Apple iChat AV is an easy-to-use telephony application that supports everything from simple instant messaging to multi-person video conferencing.

Installation and setup are simple; the most difficult part of setting up iChat may be selecting a screen name and a picture to represent you. You can select one of the supplied icons, or use any photo or other image in GIF format. Changing your picture takes a matter of seconds, so you can easily change your picture to match your mood or the current setting, which can be silly for personal chats or more sedate for business conferences.

iChat is compatible with the Mac and PC versions of AIM and Jabber, so if you have friends and family who use AIM, you can add their names to your Buddy List.

If you have an Apple iSight or other FireWire-based web cam, you can use iChat for video chats and video conferences; note, however, that it does not support USB-based web cams. iChat supports the new H.264 video codec, so video quality is generally excellent. You can video conference with up to three other participants, and switch to full-screen view, so you're not peering at a tiny window on your desktop.

You can use iChat to audio conference with up to 10 other participants. Audio quality is generally excellent, with little to none of the distortion or echoes common to telephone conferences. The iChat window displays a picture and a sound-level meter for each participant. The sound-level meter makes it clear who is speaking, so unlike a telephone conference, there's no need for participants to identify themselves each time they want to make a comment. Also unlike a telephone conference, there's no need for a complicated or time-consuming setup process. Participants can join an audio conference by simply clicking a button in their Buddy List.

Other features include the ability to send files via iChat. If you (and the recipient) have a .Mac membership, you can even encrypt the file for extra security. With a .Mac member, you can also encrypt iChat messages, audio conferences and video conferences.

Apple iChat AV is a full-featured telephony application that is easy to use and delivers top-quality audio and video.


Pros: Clean, uncluttered interface; easy to customize; excellent audio and video quality; compatible with AIM , Jabber, and Google Talk
Cons: Doesn't support USB-based web cam