Poll: Which Instant Messaging Client do you use primarily? [Archive]

nickmcghie

Oct 22, 2003, 01:12 AM

I don't think iChat is the best. Sure, it has many great features, but there are also many things that can be improved.

First of all, it needs a single integrated chat window like Adium and Proteus. It's so difficult to chat with more than half a dozen people at the same time on the small window of a laptop.

Also, it needs the ability to organize contacts into groups. That shouldn't be difficult to implement at all.

This one might be more difficult for legal and political purposes, but it'd be great if they could integrate ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and other messengers into iChat. It's just like football - while AIM might be very popular in the US, few people outside of North America use it. Apple needs to reach out to it's international customers and support other messaging clients (on a related note, they also need iTMS and .mac support outside of the US too!).

There are other minor improvements that can be made, but I think those are the major ones. Until they fulfill them (especially the last one), I will continue to stick with Proteus.

shadowfax

Oct 22, 2003, 01:16 AM

Originally posted by nickmcghie
First of all, it needs a single integrated chat window like Adium and Proteus. It's so difficult to chat with more than half a dozen people at the same time on the small window of a laptop. one word: EXPOSÉ!

Nermal

Oct 22, 2003, 01:16 AM

I use MSN. I'd love to use iChat, but nobody uses AIM. Like nickmcghie said, AIM's popular in the US, but unheard of elsewhere.

Bunzi2k4

Oct 22, 2003, 01:18 AM

i normally use ichat, but i have 4 problems with it... 1. in chat rooms, i have no idea who's talking because ther's no icon (when they are not on my buddy list). 2. i can't warn people, and people warn me like crazy. 3. ichat audio and video are only for mac people, so i can only talk (literally) to like 3 people on my buddy list. 4. the icons aren't animated, but its cool cuz i can take a wall paper from the internet and make it into an icon and that's cool....

but i like ichat, its faster and easier, and plus, i can have strong bad scream "somebody get theis frickin duck away from me!!!"

dricci

Oct 22, 2003, 01:28 AM

I'm using the latest AIM with an ad-less patch, it works really well and supports the basic AIM features, unlike iChat. As soon as Apple realizes that Mac users do communicate with Windows users who use Win AIM (and they make iChat support profiles, better buddylist orginization, better group chat rooms, animated buddy icons, voice chat with windows clients that already support it, etc etc etc) then I'll switch, but as it is now iChat just doesn't have the features or UI I like.

Phazer80s

Oct 22, 2003, 01:32 AM

Only a few of my friends own Macs. Everybody else (family incl.) runs Windows and uses MSN Messenger; therefore, we all use Messenger.

My friends and I only pull out iChat to do file transfers, which are still problematic on the latest version of Messenger. iChat knows how to deal with my router and any firewalls among our systems. It's also convenient to use iChat when we want a private conversation. Jumping on MSN is like a big party; everybody wants to say hi all the time. Those are iChat's only advantages for us. Otherwise, opening up the program and waiting for someone to come online is pretty lonely.

Until Apple includes the MSN protocols (if ever,) iChat is a largely a wasted feature for me, right up there with Sherlock, the damn one-button ProMouse and the iTMS. *sigh* At least it seems the iTMS situation is set to change in the next few months for us Canadians. If the Messenger Mac ever gets feature parity with Messenger 6+ on Windows, it will be no competition. I'd rather use the Microsoft product than be lonely. :)

Doctor Q

Oct 22, 2003, 01:39 AM

I use iChat AV now and then just to keep in practice, but I prefer good 'ol AIM. AIM has all the features, so I'm sticking with it until my correspondents have iSights.

Marlon_JBT

Oct 22, 2003, 01:42 AM

I use iChat and Yahoo! Messenger.

For times that I need to connect to talk with an AIM user, I use AIM, because I still think it's very pathetic that iChat doesn't have talking capabilities built in....to talk to the AIM world.

Apple, are you listening? Or is it even possible?

MacSlut

Oct 22, 2003, 02:13 AM

Wow, I'm surprised to see Fire and Proteus with so few votes. How do you people chat with people who aren't on the same system?

I wish everyone I knew used AIM or iChat, but some use it while others use Yahoo, or MSN or ICQ.

That's why I use Fire. I go back and forth between Fire and Proteus depending on version updates. Lately I've liked Fire the best.

