat for Windows (yet). It has provisions to
work with AOL Instant Messenger for Windows and Jabber for Windows and Linux.
iChat doesn't work with MSN IM, Yahoo IM, Google Talk, IRC, or anything else.
Just AIM and Jabber and other Macs running iChat, period. You can get Mac versions
of those chat programs if you need/want to use them.
Easy way: Get them a Mac with iChat. Hard way: walk them thru the following process.
iChat can talk to AIM or Jabber on Windows (or Linux). You have to have an account
on the same service your Windows-using friends use and be logged into that service
in iChat.
If your Windows-using in-laws have AIM accounts, get an AIM account and log in
to AIM when you start iChat. iChat keeps AIM under the "Buddy List"
window (1) which is what AIM on windows call it too. AIM accounts are also called
screennames. You can get an AIM account at http://aim.com – they're free.
For video chat, you need AIM 5.5 and iChat AV 2.1 on the two computers.
Jabber is a free IM service not tied to any company. Anyone can run a Jabber server,
if you have a server and the know-how. Go to http://jabber.org and read the User
Guide. In the simplest terms, if you and your friends have accounts on the same
Jabber server, you can chat with iChat and Jabber. Jabber chat is kept in the
Jabber Window under 3. The easiest way is to register accounts with the jabber.org
server itself. To use Jabber, open port 5222 on your firewall. Important to note:
Jabber is a protocol, not a program. So you can't download "Jabber"
– you need a program that speaks Jabber. Exodus for Windows and Gabber for
Linux are the recommended ones.
Jabber can also be used to talk to "legacy" IM and chat protocols thru
a gateway. So even though iChat doesn't support say Yahoo IM, if you get a Jabber
account and find a Yahoo IM gateway for Jabber, you can talk to your Yahoo IM-using
friends with iChat. It's just a little involved and it's not guaranteed to work.
Send in your questions! Email them to
