Chat program of choice?

[Maayan]

I've stuck with MSN for ages -- now I've just heard of Adium X, and I was wondering what you guys use as an MSN/AIM/ICQ "official software" alternative. :-]

For that matter, what other cool, third-party apps have y'all discovered? :)

[edesignuk]

You've already said it, but it's what I use. AdiumX :cool:

[themadchemist]

I use AIM. When I switched from X.1 to Panther, I used iChat (default) for a while. I couldn't stand it! The only nice thing was that it did in-message spell checks. But other than that, it was a pain to use. I went back to AOL's build of its messenger and I'm glad I did.

[mkrishnan]

I'm on AdiumX too. I used iChat for quite a while but I don't want to run multiple chat programs at once, and friends use MSN and Yahoo. :( If they all used AIM though, I'd *screeching sound* prolly be back on iChat.

[mkrishnan]

Speaking of which, there's a 0.60 out which I need to go look at. :)

[LaMerVipere]

I use AIM. When I switched from X.1 to Panther, I used iChat (default) for a while. I couldn't stand it! The only nice thing was that it did in-message spell checks. But other than that, it was a pain to use. I went back to AOL's build of its messenger and I'm glad I did.

Story of my life! :cool:

[wowser]

OK - I just got Adium. Very nice!but,

Why does it show my posts twice?

[King Cobra]

I would use Adium X except for two things: It doesn't allow me to broadcast my songs through iChatStatus (or a similar program that I'm not aware of), and it doesn't allow drag-and-drop transfers. So I use iChat.

[mkrishnan]

I would use Adium X except for two things: It doesn't allow me to broadcast my songs through iChatStatus (or a similar program that I'm not aware of), and it doesn't allow drag-and-drop transfers. So I use iChat.

You mean even when you're there? I know you can put iTunes status into your away/idle messages. You can even put them in your name. But I've seen other people where I get automatic status messages from their IM client saying whenever their song changes, even if they're not away. EDIT: You cannot set the "available" status as custom as of yet in Adium. Is this what you meant? I'd like to see that added....

But you can use scripts like %_artist (see Edit->Insert Script) to put iTunes info into your profile, away msg, etc.

Also, random happy for AdiumX 0.60 -- they added a pref so you can define what keys switch tabs...I'm always switching tabs in AdiumX and Safari at the same time, and it's apple+shift+arrow on Safari and it was apple+arrow on AdiumX. Now I can make it the same. I'm such a dork. :)

Wowser, you shouldn't see doubles of your msgs. Not sure why you do tho'. :(

[wowser]

Wowser, you shouldn't see doubles of your msgs. Not sure why you do tho'. :(

seems ok. When i am talking to a contact, it is normal, but swicthing to the 'MSN Chat' thing, it doubles my messages. No Biggie.
however, 5 minutes after using it, it crashed, but i'm quite keen on it. The contact list thing is too fiddly / small, though

[mkrishnan]

seems ok. When i am talking to a contact, it is normal, but swicthing to the 'MSN Chat' thing, it doubles my messages. No Biggie.
however, 5 minutes after using it, it crashed, but i'm quite keen on it. The contact list thing is too fiddly / small, though

0.58 crashed on me fairly often...maybe once every 6 or 7 chats? The comments on 0.59 said lots of crash fixes were implemented, so we'll see what 0.60 does, I guess. ;)

Do you mean you see your msgs both in MSN Chat and in Adium, or that you see them twice in one program or the other? I don't have MSN Chat installed at all so I dunno it might be something funny with that software if that's where you're seeing it.

[wowser]

yeah - it's when i am talking to more than one person in the same window with my MSN account. i guess it is only geared up for 1 on 1 chats.
the crashes are like every 10 minutes at the mo, not good

[ToastCabbit]

Yep. I used iChat for a long time until I gave Adium X a trial run. I'm really liking it a lot. I believe this will be my AIM client from now on.

But...


...I really don't believe anything beats iChat's emoticons. :rolleyes:

[King Cobra]

EDIT: You cannot set the "available" status as custom as of yet in Adium. Is this what you meant? I'd like to see that added....
iChatStatus can display a user's (my) current song when my status is Available, Idle, or Away...though I never allow iChat to set my status to Idle. Adium is lacking that custom Available stauts, though iChat isn't. Not to mention, I can put a line of text in iChat like "No file transfers right now" in case I'm doing some heavy internet activity through my slow connection so that others know they can chat, but not send me files. That's one great thing about iChat.


But you can use scripts like %_artist (see Edit->Insert Script) to put iTunes info into your profile, away msg, etc
Problem is: I want buddies (on iChat) to see what song I'm playing without having to look into someone's profile. In other words, there's some flicker in someone else's iChat buddy list...the person looks over and sees what I'm playing. That's another great thing about iChat...though there is a limit to how much text one can put in an iChat Available status (and Away status, as well, I think).

