[TheSpaz]

This is what I do to make my iChat start up really really fast and smooth.

I really hate opening iChat and waiting for all my buddies to start *fading* onto the list... it takes forever sometimes... *woosh woosh woosh woosh* ... and so on.

This is my work around... and it works like a charm.

Turn on iChat's status menu in the menu bar.
Then click it and choose "Available"
Your buddies appear instantly (no wooshing)
Then either click "Buddy List" or launch iChat.
iChat will come right up and have the Buddy List available for you in the blink of an eye.

It's not difficult and it's a great way to see who's online before you decide to launch iChat.

[ddma]

What's your Mac config? iChat always launches in 1 to 2 sec on my PowerBook G4.

[gorickey]

Yeah, I have a ton of buddies on my list and they all show up instantly...

[TheSpaz]

It launches normally... but, I have about 60 Spymac people on my buddy list... and it takes a few seconds for all the names to appear...

*woosh woosh woosh woosh... pause... woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh"

And if I try to click a name too soon... another name will popup and I will select the wrong one instead. It's just a faster way to see my buddy list... that's all.