God I wish iChat spoke to everyone!

jg3

Oct 22, 2003, 02:16 AM

Go Fire! Currently the most-used "alternative" IM client, aside from iChat of course. I like it because it's got the cleanest interface (IMO - tabbers may dissent) and the logs are pretty nice. It also handles multiple protocols with minimal fuss, but I've not used any but AIM in quite a while now.

http://fire.sourceforge.net/

Bunzi2k4

Oct 22, 2003, 02:20 AM

i used to use fire... but all my friends have aim....

iLilana

Oct 22, 2003, 02:24 AM

Originally posted by shadowfax
iChat is best, but someone needs to light a fire under apple's arse to get them to make it a great app rather than just a decent one...

as opposed to stripped down aim clients? Ads and adware, speed?

the only thing it really could use is encryption.

Dahl

Oct 22, 2003, 02:25 AM

How about none ?
I have ICQ installed, but I never use it.

But I will be using iChat AV soon.

punter

Oct 22, 2003, 02:26 AM

I wish i could use ichat, let alone ichatAV but all my friends are on PCs using msn chat (why are they my friends again?).

I Wish there was a pc ichat, just like the pc itunes.

nickmcghie

Oct 22, 2003, 02:57 AM

Originally posted by shadowfax
one word: EXPOSÉ!

Sorry, that just doesn't cut it. I like to be able to see who has just sent me new messages, and it's not like I can type when exposé is put into effect. Exposé is one of those "wow" features that looks very cool at first sight, but the novelty wears off quickly. It's really not as useful as a lot of people think it will be (at least in my own opinion, but I *have* been running panther for the past 3 weeks, so I do have experience with it).

jasylonian

Oct 22, 2003, 04:44 AM

I just bought the 12"pb and am using iChatAV. My girlfriend (who I talked into getting an Albook last year and goes to school 300 miles away) just bought two iSights and sent me one! Even though she is the only person I know with iSight, it is still amazing just to see her almost daily since we used to only get to see each other once every 6 weeks. Now I'm scrimping and saving to get her a 10gb ipod (it's only fair...). Despite its weaknesses (I can't read some people's away messages, warning stuff, sounds, buddy list), I think it's awesome.

mac15

Oct 22, 2003, 05:17 AM

I used to use adium , then I switched to iChat AV in panther. I'm waiting for adium 2.0 to get into the beta stages myself. Then It'll be a big toss up

whfsdude

Oct 22, 2003, 05:20 AM

Jabber :-) A little sad only 5 people use it :)

richie

Oct 22, 2003, 06:07 AM

Proteus' all-in-one window for messaging is the best thing that's ever happened to my IMing. :D I strongly recommend giving it a go, particularly if you have lots of different accounts on different networks

redAPPLE

Oct 22, 2003, 06:33 AM

how do you guys "argue" with people to switch IM software?

how would you tell people to "switch" from messenger to let us say, iChat or Yahoo messenger?

medea

Oct 22, 2003, 06:35 AM

I don't really care so much about chatting or the special features of the different programs, ichat is integrated and it works well so that is what I use, and I use it rarely.

cb911

Oct 22, 2003, 09:12 AM

i use iChat, my favourite out of them all, but then again i just can't be bothered messing around with any other clients.:p

it's strange, but most of the people i know (as in personally know) all use MSN...:( :rolleyes:

rjrufo

Oct 22, 2003, 09:21 AM

I was told that MSN will be charging for their IM services unless you use them for your ISP. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

iPC

Oct 22, 2003, 10:08 AM

It's all about the tabs baby! That is why I use gaim for windows/linux too. Neither has all the features... but the tabs make up for the other stuff.

howard

Oct 22, 2003, 10:42 AM

man i thought adium was a little more popular than that...

it is the best chat client i've used... and will be that times a million when adium 2 is released

jg3

Oct 22, 2003, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by Bunzi2k4
i used to use fire... but all my friends have aim....

Huh? Fire does AIM.

Giaguara

Oct 22, 2003, 10:58 AM

ichat mainly.

sometimes proteus when i need to use other means too on the same time.

fire .. i used it before. the latest version quits so i dont want to try it again for a while.

i hate to have more than 1 messenger running.

nickmcghie

Oct 22, 2003, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by rjrufo
I was told that MSN will be charging for their IM services unless you use them for your ISP. Anyone know if there is any truth to that?

Absolutely not. All of these services are in fierece competition with each other to gain as many users as possible. Charging for their service will definitely be detrimental to that goal.

I hope you didn't get that idea from one of those forward-this-to-at-least-20-people-or-your-account-will-be-deleted mass spam messages!

Chealion

Oct 22, 2003, 12:16 PM

Proteus is the best :) 'Nuff said.

gotohamish

Oct 22, 2003, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by shadowfax
one word: EXPOSÉ!

or TABBED iChat windows?

nickmcghie

Oct 22, 2003, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by gotohamish
or TABBED iChat windows?

