Focus on Features - AIM for Mac

Here are just a few of the keyboard shortcuts available in AIM for Mac.

• You can show the Buddy List window using the keyboard shortcut Shift-Command-B.
• You can switch between tabs in the conversation window using the keyboard shortcuts. Just press Shift-Command-Right Arrow or Shift-Command-Left Arrow.

• You can display the Preferences window using the keyboard shortcut Command-Comma (,) as in most other applications.
• To Sign Out of your AIM session just press Option-Command-S.
• When you want to add a nickname to a buddy just display the Edit Buddy window by using the keyboard shortcut Command-E.

Thanks for trying AIM for Mac!

Larry Aasen
AOL Mac Team

Focus on Features - AIM for Mac

When you are in a conversation with a buddy and you send a message, that message is displayed in the upper portion of the window in the conversation history. Likewise, when your buddy sends you a message, it is also displayed in the conversation history. The conversation history provides a nice chronological listing of the messages of your conversation.

You can remove the time stamps from the messages in the conversation history by un-checking the "Show timestamp" option in the IM Preferences tab. This will make the history area narrower and will allow you to make the entire conversation window narrower.

Sometimes during a conversation you wait and wait for your buddy to respond and you might wonder if they are actually responding to you. Luckily, there is a typing indicator displayed next to your buddy's name in the tab well on the left side of the conversation window. It is a little pencil icon that is only displayed when your buddy is actually typing. See the screen shot below.


There are many more features of the conversation window that make instant messaging fun and easy with AIM for Mac. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Thanks for trying AIM for Mac!

Larry Aasen
AOL Mac Team

Focus on Features - AIM for Mac

With the AIM for Mac beta you can quickly and easily transfer files to your buddies. There are two ways to start the file transfer. The easier way is to drag a file from the Finder to a buddy on your Buddy List. Another way is to use the menu "People > Send Files" which displays a File Selection window where you can choose a file and click Send.

Either method for starting a file transfer works well, but the drag and drop feature is the fastest method. You can drop a file onto a buddy in your Buddy List, or drop a file in the compose area of an existing conversation. The file transfer will start immediately by sending a message to your buddy asking for approval to send the file. As soon as your buddy approves, the file will be sent.

When the file transfer begins you will see a File Transfer Strip appear in the history area of the IM Conversation window. This strip displays the name of the file and provides controls to Reveal the File in Finder and to Cancel the Transfer. You can also immediately open the file by clicking on the file name in the strip.
During the transfer you will see a spinner icon on the strip to show the progress of the transfer. When the transfer is complete you will see the word "Finished" to indicate a normal completion of the file transfer.

When you receive a file transfer from a buddy you will see the same File Transfer Strip with the same controls. The only difference is that the icon on the left side of the strip will be a green down arrow, instead of the green up arrow.

Folders can also be transferred just as easily as a file. Just drag the folder to your buddy and that folder and all files and sub folders will be sent.

We have found the File Transfer feature in AIM for Mac to be very reliable and fast. We hope you enjoy it as well.

Thanks for trying AIM for Mac!

Larry Aasen
AOL Mac Team

Focus on Features - AIM for Mac Beta

By default your buddies in the Buddy List are displayed in groups, with the last one being the Offline group. You will initially see all of your buddies in the Offline group, and when a buddy comes online, they will immediately be moved to their pre-assigned online group.


You can hide the Offline group by clicking on the View menu and selecting Offline Buddies > Do Not Show. Then, your Offline group will disappear.


You can also show your offline buddies within each of the groups by clicking on the View menu and selecting Offline Buddies > Show in Groups. You will still not have an Offline group and all of your offline buddies will be displayed.

Experiment with these offline settings to find the display the suits you the best. To find more configuration options for the Buddy List, look in the application preferences.

Thanks for trying AIM for Mac!

Larry Aasen
AOL Mac Team

Today AOL released AOL Desktop for Mac 1.2 that resolves mail and AIM issues our customers have reported for the past few weeks. This is our second update to AOL Desktop for Mac which was launched in early May, 2008.

Changes in AOL Desktop for Mac 1.2:

• Fixed mail display issues where addressee/subject did not match
• Fixed various issues with AIM that may lead to crash on some systems

During first-run of AOL Desktop for Mac 1.2, your online mail folders will be re-synchronized. This is a one-time operation that will increase performance on subsequent launches of AOL Desktop for Mac 1.2. You can continue to use AOL Desktop for Mac 1.2 during the re-synchronization.

Please report any issues using the Feedback button on the application toolbar. Any specific information about connection type and speed, whether you are using wireless, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Try out the new update and let us know how it works for you. You can download it from discover AOL in the Free AOL Downloads section. We will try to respond to comments that have an email address, but rest assured, every comment is read and evaluated by our team.

Thanks...
Larry Aasen
Developer, AOL Desktop for Mac Team

The AOL Desktop for Mac Development Team (2007-2008). Seated left to right: Christina Wick, Abhi Patwardhan, Todd Brannam, Scott Tury, Larry Aasen, Bob Ward, Keith Malkin, and Ron Anderson. Not pictured: Dan Gilliam.

We would like to thank all of the AOL Beta testers for the hard work and dedication. Stay tuned for more cool Mac applications in the future.

The Address Book in AOL Desktop for Mac is a great place to store all of your contacts for email, IM, and cell numbers. It can easily handle thousands of contacts and is easy to use. It also continuously syncs to the host so your entire Address Book is available wherever you go online.

To view your Address Book in AOL Desktop for Mac, click on the Window menu and select the Address Book menu item.

You can also create mailing Groups where you add multiple contacts to one list. Then you can send one email to everyone on the list at the same time. This can save you valuable minutes if you're managing the softball team or school PTA list.

There are many other great features in the Address Book including quick searching, email to contact, IM to contact, and drag and drop. Try the Address Book in AOL Desktop for Mac today and keep yourself organized.

Larry Aasen
Developer, AOL Desktop for Mac Team