[iMac430]

AIM for OS X is terrible, iChat is pretty good (no tabs though ). For just AIM, and no other services, which is better, AdiumX (the file transfer / direct connect is kinda screwy), or Fire (does this even have direct connect). Are there any other clients for OS X that are better than this for AIM. Any advice/help would be appreciated.

[Brad]

Moving to the Third Party Software forum...

[Brad]

There's also Proteus, but it's not free. It uses the same open-sourced Gaim engine that Adium uses; so, I wouldn't expect its file transfer support to be tremendously better.

I've been a huge proponent of Adium in the past. I used to use it daily for AIM. The only reason I don't use it daily any more is that I just don't have time to stay online to chat. I still use it at work, though, because everyone at the office is on Yahoo! chat and I'm expected to stay online for that.

Just steer clear of the Adium forums and don't try to make any suggestions.

[iMac430]

Sorry about placing this thread in the wrong place...

Well, I just recently moved from Windows (thankfully!!). Everything works like a charm on OS X, except IM. I usually only use AIM, but the offerings on Windows are so much better. you need to use Growl to even display notifications for iChat - which just takes up RAM, and I need direct connect as well as File Transfer (which iChat does have), yet, iChat does not have tabs, a good profile editor, and notifications. Any other suggestions. AIM 4.7 hasn't been updated in.... a long time, will it ever?

[Brad]

Well, I would give up any hope of the official AIM client becoming anything more than Total Crap™. It's been Total Crap™ for years.

[Wrao]

I'm sure apple will add tabs to iChat one day, and there will be much rejoicing.

[Batman]

Or, an ACP (Applenova Community Project) could be started to create an open source, homegrown, quality messaging client . Just a suggestion.

[rasmits]

I don't think AIM for Mac has been seriously updated since the movie to OS X, and that was just a carbonization, same goes with Yahoo.

Last I checked, Yahoo has ended support for Yahoo Messenger for Mac (file transfers don't even work right anymore) and AOL thinks iChat is good enough. Meanwhile, MSN for Mac lags years behind the Windows version.

Believe it or not, I've had a few friends not switch to Mac just because their favorite messaging program was not satisfactory.

edit: That didn't really answer your question. I'd use Proteus, because Adium is trash, imo.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by rasmits Believe it or not, I've had a few friends not switch to Mac just because their favorite messaging program was not satisfactory. edit: That didn't really answer your question. I'd use Proteus, because Adium is trash, imo.

I couldn't disagree more; Adium is hands-down the best instant messaging client on any platform, be it Mac OS 9, X, Windows, Linux with GNOME or Linux with KDE, or something else. Naturally, I'm somewhat biased, but my girlfriend (who doesn't much care for Macs) used Adium only once and quickly fell in love with it.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Batman Or, an ACP (Applenova Community Project) could be started to create an open source, homegrown, quality messaging client . Just a suggestion.

I think you're underestimating the work involved, unless all you want is one protocol (say AIM or Jabber). Even then, you need to do a lot. Sure, you could tie it in to an existing library, such as Libgaim, Joscar, etc., but those are buggy.

Most of Adium's problems (with file transfers, for instance) stem from Libgaim, not from Adium.

[BarracksSi]

Originally Posted by Wrao I'm sure apple will add tabs to iChat one day, and there will be much rejoicing.

Eh, I dunno, I would be one of the people to keep tabs turned off. I never chat with more than a few people at a time, either.

For me, each window represents a person, so it's easier for me to keep track of who I'm typing to. With everyone in one window, I'd have to think harder to keep track of conversations. The last thing I want to have happen is to talk dirty to my mom.

[sirnick4]

Originally Posted by BarracksSi The last thing I want to have happen is to talk dirty to my mom.

great post

[octavist13]

Yeah, that wouldn't be good.

[HezMah19]

Originally Posted by BarracksSi The last thing I want to have happen is to talk dirty to my mom.

Post of the week

[T-Man]

I'm in Adium right now, as Proteues 'blocked' on of my friends out. He is using Linux and GAIM, and Proteus is the only one that has ever shown that. BTW, I tihnk Proteus just gives a message every once in a while or so to pay, but in a way, I think its more freeware. My 'trial' is still going after a month or so...

[rasmits]

What I really want is an exact port of Trillian for Mac.

I don't get how it's possible for Trillian to do video chat, but Adium and Proteus can't.

[Sargasm]

Adium is perfect except for its file transferring abilities, but i just log on with ichat if i want to get or send something using a different aim account.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by rasmits What I really want is an exact port of Trillian for Mac.

Yeee-owwwchhhhh.

I don't get how it's possible for Trillian to do video chat, but Adium and Proteus can't.

Because they are a company that invested a lot of manhours into reverse-engineering the protocol. Adium, Proteus and Gaim (which they are founded on) only invest spare time, for obvious reasons.

[atomicbartbeans]

I'm very happy using a combination of Adium (day-to-day chatting with multiple protocols) and iChat (for the occasional audio chat or file transfer). Adium will work sometimes for file transfers (always for local transfers across a LAN), but it has trouble getting across firewalls.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by chucker Because they are a company that invested a lot of manhours into reverse-engineering the protocol. Adium, Proteus and Gaim (which they are founded on) only invest spare time, for obvious reasons.

Well, to be fair, Proteus is not free and should be considered in a class separate from Adium and Gaim for that reason, more like Trillian, even though it doesn't seem like it from its offerings.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Brad Well, to be fair, Proteus is not free and should be considered in a class separate from Adium and Gaim for that reason, more like Trillian, even though it doesn't seem like it from its offerings.

Correct. Proteus's site should make it clear that what you're paying for is the front-end and maybe some support. The back-end is almost entirely the work of Libgaim. Sadly, Proteus is not investing (even part of) its profits back into bug bounties for Libgaim. If they did, Libgaim could much more easily have voice/video support now.

[Wrao]

Originally Posted by BarracksSi Eh, I dunno, I would be one of the people to keep tabs turned off. I never chat with more than a few people at a time, either. For me, each window represents a person, so it's easier for me to keep track of who I'm typing to. With everyone in one window, I'd have to think harder to keep track of conversations. The last thing I want to have happen is to talk dirty to my mom.

I know what you mean, but at the same time. I have 10+ chats open all the time, it would be nice to have the option to reduce screen clutter if needs be. It'd be really swell if you could incorporate groups and tabs so that, if people from group 'friends' messaged you they'd all goto the same tabbed window, but if a person from Group "family" messaged you, it'd open in a separate tabbed window.

[T-Man]

Originally Posted by Wrao I know what you mean, but at the same time. I have 10+ chats open all the time, it would be nice to have the option to reduce screen clutter if needs be. It'd be really swell if you could incorporate groups and tabs so that, if people from group 'friends' messaged you they'd all goto the same tabbed window, but if a person from Group "family" messaged you, it'd open in a separate tabbed window.

Could 3rd party plug ins do this in any way?

I also use iChat for file transfers, though I've gotten lucky a few times with Adium...