NOW we're getting somewhere.. ;)

bousozoku

Oct 22, 2003, 03:15 PM

Until iChat AV, I used AIM mostly. iChat AV has improved things with support for groups and a usually-stable file transfer, plus it doesn't take a percentage of the CPU for advertisements I don't want to see.

I'll also use Yahoo Messenger or MSN Messenger when someone else only has that.

Fire can do all 3 plus Jabber, ICQ, and IRC but I haven't used it for over a year.

shadowfax

Oct 22, 2003, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by gotohamish
or TABBED iChat windows? they don't have tabbed windows in iChat, though. that's the issue.

SeaFox

Oct 22, 2003, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by gotohamish
or TABBED iChat windows?

That's a good idea, and a good point.

We were all so "coooool" over iChat AV we really didn't notice Apple failed to make many improvements to the text chatting ability of the program. Kinda like Cell Phone makers/carriers. Instead of improving basic calling service and sound quality, they add stuff like camera and internet access and other crud most people don't/can't use to their new phones.

mc68k

Oct 22, 2003, 04:34 PM

adium at home
ichat at school

adium cannot see @mac.com :(, but it is easier on the CPU :)

Awimoway

Oct 22, 2003, 05:13 PM

I used iChat until today, but after all the discussion, I tried Proteus and Fire. I liked Proteus a little better, but Fire has a better price point ;) , so I'm using it now.

eclipse525

Oct 22, 2003, 05:19 PM

I would also like to see some of the other messengers integrated into iChat. Not just AIM. I think iChatAV might take off if other IM's were brought into iChat. THEN....can some dare say, iChat for Windows???? <evil laugh....>

~e

Eviga

Oct 22, 2003, 05:23 PM

The poll result was surprising for me, thought more people were using ICQ !

I live in Germany, I don't know one single person using something other than ICQ or AOL ! Man, everyone I know uses ICQ, I couldn't exist without it :)

I have very little experience in chat apps, besides ICQ !
Did I get it right, that other clients are able to deal with several chat "races" at the same time ? What a revelation :cool:

Would be interesting to know, since ICQ's interface doesn't really knock my socks off :rolleyes:

Dahl

Oct 22, 2003, 05:26 PM

With Apple's attention to detail in their software, it probably won't be long before iChat is as good or better than the rest.
How old is iChat now ?

MasterMac

Oct 22, 2003, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by Dahl
How old is iChat now ?

I think it's just over a year old :D

jelwell

Oct 22, 2003, 07:31 PM

Originally posted by nickmcghie
This one might be more difficult for legal and political purposes, but it'd be great if they could integrate ICQ...

iChat already works with ICQ, just add your buddy's ICQ UIN number as if it were an AIM screenname to your iChat buddy list/Address Book.

Joseph Elwell.

mms

Oct 22, 2003, 07:59 PM

I can't believe there's so little people mentioning Adium. It's the best one out there, and I've tried most of the ones out there. And it's just getting better with 2.0 coming eventually. Since even 1.6.2 is way above any other competition (unless you want to go on more than one network at a time), I'm really looking forward to 2.0.

mms

Oct 22, 2003, 08:01 PM

And I also forgot to mention...
everyone I know uses AIM. I don't know a single person (personally) that uses MSN and only one of my friends used YIM until I convinced him to start using AIM. Maybe it's just here in the US but I see no reason to want to use anything else.

johnnowak

Oct 22, 2003, 08:09 PM

Originally posted by mms
I can't believe there's so little people mentioning Adium. It's the best one out there, and I've tried most of the ones out there. And it's just getting better with 2.0 coming eventually. Since even 1.6.2 is way above any other competition (unless you want to go on more than one network at a time), I'm really looking forward to 2.0.

Exactly. If Adium has file transfer and such, I'd never ever use iChat again. I use iChat because I only have three or four people I talk to often on AIM, so I don't -need- the tabbed IMs, but they're very nice.

And BTW, 2.0 rocks. Drag and drop tab reorganizing and a much slicker interface. Still has a way to go though.

wdlove

Oct 22, 2003, 09:07 PM

I don't use Instant Messaging at all.

revenuee

Oct 22, 2003, 09:40 PM

MSN - since all my Wintel friends use it... but what is this FIRE everyone mentions?

howard

Oct 22, 2003, 10:35 PM

Originally posted by johnnowak
Exactly. If Adium has file transfer and such, I'd never ever use iChat again. I use iChat because I only have three or four people I talk to often on AIM, so I don't -need- the tabbed IMs, but they're very nice.

