iSight, iChat, iGlasses & Chax

Q: What do all of these have in common?

A: [singing] “You can’t have one, without the -- oth-er.” [/singing]

Okay, technically you can, but in reality, you can’t. Here’s the low-down.

iSight is Apple’s superior webcam (which now comes standard in the monitors of the new iMacs and MacBooks). As good as it is (and damn, it’s good), you’ll need a few other things to make it work (better). Don’t worry; it’ll only set you back an extra $8.


iGlasses is the first thing you'll need. Why this doesn’t come with - or isn’t built into - the iSight software, I’ll never understand, but this $8 app is absolutely ESSENTIAL. As crisp as your iSight picture is, it’s still dark, so you’ll need to adjust the brightness. iGlasses has a ton of pre-sets that corrects the problem. Once installed, it automatically gets added to the Video toolbar in iChat… but we’ll get to that in a minute.

If you’re planning on chatting with others, you’ll need to sign up for a screen name at either AIM or .Mac. I’m cheap, so I opted for AIM (which is free) whereas a .Mac account, after a free 60 day trial, will set you back a whopping $100 per year(!) Yeah. Fuck.That.

After you have your screen name (if you opt for the AIM route, don't download the IM program, just sign-up for a screen name), open iChat and enter your screen name and password info (I think it actually prompts you for it when you first open iChat). After that’s done, add some buddies (i.e. contacts/people to talk to).

You’ll be pleased at first, but after a while, you’ll start asking questions, like:

“Why isn’t there an option for my video chat window to Always Be on Top?”

And:

“Why can’t I make custom away messages?”

The answer is – you can’t. Unless you download Chax – a free plug-in for iChat that lets you do all those things and more.

Want MORE from your iSight? Check out this highly informative article.

What's that? All your friends are PC-users? No problem. Just follow these instructions and your off!

Good luck!