[King Cobra]

...I really don't believe anything beats iChat's emoticons. :rolleyes:
Oh man...you (or somebody) might just blow a gasket upon looking at this:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=11318.0

Simple Machines is using iChat's smilies as clickable forum emoticons!

[janey]

...I really don't believe anything beats iChat's emoticons. :rolleyes:
check out the adium xtras, theres an iChat emoticon pack for adium

and /me adds another vote for Adium
adium r0x0rz ;)
iChat i only open for videochats.

[Royal Pineapple]

i use ichat because its built into the finder and i can access it from the menubar

[MongoTheGeek]

Chat programs of choice....

hmm....

talk is always an favorite. Been using it since the early 90's
phone is a lot of fun as well.

[janey]

i use ichat because its built into the finder and i can access it from the menubar
iChat isnt built into the finder, Apple just included a menubar extra for iChat.

[blue&whiteman]

adium is one of those free apps that I would have no problem paying for. same goes for vlc.

[Krizoitz]

I use iChat, its clean, simple, and does what I need it to without a lot of extra fluff. But since you want to use MSN as well I think fire, adium, etc are all fine.

[johnnyjibbs]

I did use Proteus but have gone back onto MSN now that 4.0 is out and stops the time-out problem. I also use iChat for AIM but have that on menu bar only so it automatically switches on whenever I'm online and connected. I don't really have to worry about it.

[mkrishnan]

Problem is: I want buddies (on iChat) to see what song I'm playing without having to look into someone's profile. In other words, there's some flicker in someone else's iChat buddy list...the person looks over and sees what I'm playing. That's another great thing about iChat...though there is a limit to how much text one can put in an iChat Available status (and Away status, as well, I think).

Yeah, I hope Adium adds this feature tool. I agree that its would be way cool.

[sandmann41]

I use adium also. In my opinion no other program comes close.

[awulf]

I like Fire, it does most things that I want it to, I even like Fire over Adium X.

I don't like Adium X's buddy list management.
I like Fire's handling of emoticons (uses the right emoticons for the service you chat in).
I like Fire's text-speech features better.

At the rate Adium X is developing, I can see myself using Adium X in the future.

I have Fire, Adium X & Proteus installed but I only use Fire. The messaging services that I connect to are Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, MSN and Jabber.

When it comes to IRC I like 'Conversation' the best (its also free).

[dragula53]

When I am not using A/V, I use adiumX

but I found a ton of little helper apps for everything..

I use yahoo messenger in conjunction with chitchatx, to do chat rooms (not often, but it is way better than the web based)

I use MSN Messenger in conjunction with ophoneX, for net meeting access

bok

and ichatAV

[wowser]

I'm starting to like Adium, more and more - especially dig the transparent contact list.

[NarKEd]

I use aMSN, its just msn messenger but way better than the msn version 4.

[wowser]

Does anyone know how to diable the text alert (where overlays the name of the person who has sent a message over the dock's icon) in Adium?

[ToastCabbit]

Does anyone know how to diable the text alert (where overlays the name of the person who has sent a message over the dock's icon) in Adium?

I *believe* what you're looking for is found at Adium Preferences:dock:show contacts:"with unviewed messages/who connnect and disconnect"

and then just uncheck those two boxes. That help? :D

[wowser]

I *believe* what you're looking for is found at Adium Preferences:dock:show contacts:"with unviewed messages/who connnect and disconnect"

I believe you are right - thank you!

[7on]

I use iChat because of Rendezvous (and I hate people pointing out that Rendezvous isn't Mac specific, I KNOW it's ZeroConf but noone has implemented it like Apple did with iPhoto, iChat and iTunes - so when I say "Man, I wish Rendezvous was available on other OSes" people should know I'm talking about Apple's Rendezvous and not ZeroConf[/rant]) AND I use MSN Messenger 3.5 because 4.0 rapes my KeyChain Access. And aMSN needs that extra doo-hicky installed and I don't really trust an app that needs another app installed (took me like 10 months to install psync with CCC).

[laserbeahm]

I try to use iChat as much as I can because I like the look and feel of it. Plus, the spell check feature is very nice. Sometimes I have to fall back on AIM because there are so many more useful features on it than on iChat.

[PlaceofDis]

now that i have friends who actually have webcams and the like i will be using iChat....plush i love iChat's little bubbles, one feature that would be awesome is the tabbed chats that the other messengers have, hmmmm i just dont know if it is worth it to use more than one......

[themadchemist]

With all this buzz about programs that I've never heard of, I'm going to have to check them out!