And BTW, 2.0 rocks. Drag and drop tab reorganizing and a much slicker interface. Still has a way to go though.

it really will not be long until these things will be in the alpha at least...who knows when it will actually get released though...i plan on making much fanfare here when both of those things happen though

Waluigi

Oct 22, 2003, 11:46 PM

I use iChat AV, and while I'm totally amazed at video chatting,I'm getting tired of their stupid no profile policy, and away messages that don't work with PC's. These features are way too basic to overlook. I hope iChat AV final with panther supports those aforementioned features.

I downloaded AIM, and use it once in a while, but it messes up, and all my buddies appear under all 10 of my groups...so I never use that anymore.

--Waluigi

MacSlut

Oct 23, 2003, 12:19 AM

Originally posted by Eviga
The poll result was surprising for me, thought more people were using ICQ !

I live in Germany, I don't know one single person using something other than ICQ or AOL ! Man, everyone I know uses ICQ, I couldn't exist without it :)

I have very little experience in chat apps, besides ICQ !
Did I get it right, that other clients are able to deal with several chat "races" at the same time ? What a revelation :cool:

Would be interesting to know, since ICQ's interface doesn't really knock my socks off :rolleyes:

ICQ is far more popular outside of the USA where I think most people taking this poll tend to be from.

Yes, Fire and Proteus deal with other "races" at the same time, including ICQ. This is my #1 criteria for a chat client. iChat could be the most amazing software ever dreamed of, but if I can't use it to chat with people on Yahoo, MSN and ICQ as well as AIM then it might as well not exist at all.

bousozoku

Oct 23, 2003, 01:16 AM

Originally posted by Waluigi
I use iChat AV, and while I'm totally amazed at video chatting,I'm getting tired of their stupid no profile policy, and away messages that don't work with PC's. These features are way too basic to overlook. I hope iChat AV final with panther supports those aforementioned features.

I downloaded AIM, and use it once in a while, but it messes up, and all my buddies appear under all 10 of my groups...so I never use that anymore.

--Waluigi

Are you sure that it wasn't iChat that messed up your buddy list? I found that adding a buddy through iChat, before iChat AV supported groups, would add the buddy to each group. Now, I have groups turned on, select the group, add the buddy, and select all groups again. When I go to AIM, everything is happy.

Awimoway

Oct 23, 2003, 01:22 AM

Originally posted by MacSlut
This is my #1 criteria for a chat client. iChat could be the most amazing software ever dreamed of, but if I can't use it to chat with people on Yahoo, MSN and ICQ as well as AIM then it might as well not exist at all.

Maybe I'm mixing apples and oranges, but with Apple's recent iTMS deal with AOL, it would seem unlikely that they would ice the relationship by opening iChat up to other chat services.

revenuee

Oct 23, 2003, 02:55 AM

ICQ use to be huge... then everyone switched to MSN...

deejemon

Oct 23, 2003, 08:19 PM

Originally posted by nickmcghie
Also, it needs the ability to organize contacts into groups. That shouldn't be difficult to implement at all.

View > Show Groups.

deejemon

Oct 23, 2003, 10:56 PM

Originally posted by MacSlut
ICQ is far more popular outside of the USA where I think most people taking this poll tend to be from.

I'm not from the US and I only know one person who uses ICQ.

For me, the biggest issue is how well an IM client connects to the internet through a proxy server, and both Fire and Proteus get a big "F" for that. Even Y!M is much better at that. Without proxy support, the most well designed IM client is as useful as a..... a really... not-useful............... thing....... on its....... most...... not-useful........ um, day.

psxndc

Oct 23, 2003, 11:48 PM

my trillian, my trillian. Why hast thou foresaken me?

Trillian is the one PC app I miss. *sniff*

-p

killmoms

Oct 24, 2003, 08:50 PM

Yes, Trillian is, was, and will be the best IM app ever. I just wish they'd port it to MacOS X, but I doubt it will happen. No other multi-medium apps currently available for the Mac even come close. I can't even figure out how to change outgoing text size in Fire so it changes for people on the other end (read: annoying).

--Cless

Blah64

Oct 24, 2003, 09:13 PM

Originally posted by wdlove
I don't use Instant Messaging at all.

There we go, right on.

Doesn't anyone care that everything you type is going through a central server?!?! Talk about 'Big Brother'....

I'm no luddite - I've had my own Hotline and KDX servers at various times over the years for convenience, but I'll never use a centralized system for chatting.

