kichat: Can My Mac Be Made To Work With iChatAV ?

So Can My Mac Be Made To Work With iChatAV ?

This question is asked by many who find their computer is below the G3/600Mghz Specs limit set for iChat
See here in the second table top left box the listing of the G3/600

Please note there are different Specs for Audio and Video chat.

The above linked Apple Doc has been re-written several times since it originally came out and it does not quite carry the same help it once did.

It is presumed that you are going to want to take as much advantage of iChat as you can. So I will talk about Video chatting.

For Jaguar (10.2.5 - 10.2.8)
Prior to the beginning of Oct 2004 there was a Jaguar version of iChat AV on sale at the Apple Store as a download. If you are at 10.2.5 - 10.2.8 and downloaded the $29.95 Version 2.0 of iChat for Jaguar, in preperation of using iChat, before this date, you may find some of this information useful.
The WWDC 2003 Anouncement

If you did not buy it, your only option is to upgrade to Panther.

For Panther (10.3.x) and Jaguar (10.2.5 -10.2.8)
IF you fall below the G3/600 mark then you will need this utility, iChatUSBCam from Ecamm.com This will enable the external iSight to work at lower spec machines. The current reported lower limit is around the G3/350Mhz mark.

It will also enable USB cameras for use with iChatAV, but there is little in the way of substantive information about Sub G3/600 computers achieving this.
There have been about a dozen posts saying it will use a USB cam on a G3 as low as 400Mgz

It should be noted that computers of this age tend to lack Multi-Tasking and will find that iChat will take up most of their processor time.

iChat AV FAQ folder

iSight FAQ Search

This is a link to the drivers already installed in the Mac OS. The download is not required. *See note below

Apple used to list the DV camcorders that work with the drivers already in the Mac OS but now Apple no longer does so (Link removed from this section). *See note below.

Essentially any Firewire camera will work with the OS. Some MiniDV formats can not be seen by iChat though.
Many USB Webcams will work if you are at 10.4.8 or earlier or only UBS 1.1 ports. This will need the Mac Drivers and the IChatUSBCam utility.

*Note: Both these last two lists were updated Jan 2004 or before. The purpose of pointing this out to highlight the fact that new cameras have come on the market since. They may work with these drivers or have their own Mac Firewire drivers on their accompanying install CDs.
The Current list for Firewire Webcams is now here as linked above.

For Tiger (10.4) and up.
Much of what has been said before applies to you as well. Most firewire web cams will work, DV Camcorders will work. USB cameras can work with the correct Mac Driver and the iChatUSBCam utility.
However....

10.4.9 now adds a driver for USB Video Class (UCV) web cams that will work with the OS and iChat. Not all USB video cams are of this type and iChatUSBCam is still needed.

Mulit-Video Chatting
This was added to iChat at iChat 3 in Tiger (10.4.x)
As can be seen from the Specs linked earlier you need a Mac over a certain Spec (G4/1Ghz Dual) to be able to Host Video chats. (plus Internet Speed).
Ecamm came to people's rescue again with PowerBoost if your Mac does not reach those specs.

Leopard 10.5
In Leopard the criteria is also for a mac of a certain spec before you even start, This is a G4/867Mghz processor. If you have problems then see this Apple Doc There is also some evidence that this helps other macs with the same message even if not this spec machine.

This is the 3rd version of this tip. It was submitted on 20/1/08 by Ralph Johns (UK).



8:42 PM Sunday; January 20, 2008