Use Google Account in iChat ?

Question

I have signed up to a Google account (don't mix this up with Gmail account) using my .me.com email which i would like to use in Google Talk, i can signin using my web broswer and accept friends as well as chat.
I am trying to add this to iChat and tried a number of times it does not let me sign in when i add the account via iChat. The eaisest thing is possibly just to sign up to a Gmail account but we all know what Gmails availablilty is like and that means signing up to an account something like [email protected] I would like to use on email for everything and I've spent hours scrolling through web forums to try and find the answer. I am thinking there must be a way as in Google's blog it did say that google talk is now availble to non Gmail users.
I have also tried signing in to iChat with an old Gmail account and it works no problems....
So my question is it possble to use iChat using a Google Account that i created using my me.com email address?
Really noping someone can provide me the answer

Answer 1

Hi,
People that have
[email protected]
as their Buddy name are likely to be runniing a Jabber server.
iChat can join the AIM Service with valid AIM Screen Names.
These can come from a variety of sources:-
AIM  (In fact any Company that AOL owned that offered an Name at one stage, such as Netscape, Compuserve 2000 AOL and AIM itself)
Apple IDs ending in either @mac.com or @me.com  (Passwords need to be 16 characters of less.  Later iCloud issued @me.com names only work in iChat 6 or later )
Email IDs from ISPs that have an agreement with AIM like Apple do.
Note:  You can actually register any other email at AIM - and use an @googlemail.com name if you wished  (or a Hotmail one and so on).
Jabber Service Names come from  server.
Lets take Jabber Australia as an Example.
You register a Name (simplyliam) and you become [email protected]
There are many Public Jabber servers as you can see in this List
Essentailly you become the [email protected]
Both Facebook and Google run a Jabber server.  Both need you to enable Talk or Chat in your account settings in each site.
Note:  Google only do this Publically for their Mail Account names  (i.e the names can be used in other apps like iChat/Messages)
Google also do not stick to the naming format  (their server name is talk.google.com) which is why it is a separate entry in iChat.
You can add Buddies that are AIM valid to an AIM valid Buddy List.
You can add Buddies that are valid over Jabber to the Jabber/Google/Facebook name List.
Although the naming formats for both include email looking IDs and will therefore be accepted in a List the Buddy will always look Off lline.
NOTE:  I have seen cases where people have registered their GoogleMail ID was an AIM Name and they appear as AIM Buddies  (I have also seen Hotmail email names registered the same way even though they are also MSN names).
It is so long ago that I set up my Google mail account I am not sure what email I may have used as a secondary contact address or Confirmation email address.
(EDIT:- I looked it up and it was a dial-up account I had before that).
As I said before, at one time you could add other types of Google account by entering them as a plain Jabber Account and then changing the server name in the iChat > Preferences > Accounts > Server settings tab to google.com
This has not worked for about a year.
So there is no way to Login to GoogleTalk without it being a GoogleMail name (No matter what ID was used to create it.)
There is also no way to have the @me.com name appear instead of the Google name. (well, unless you typed in that your first name was simplyliam and your last name was @me.com when you set the account up).
Whist a Google Name of any sort that looks like an email ID can be registered at AIM as a Screen Name it will mean that the name is an AIM Name and still would not be able to directly contact Jabber/Google/Facebook Buddies in iChat.
I have tried to show with examples that what you wnat is not possible.
However the broad way AIM allow other Email IDs to be used /registered as AIM valid names can supply a sort of work around in one direction (getting everyone on AIM) it does not work in ther direction you seem to want it (Somehow to use either a Non Googlemail Name or a AIM name over Google/Jabber).
Although this may not be the answer you wanted I hope I have been clear enough.
8:54 PM      Sunday; February 19, 2012
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