Snak is a new client for the Mac that is breaking new ground by providing an intuitive and easy to use interface to IRC which have been lacking in other programs to date. Snak is my recommendation to the new or casual user, as it has a majority of features one would want from a IRC program, yet is easy to use. Another advantage for me is that it fits everything into one window per session, so it fits on my 640x480 monitor. Not to criticize IRCle, but it has so many windows that I have to overlap them just to fit it all on the screen!

The Snak Homepage

If you are launching Snak for the first time, you'll want to do some initail set-up. From the Edit menu, select 'Preferences...'. From the dialog, select 'Connection Records' from the left pane, then select 'default' and click the 'Edit' button.

 

I prefer to change the title to match the server so I know where I'm connecting when I select it from the 'Open Connection' menu. Enter in your nickname you want to use. This is like your call handle that you'll be known as, and what shows up in the members list in a given channel. Enter a second choice in the Alternate field in case someone is already logged on as that nickname. If you want to remain somewhat anonymous, leave the username field blank or put in a dummy name. For your first time, try connecting to irc.primenet.com, a popular and fast server. Click the Server... button to select it from a list of available servers. You shouldn't ever change the Port number, and skip the Startup Actions for the time being. Later on, up can use this to have Snak perform certain actions automatically when you connect.

Click down to Personal, fill in your name (or put in a nickname if you want to remain anonymous). The Default Quit Message is what will automatically show up to other users as you leave the channel. USERINFO Reply is the comment displayed when someone pings you.

To enhance your chat experience (and to clue you in when things happen), turn on all the sounds:

 

When you got everything entered, close the Preferences Window. You're now done configuring a basic setup! Now, simply select the shortcut from the File menu, and if everything goes right, you should see a bunch of text scroll by in your console window (which is kinda like the main window, but don't worry with it too much. You'll interface mainly with the channel windows).

Now it's time to join a channel. Select Join from the 'File' menu, and the following dialog appears:

And finally, a snapshot of the Snak in action, snapped from the #macwarcraft channel: