My iChat isn't working correctly

Add buddies If you're already having a conversation with someone using AIM, Jabber, Google Talk, or Yahoo!, select the conversation, then choose Buddies > Add Buddy. Otherwise, do the following:

1. In the buddy list window, click Add (+), then choose Add Buddy.
2. If you're using a single buddy list, choose the account you want to use to chat with the buddy from the "Add to" pop-up menu.
3. If the person you want to add has a compatible messaging account listed in Contacts, click the disclosure triangle next to the "Last name" field, choose his or her name from the list, then click Add. Otherwise, complete the remaining steps.
4. Enter your buddy's buddy name in the "Account name" field, and your buddy's first and last name in the "First name" and "Last name" fields.
5. Choose a group for this buddy from the "Add to group" pop-up menu. If you don't want to add the buddy to a specific group, choose Buddies.
6. Click Add.

your sound and their microphones are working. Check your microphone settings.

In iChat 4 and upwards the Video and Audio streams are on the same port.
This would make it virtually impossible to block one without blocking the other.
Just to double check
System Preferences > Sound > Input
Ideally this should have the Mic chosen and the volume set to make the blue bar get to at least 1/2 way (3/4s is better). It should not move so far that it bangs into the right hand end.
This will cause the OS software to "Clip" the Audio to prevent feedback - which means no input is made and you will hear nothing.
Next.
iChat > Preferences > Video section.
If there are two Inputs showing in System Preferences he will have a drop down
It should list the same device.
The green bar below the Video pic should also move (Although less than the blue bar did/does)
Headsets
If he is now using a Headset.
Change the iChat Option to anything but the headset mic.
Do the same in System Preferences > Sound > Input.
Now set System Preferences > Sound > Input "First"
And iChat > Microphone Drop Down "Last"
He may need to do this for an Output choice if it appears in iChat and in the System Preferences > Sound > Output.
He needs to be concerned with with getting Sound In to iChat as that is what you hear.
It is easy to think that it is Output as it goes over the internet to the Buddy.
More.
The Video Menu of iChat
In here the Microphone Enabled should be ticked
Selecting this items toggles the tick on or Off (And the Mic On or Off)
I would also check the View Menu
In here make sure the Show Audio Status is ticked.
This will show Audio icons next to the Buddies (Particularly if you deselect Show Video Status)
Show Video should allow Audio but it will not hurt to check.
In fact I would toggle the Microphone Enabled and both Show Statuses to make the App write the info to the .plist
Then try an Audio Only chat
You can do this from the Buddies menu (Or right clicking a Buddy) or by having Show Video Status Off.
Yet more.
I would also open the Connection Doctor from the Video menu at both ends during a chat
This will report the stats.
If his Bitrate is not stable then his audio may be effected.
iChat will try to cope with changes by Buffering the Video which means dropping frames which then means the audio is dropped as it will not be in sync.
You can try Limiting his Bandwidth in the Video Section of the Preferences to 500kbps
This will smooth out large variances when using Extremely fast services that vary.
500kbps is more than enough for a 4 way Video chat as Host but is a useful tool in iChat 5
If his Framerate also varies it will be a sure sign that his Internet speed is varying.
It may pay for you to drop your to 500kbps as well as hs end may be struggling to deal with high data loads from your end.
As a Last resort try both end at 200kbps (Anything below this will not Video)
Change one end at a time and keep an eye on the Connection Doctor to see when the end that has changed has settled. The Buffering will smooth out the change.

Are you signed into your ichat account for starters?

The camera will turn on automatically when necessary. For example, in iChat, it will turn on automatically when you click the video camera icon next to someone's name in your buddy list, it will turn on automatically.

Likewise in Skype, simply click the video camera icon next to someone's name in your buddy list and it will initiate a video chat.

Check that the correct drive letter is selected in the device list at the top right. Try the Norflash Format button in the bottom right corner of the software. If that does not work, your frame is toast.

my buddy list is not showing when i sign on for aol please help me set up my buddy list thanks

you just go to-> ichat->buddies->new instant message-> friends mail id-> then its done

The AIM client for RIM is limited to 30 contacts at this point, so it won't show everyone. They are in the process of updating their client so that it shows ALL buddies.

What you could do is use an instant messaging client called BeeJiveIM, which is a multi-protocol instant messaging client that allows you to connect to AIM, Google Talk, Windows Live, Yahoo!, MySpace and ICQ. There is a 30-day free trial at http://www.beejive.com.

I'm assuming when you say they login with AOL, that you mean they use AOL Instant Messenger, since iChat is compatible with that. If that is the case, it should work. As long as the chat clienta are compatible, there should be no issue with using a Mac and a PC. What would be helpful is the exact text of the message. Can you post that?