I have spent the last few days trying to set up my iBook so that I can
have conversations with my brother, using the video system of iSight
on my MacOSX10.3.9 and using IChat. My brother, who uses a pc, told me
I need to upgrade to MSN Messenger 7.5 but I can't install any higher
than 5 MSN Messenger for Mac. (By the way; it only took him about 10
minutes to set up to talk to other friends who also use P.C.s)
I have joined .Mac and it says in my instructions that I could aaccess
all the web-based .Mac services from a Windows PC. That " Apple
recommends Mimcrosoft Windows XP or later with Firefoox or Microsoft
Internet Explorer 6.0 or later for your web browser." I don't know
exactly what that means or how to do it.
It also was suggested that I could install AIM to talk with my brother
visually. Would he have to install AIM in his PC? Is that possible or
advisable - since he is using MSN to talk to other parties. (We also
use Skype to talk)
Or would it just be a better idea for me to buy a pc and start over.
It seems a shame because the little iSight camera is so nicely
designed and I have been such a faithful Mac user and am attached to
my iBook.
I would particularly like to work this out quickly as my brother, due
to a serious illness will be isolated from his family for half a year
and this would be such a warm and useful way for us to keep in touch.
I am in Europe and he is in the USA.
I am not very computer savy so I would really appreciate an answer
that even an adult can understand. (My self confidence has already
been damaged by trying to understand the few supports I could
uncover.) It seems to me that a solution involving installation of
Windows would be complicated or expensive or mean going back and forth
from one system to another. Is this true? If this is a hopeless case,
communicating with iSight from Mac to PC, let me know and suggest a
possible alternative.

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 23 Jan 2006 16:39 PST

Howdy wilbur...

When your brother says you need ver. 7.5 of Messenger,
he's referring to the latest version for Windows. As
you noted, ver. 5.0 is the latest for the MAC, and
does not permit videoconferencing. See:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/resources/resources.aspx?pid=resourcekits&rk=netadmin

Installing Microsoft Windows XP (a Windows Operating System)
and Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later for
your web browser would mean either installing to a separate
computer, or creating a dual-boot system by partitioning 
your current drive (if that's even possible on a Mac).
This would be unwieldy, expensive, and lots of trouble.

Video chat between a Mac and a Windows PC can be accomplished
by using iVisit:
http://www.ivisit.com/

Here are the technical specs:
http://www.ivisit.com/about/tech_specs.html

You can even get a free account which is limited as follows:

"Video size of 160 x 120 pixels

 Outside a chatroom a single 1:1 connection is allowed.
 When you are connected, you cannot call other people,
 and people who call you will get a Busy signal 
	
 Each Lite<>Lite connection is limited, after 60 minutes
 connected with that person video will stop but audio and
 chat can continue. To restore live video with that person
 you must disconnect completely for 30 minutes. You can
 call any other user and get live video right away.
 No permanent Home or chat room

 File transfer to other Lite users may be limited to a
 total of 100MBytes. There is no limit on the amount of
 data you can receive, and you can always send files to
 Plus users."
http://www.ivisit.com/download/lite_limits.html

Your brother would also have to install iVisit and sign
up for a free account.

This would also be the case if you used AIM. There's no
harm, as such in having more than one chat interface
installed, it's just that, if your brother typically uses
MSN Messenger, AIM or iVisit would just be another piece
of software he'd have to load at Windows Startup, but if
that means getting to video chat with you, I doubt he'll
mind.

Your iSight cam should work fine with iVisit.


I won't post this as an answer, since I can't prove to
myself that it works, but if it does, let me know, and
I'll post this as a formal answer. If you have any other
related questions, just post a Clarification.

sublime1-ga

I haven't heard anything about messenger, but I do know that if your
brother will use AIM the two of you should be able to have video
conferences.

I currently us iChat and am able to talk to pc buddies using the AIM. 
Sign up is free.  All you need to do is make an aim account and use it
for ichat and all should be good.

there are some MSN-based  softwares which can provide visual messaging.

* Mercury: 
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14970#descContainer_link

Mercury Messenger Service can do the same things as your normal messenger:

Talk to friends
Change your nickname and status
Add a display picture (also known as an avatar)
But Mercury Messenger Service has some extra functions that your
normal messenger doesn't have, for example:

Be online with several MSN adresses at the same time.
Login with your status on 'Invisible' or any other status you want.
Have a different MSN name in every conversation
Use and create your own plugins
Default plugin added: a FileServer for MSN using IRC like commands
See when someone starts a conversation with you (before he says something)
See when someone closes the chat conversation window.
See who added you into a conversation with multiple people
See when someone deletes you from their contactlist.
See the difference between MSN and Mercury Messenger Service users
See your fake and fakes friends (Explained in FAQ)
MSG+ colors
and more...

* AMSN:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14200

aMSN is a MSN-Messenger client for Mac OS X. Webcam (USB or Firewire)
support , full-speed file transfer, tabbed chat window, animated
custom emoticon, MSN Mobile, Nudge, etc..

And for PC-Mac video chat, It is said that the Yahoo! messager can work. 
http://messenger.yahoo.com/