Hi Dan, Shaun, Jane, Darcy, and Others, I'm retitling this thread so that someone who needs to find out how to get a trial .Mac account for iChats can hope to find it in archives and among the other posts.
The quick summary is: 1) the current web sign-up location for a .Mac account at http://www.apple.com/dotmac/ has accessibility problems - you need sighted help to get past the "type in these letters/numbers" from an image part. 2) you can call in Apple Tech Support (like Dan did) to have them set up a trial account for you 3) Apple has been made more aware of the problems these pages present, and has bumped this up in priority for an audio alternative fix. 4) you don't need to provide a credit card for this 5) you can use your .Mac login name for iChats, since the original supported iChat clients were dot Mac and AOL. (And this discussion got started with Shaun, Jane, and Darcy trying to arrange a way to iChat about Automator work flows.) Cheers, Esther On Dec 07, 2007, at 03:06PM, Dan Keys wrote: >Hello, >I called Apple Tech Support and someone set it up for me. Then I went >into the .mac account and changed the password. >When she first started helping me, she thought that a speaker button >was available for audio. But she saw that no such button exists. >I was told that this would be moved up the chain of command and that >it would be taken care of. >I also thanked her for assisting me with this situation. >Now if we can get the Review account on the Itunes store thing fixed... >Dan >On Dec 7, 2007, at 4:25 PM, VaShaun Jones wrote: > >> That isn't true. I just signed up for a dot mac 60 day trial this >> morning. If you have sighted help for the verification then you will >> be fine. >> On Dec 7, 2007, at 7:14 PM, Jane Jordan wrote: >> >>> Hi Ester. >>> >>> I heard that to get an account, even a free trial, you have to give >>> credit card info. I get just a tad nervous hen they want my info >>> and I haven't even agreed to pay for it. Now, if they sent me a >>> reminder email or something, with a note to fill out the info or >>> the account gets cut off, that's more doable. >>> >>> Jane >>> >>> >>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 10:39 PM, Esther wrote: >>> >>>> Hi Shaun. >>>> >>>> You do know that you can sign up for a free 60-day trial .Mac >>>> account, >>>> don't you? You could use that for iChat. I'm not sure whether the >>>> ability to use iChat even expires after the 60 days, since your user >>>> name is probably still active. Of course, if you send mail to your >>>> .Mac account you won't be able to read it without subscribing >>>> after the >>>> 60 day period. >>>> >>>> If you're interested, just go to: >>>> >>>> http://www.apple.com/dotmac/ >>>> >>>> and use the links chooser menu (VO-keys+U) to navigate to the >>>> "Free Trial" button. VO-keys+space bar will take you to the >>>> signup page. I got a dot Mac account through a promotional offer >>>> at my Apple Store, and not through the web page, but it should be >>>> doable if you're interested. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> >>>> Esther >>>> >>>> On Dec 06, 2007, at 05:11PM, VaShaun Jones wrote: >>>>> I will have to get a AIM account. Give me a minute to figure out >>>>> the >>>>> security mechanism that AOL has when this type of account is set >>>>> up. >>>>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 10:02 PM, Jane Jordan wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Yes, since I don't have a Google account set up, nor have I gotten >>>>>> MSN working right yet. >>>>>> >>>>>> Jane >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 8:30 PM, VaShaun Jones wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> So do I have to be on AIM to do screen sharing with you? >>>>>>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 6:27 PM, Jane Jordan wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> It's an AOL account--taken from when I was in college and >>>>>>>> attending ROTC classes. :) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Jane >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 6:07 PM, VaShaun Jones wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I like that screen name lets set it up. I have MSN and g-mail. >>>>>>>>> Will either of these work or do I need a dot Mac account? >>>>>>>>> On Dec 6, 2007, at 10:03 AM, Jane Jordan wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Forthat matter, the three of us could get together and chat.
