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Jan Van Boghout · Mar 22, 2003, 12:06 PM

Is there still no nice Cocoa client that does styles, contact names, group chats (!!!) etc?

I thought the MSN protocol was figured out already. Messenger 3 disgusts me with its bouncing and uglyness, but I need styled messages

Gul Banana · Mar 22, 2003, 12:17 PM

Maybe Mac users just don't tend to use MSN for some bizarre reason... I can't think what it would be, mind you.

Peter · Mar 22, 2003, 12:29 PM

Proteus!
Proteus!
Clicky Click!

Vanquish · Mar 22, 2003, 12:33 PM

By Gul Banana:
Maybe Mac users just don't tend to use MSN for some bizarre reason... I can't think what it would be, mind you.

Well we would like to use something else, but MSN is far too popular in Europe. *nobody* uses AIM, Yahoo or ICQ here (well maybe a littlebit of ICQ).

Is het niet, Jan ?

Peter · Mar 22, 2003, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by Vanquish:
Well we would like to use something else, but MSN is far too popular in Europe. *nobody* uses AIM, Yahoo or ICQ here (well maybe a littlebit of ICQ).

Is het niet, Jan ?

I used to use MSN and ICQ. Now I solely use IRC

mdc · Mar 22, 2003, 12:44 PM

i agree with peterclarke, proteus.

in the windows world i used to use trillian, it worked. i was oblivios, i installed proteus when i got my ibook and can not believe how impressive it is.

try it out, you might like it

Peter · Mar 22, 2003, 01:22 PM

Originally posted by mdc:
i agree with peterclarke, proteus.

in the windows world i used to use trillian, it worked. i was oblivios, i installed proteus when i got my ibook and can not believe how impressive it is.

try it out, you might like it

Trillian Pro. Was stunning, Proteus is the best IM client ever for OS X

Jan Van Boghout · Mar 22, 2003, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by Gul Banana:
Maybe Mac users just don't tend to use MSN for some bizarre reason... I can't think what it would be, mind you.

Well, it's either using MSN or not chatting with my school friends at all

Jan Van Boghout · Mar 22, 2003, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by Vanquish:
Is het niet, Jan ?

Inderdaad

But about Proteus, last time i tried it didn't do styled messages and group chat only in a very awkward way. Has it changed? Screenshots?

[APi]TheMan · Mar 22, 2003, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
I used to use MSN and ICQ. Now I solely use IRC

I don't understand how you can substitute Instant Messanging with chat. IRC isn't the easiest thing to figure out for newbies, or folks that you just want to chat with about real life stuff.

I have a fairly large buddy list, and the kind of people that I talk to (friends and family), aren't the type that I would talk to on IRC.

For me, IRC is a place for file transfer and geek talk with fellow mac buddies.

Meh.

superblue · Mar 22, 2003, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
Proteus!
Proteus!
Clicky Click!

I like Proteus, but haven't figured out how to do group chats with a number of contacts like I can with MSN. Can anyone shed light on this? I've a feeling it's possible, but it certainly doesn't seem too intuitive!

Peter · Mar 22, 2003, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by superblue:
I like Proteus, but haven't figured out how to do group chats with a number of contacts like I can with MSN. Can anyone shed light on this? I've a feeling it's possible, but it certainly doesn't seem too intuitive!

Nope, the only one that allows convo's with more than one person is the offical crappy we went OTT on aqua version. Proteus will allow it but it is very confusing. The only other multi client I have seen group convo's work well on is Trillian Pro , but thats winblows only.
I do use MSN & ICQ, just not as much as IRC.

ryju · Mar 22, 2003, 08:06 PM

Originally posted by Vanquish:
Well we would like to use something else, but MSN is far too popular in Europe. *nobody* uses AIM, Yahoo or ICQ here (well maybe a littlebit of ICQ).

Is het niet, Jan ?

Same with here in Canada and the US.

Weezer · Mar 22, 2003, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
Same with here in Canada and the US.

