“Since its introduction iChat has become the de facto Instant Messaging client on Mac OS X, allowing users to communicate using text, audio, and even video chat. The new version of iChat in Leopard opens up these capabilities to other applications on the system, allowing those applications to provide content through an iChat session.” My take: Now, if Apple would implement support for MSN and other protocols for those of us (especially in Europe) who do not use AIM/ICQ, this could be a whole lot more interesting.
I thought it has support for Jabber as well? Are these features supported by Jabber?
Indeed it does support jabber (a.k.a. XMPP). The new leopard release will also improve on the jabber support. All of the iChat Theater features will be available between iChat users over jabber but features between other clients will depend on their support for the audio/video codex, etc…
Edited 2007-04-22 17:42
Yep, I use Jabber to communicate over Google’s network. Works great, and if the other person is using iChat, even on a Jabber network, it’ll let you video/audio chat. Neat, eh? Makes a great way to keep in touch with the family, I’ve found.
One nice thing would be if the new version supported plugins for protocols. I’m all for using iChat but having contacts over at yahoo and msn (which can’t be easily convinced to switch) requires me to use Adium + Skype.
I’ll definitely stick to Adium until iChat supports additional IM plugings.
I live in Spain and *everybody* uses MSN Messenger. For good or bad, Instant messaging got popular here when MS included Messenger with Windows. This basically makes iChat useless here, at least until it includes the ability to chat with MSN users…
Over here (The Netherlands) it’s just pretty much the same like salgiza described the situation is Spain. I don’t use instant messaging because everybody is using MSN and I avoid using Microsoft products as much as possible.
The dutch language has a verb for “being busy with instant messaging”: “MSN-en”. So MSN in holland is pretty much synonymous with IM-client.
Yeah wake me when it supports as many protocols as libgaim.
What Cocoa APIs does libgaim include?
None.
You may not be aware but libgaim is used exclusively in Adium to handle all those chat protocols.
I am aware of that and that is my point. I want Cocoa APIs, not Carbon.
iChat supports Jabber and Jabber has a nice feature called “transports”. Jabber transports allows you to connect to another network via jabber. For example, I only use a Jabber account for all my instant messaging needs, although I have AOL/ICQ and MSN friends in my contact list. I connect to AOL/ICQ and MSN via transports, and to me an MSN buddy looks like just any other Jabber contact.
If you like iChat you should check out how to use Jabber transports.
I connect to AOL/ICQ and MSN via transports, and to me an MSN buddy looks like just any other Jabber contact.
If you like iChat you should check out how to use Jabber transports.
Using Jabber transports involves exposing your ICQ/Yahoo etc account name and password to a third party.
” rel=”nofollow”>http://lists.imendio.com/pipermail/gossip-dev/2004-November/008217….
” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.jabber.org/user/userguide/
Unless (as mentioned in some of the links) you are running your own server, the server acting as your gateway receives and forwards your login info to AIM/MSN etc, logging in for you (simpified). If you trust your gateway, great, but it’s just not as comfortable to me as using a service directly.
No, Apple did some useability studies 15 years ago in which they determined that AIM/ICQ were the correct protocols to use. So you are wrong to use Yahoo! etc. and must use what Apple has decided.
Edited 2007-04-23 01:18
There is your problem. Neither protocol is better than the next, they are all just *different*. What is needed is one, good, standard protocol that everyone uses, period.
MMP: the Mythical Messaging Protocol
Still, if there will ever be one standard (and open) protocol, I’ll be the first to applaud this.
Edited 2007-04-23 07:54
ummmmm…Jabber is the protocal you’re looking for.
The problem is that it doesn’t have big companies advertising it.
If apple could get these two supported I would be a super happy bunny.
Im sure it would also help intergrating macs into a work network (voip is essential for us) Adding msn would just be nice as most of the UK uses it
Google is a pretty big company if you ask me
http://talk.google.com
if you want to talk to everyone.. you have to speak the same language.. who gives a crap about MSN? it’s a closed protocol.. only Microsoft will have reliable service using it.. let’s all speak Jabber instead! It’s an open and free language..
Any idea if Google have opened their servers to talk to other Jabber servers yet?
Ah it seems they did last year, seems I missed it. Well that’s good news. I’ll probably be recommending Google Talk to more people now. If only Google’s privacy record was a bit better…
When will I be able to use iChat without having to pay for a .mac account?
You can. Right now. Always have been able to.
Funny. It won’t let me actually use iChat unless I have a .mac account. It won’t let me continue. When I go to create a .mac account, it says it costs money.