[It's been a while since I've looked at IM, so if things have changed, I'll listen]

revenuee

Oct 25, 2003, 02:02 AM

Originally posted by Blah64
There we go, right on.

Doesn't anyone care that everything you type is going through a central server?!?! Talk about 'Big Brother'....

I'm no luddite - I've had my own Hotline and KDX servers at various times over the years for convenience, but I'll never use a centralized system for chatting.

[It's been a while since I've looked at IM, so if things have changed, I'll listen]

So you don't email either?

killmoms

Oct 25, 2003, 12:20 PM

Doesn't anyone care that everything you type is going through a central server?!?! Talk about 'Big Brother'.... If you're really that paranoid, you could always use Trillian to 128-bit SSL encrypt AIM sessions end-to-end. Of course, you'd need a PC, and need to make everyone you chat with use the same program. I don't know if there's a Mac IM program that does that yet.

Somehow, I think the likelyhood of some guy reading your messages going through a "central server" (most likely a huge farm of many) is slim to none, given the ridiculously massive amount of IM traffic. Plus, there's laws against that kind of thing.

--Cless

rjrufo

Oct 25, 2003, 08:27 PM

nickmcghie

Oct 25, 2003, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by nickmcghie
Absolutely not. All of these services are in fierece competition with each other to gain as many users as possible. Charging for their service will definitely be detrimental to that goal.

I hope you didn't get that idea from one of those forward-this-to-at-least-20-people-or-your-account-will-be-deleted mass spam messages! Originally posted by rjrufo
No, actually, my son uses it because all his friends do, and he's the one who told me. I suppose that he got the idea from one of those "chain letters", but I don't know. I'll ask, and see where he got that.

Yeah, he probably got it from one of those spam messages. First of all, the economics and practically of it are absolutely impossible. If they ever started charging for it, everybody would simply start using one of the other services. They simply can't afford to do that.

Another thing is that even if they were planning on doing that, don't you think it would be at least somewhere in the news. The only place this news has ever popped up has been in those lame spam messages that many people are unfortunately too gullible to forward.

Blah64

Oct 26, 2003, 01:51 PM

Originally posted by revenuee
So you don't email either?

I use email with care, just as one would/should do with a postcard. Never personal information of any kind. And a more common stumbling point is not being able to discuss work when you're dealing with trade secrets and/or issues divulged under NDA. People who discuss this kind of thing over IM or email are just plain stupid.

Two differences between IM and email:

1) Not only are all the bits visible, but they run through a single (for each service) chokepoint. That's a lot of potential control/power for a single company to have.

2) It's a lot easier to be careful what you send with email because it's not so dynamic. You have a few seconds (or minutes) to think about what you've just typed before pressing Send.

What I'd like to see happen, and would be surprised if it didn't happen at some point, is a centralized 'locator' (like now) that switched off to peer-to-peer encrypted channel for the actual conversations. Any takers? :-)

Blah64

Oct 26, 2003, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by Cless
If you're really that paranoid,

There's a great quote from many years ago: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean everyone's *not* out to get you!" ;)

Seriously though, read the previous post for better-written points.

Another important thing I forgot to mention is that there are tons of people who think that because they're IMing someone in their own building that they can be free with personal or corporate confidential information. They don't realize that their words are running around the country in the clear before they reach the other side of the building. That's NOT typically the case with email.

you could always use Trillian to 128-bit SSL encrypt AIM sessions end-to-end. Of course, you'd need a PC, and need to make everyone you chat with use the same program. I don't know if there's a Mac IM program that does that yet.

Somehow, I think the likelyhood of some guy reading your messages going through a "central server" (most likely a huge farm of many) is slim to none, given the ridiculously massive amount of IM traffic. Plus, there's laws against that kind of thing.
--Cless [/B]

Actually, there are no laws against it that I know of, and in fact, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 likely means that companies will be required to record and archive all your IMs as well as email. The IM aspect is not cut and dry yet, but will likely fall into the same category as email. Some recent info at: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,112969,00.asp. And as for how that affects the central server providers is a little unclear, but there certainly are no laws against monitoring IM traffic that I know of. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Thanks for the info about Trillan. It looks like there are some other players entering this market as well, which I was not aware of. If/when this stuff becomes widely available for Mac (!) I might actually be pursuaded to join the IM world.

Thanks.

revenuee

Oct 26, 2003, 03:29 PM

Blah64:

i can see where you are coming from.

So do you exchange all information face to face?

because you can't be using the telephone, that goes through a central switcher, especially now, with signals being bounced around through satellites, people can just grab conversations out of the sky.

They are encrypted, but encryptions can be broken, one way or another...