Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Internet Tools
Roundup: Top X requested iChat features
Last Thursday I put you TUAW'ers in charge of iChat, asking what features you'd add and what problems you'd solve. Here's a roundup of the Top X requests, in no particular order. However, if these were in order, the first two would most certainly be on the top of the stack, by far:- Tabbed chatting
- No surprise: multi-protocol, with most requests for MSN (especially since MSN and Yahoo might be holding hands soon)
- connect to multiple AIM accounts at once
- more features better control over status messages (i.e. - setting a specific time for idle and auto-away)
- option to be invisibility while online
- animated buddy icons
- document and/or screen sharing
- archive browsing
- option to encrypt messages for all users - not just .Mac members
- Full profile editing/support
One thing I think is kind of funny: no one, and I mean no one, mentioned a single thing about Proteus in the comments. Which is even funnier if you consider that, back in the day when I first hopped on the OS X bandwagon, I actually purchased a Proteus license. Hey, we all learn our lessons sooner or later right?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan faerman said 12:16PM on 11-06-2005
Am I one of the few people who actually prefer iChat to Adium for AIM? And concerning encryption, if you really need encryption for your chats that badly, it doesn't need to be discussed online. Pick up a phone, meet in a public place at a set time. Encryption is for when people really want to read what you are typing, and no one really cares except for the FBI and the terrorist divisions. Just don't be a terrorist.
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Zach Forrester said 9:38AM on 11-07-2005
Proteus WAS an awesome chat application, and, if you ignore the lack of features compared to Adium, it still IS an awesome application. The problem is that since the original developer sold Proteus to defaultware and went to work on iChat (which is why we have Jabber support) the new owners of the program haven't really done much at all with the app. They keep saying that they are hard at work on a brand spanking new version 5, that's going to blow everyone away, but the internet is a fickle audience, and without a steady flow of sneak peaks or even progress reports, interest in the project wanes. And I'm sure, as people care less about it, so too will the developers care less and less, until the infamous v5 never actually reaches release. I LOVE Proteus. I really like it better than Adium (even though you can customize the hell out of it, and it is the only chat app I use) and I'm really afraid that these new guys are going to kill Proteus before it even makes it off the runway. I'd like to go on record that if, when the new Proteus comes out, it meets or even exceeds my expectations, I will purchase a license, if that means anything.
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Paul said 12:55PM on 11-06-2005
i BOUGHT proteus back when you guys suggested it, it still lives in my finder...
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Nick said 2:03PM on 11-06-2005
iChat is also a Jabber Client. Jabber can connect to MSN, Yahoo, almost any chat service. I used MSN via iChat.
There is a tutorial on how to do so here. http://allforces.com/2005/05/06/ichat-to-msn-through-jabber/
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Chris Meisenzahl said 3:54PM on 11-06-2005
I love iChat, don't use it often, but no complaints when I do. I keep meaning to try Adium, but iChat has done everything I need so far.
Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/
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Greg Pfeil said 6:22PM on 11-06-2005
I'll reiterate what Nick (#4) said, iChat already is a multi-protocol client. Jabber allows you to talk to people using whatever protocol you want. However, to make it useful to the less tech savvy people out there, Apple needs to allow users to set up transports within iChat (Nick's link suggests using Psi to do this part).
That definitely is something that iChat needs, but IMO multiprotocol clients are overkill. I use Proteus, but I just have two different Jabber accounts set up in it: one for work, one for home. Jabber handles the magic for talking to AIM, MSN, etc.
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David Chartier said 6:46PM on 11-06-2005
Yea but guys: 1) Jabber gives you text chatting, at best. Where's video? audio? You might not use it, but a ton of other people out there sure do. Jabber support is great for those of us who are happy with hacking and slashing our software, but isn't a solution for the greater majority out there. 2) The lack of an all-encompassing buddy list (a la Adium or Proteus) is enough to turn most people off I'm sure.
Hacks are great. Truly built-in is greater.
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Greg said 8:13AM on 11-07-2005
I tried adding my msn contacts through jabber in iChat and it was just so painful, I gave it up.
Using iChat for msn also disables file transfers between these users and myself, and, working with artists and designers, I need this feature to be able to talk about changes to images quickly. Jabber falls very short of that.
Audio and video would be nice, but not as important as network compatability and file transfers.
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Ogre said 10:40AM on 11-07-2005
"option to be invisibility while online"
Me fail English? That's unpossible.....
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amit said 11:33AM on 11-13-2005
I definitely like It , As Much as I like MIRC !!
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amit said 11:35AM on 11-13-2005
I definitely like It , As Much as I like MIRC !!
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