14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is discontinuing AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) support in OS X versions 10.7.1 and below as the result of a server-side change that requires existing users to update to a newer version of the Mac operating system.
In a Support document on its web site, Apple says, “To ensure a secure and reliable experience, customers using a mac.com or me.com ID to login to the AIM service via iChat must upgrade their Mac to OS X version 10.7.2 or later by June 30, 2014 to continue using the AIM service.”
Customers can either update to a newer incremental Lion version or upgrade to Mavericks altogether. The Cupertino giant specifically outlines that text messaging via AIM, video chat, and screen sharing in iChat “will no longer be available when used with a mac.com or me.com ID on systems running 10.7.1 or earlier after June 30, 2014.”
The Mac maker offers specific instructions for everyone to determine their system version and how to proceed depending on the OS they are running. Apple even has a set of instructions for OS X versions dating as far back as 2007. The company encourages everyone to check and see if their Mac is supported by Mavericks and then proceed to upgrade.