I am trying to use ichat. trying to register but it will not accept my apple id?

Question

just got a imac. trying to setup ichat so i can chat to friends. when i try setting up an account it lists options for AOL, mobileme etc... AOL doesnt work for me as i am in New Zealand and mobileme sends me to apple homepage to sign up using my appleID which i already have. i try using my appleID to sign into ichat but it will not let me..... anyone know whats wrong and can advise?

Answer 1

Hi,
You can set up an @Mac.com name but this must use a different Email (as Contact point) that is not used already for an Apple ID.
(And yes the iChat method of selecting either @Mac.com or MobileMe and hitting the get an iChat Account will both take you to the @Mac.com registration page)
AIM have moved their Registration Page  (And the above method does not work for AIM in iChat 4 or rather it send you to the @mac.com page again - iChat 5 does send you to the AIM one - or tries to.)
I am not sure why you think you can't register from an AIM name in New Zealand
AIM's Registration page is here
This effectively either makes an Email you type in the top box an AIM Name or creates a new name and you only link for contact purposes and Password recovery another email address.
Just to be clear.
Names from Apple as in @Mac.com and MobileMe names are also Valid AIM Screen Names.
Apart for this they are also Apple IDs
MobileME are also Email addresses of course
(An @Mac.com name if registered before MobileMe started may have been linked with the MobileMe email system and still work as an email).
An Apple ID is generally an email based item and can be from an ISP that offers an email service or from Yahoo, Google or Hotmail etc.
An Apple ID created using this sort of Email Address is NOT an Valid AIM ID just because you created a Apple ID with it.
To be really Clear
NOT all apple IDs are valid as AIM Screen Names.
Only Apple @Mac.com names and MobileMe (@me.com ending names) are Valid with AIM as well
If you have another Email ID you could create a New Apple ID at the @Mac.com page using that.
If you have only one you may wish to use that at AIM either as the Name or link it for password recovery to a newly created name there
NOTES
AIM do seem to be showing that the name will be [email protected]
If this is an Active email it is new (Last 2 months or so) as it was a choice to activate a name as an email as well.
Before you could register a username with no @whateverISP.com involved.
I have so many names that I have created as test accounts (In registration and use) that I am  reluctant to work though the current Process which is on different pages so you can't see all the boxes up front.
9:25 PM      Saturday; June 18, 2011
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