In the US? Almost everyone I know uses aim, and a few use MSN for the webcam part.

sushiism · Mar 22, 2003, 09:47 PM

uk pretty much everyone uses MSN, only people who dont probably use icq too for old times sake. Its kinda either MSN only or pretty much everything

Gul Banana · Mar 22, 2003, 10:01 PM

I don't presume to speak for my entire country, but everybody I know uses ICQ.

Angus_D · Mar 23, 2003, 06:41 AM

I use iChat for chatting to mac people and MSN for school people... Fire does MSN, but last time I checked its support sucked (kept crashing randomly). Then again, that was a few years ago.

Group51 · Mar 23, 2003, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
I use iChat for chatting to mac people and MSN for school people... Fire does MSN, but last time I checked its support sucked (kept crashing randomly). Then again, that was a few years ago.

I've been using Fire for ICQ, IRC and MSN (don't know anyone on AIM, well, one person).

Fire's smilies don't seem compatible all the time with MSN and ICQ (how can that be!), so I'm interested to hear of Proteus - downloading now.

Peter · Mar 23, 2003, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by Group51:
I've been using Fire for ICQ, IRC and MSN (don't know anyone on AIM, well, one person).

Fire's smilies don't seem compatible all the time with MSN and ICQ (how can that be!), so I'm interested to hear of Proteus - downloading now.

Proteus is good, beats Fire
I cannot figure out how to use the IRC function. Anyone know?

Zimphire · Mar 23, 2003, 01:05 PM

I would use Proteus if it didn't crash all the time.

edddeduck · Mar 23, 2003, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
Proteus!
Proteus!
Clicky Click!

Another vote. I love that I have 1 contact in the list for my mate brodie BUT I have attached 4 different chat accounts to him so his ICQ, yahoo, aol and msn accounts appear as one person to me. Never mind where the message comes from it appears from brodie.

Its great. I will look into group chat next time I am my main machine.

Alot download the Alpha/beta releases of 2.2 they are the best ones.

Cheers edwin

Peter · Mar 23, 2003, 03:51 PM

Proteus is brilliant, but sometimes I find it using a lot of my system resources. Most likely because it is a beta.

thePurpleGiant · Mar 23, 2003, 07:33 PM

I love Proteus, but annoys the absolute hell out of me when I suddenly find myself in a group chat, and Proteus doesn't tell me! Because it doesn't seem to support them, the message come through in each individual contact's window/tab! So all of a sudden 'Mary' will say 'nah it was awesome!' and i'll go 'what?' and then 'Jane' would go 'whadaya mean 'what?'.

Grrr! Then 5 minutes later I realise I am in a 3 way chat, and quickly quit and open msn client, grrr!

alex_kac · Mar 23, 2003, 09:48 PM

Fire, I think is pretty darn good. Proteus looks dramatically better, but frankly after 5 minutes, I went back to Fire.

If Fire had the tabs for multiple chats...I'd be in heaven.

And I use it for MSN all the time.

ambush · Mar 23, 2003, 09:56 PM

Oh oh oh that reminds me of the old "Guy Incognito VS Fire" days

HAHAHAHA

I guess I just enjoyed observing the whole goddam forum blast him..

Peter · Mar 24, 2003, 11:54 AM

Originally posted by ambush:
Oh oh oh that reminds me of the old "Guy Incognito VS Fire" days

HAHAHAHA

I guess I just enjoyed observing the whole goddam forum blast him..

are there any other multi client messaging programs other than Fire and Proteus?

thePurpleGiant · Mar 25, 2003, 11:29 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
are there any other multi client messaging programs other than Fire and Proteus?

Nope, not on Mac anyway.

Fallout · Mar 26, 2003, 02:37 AM

I've always used Fire..very simple and efficent. For file transfer and group chats I switch to Messenger. I don't do either of those over IM often, so it's not that bad.

Wet Jimmy · Mar 26, 2003, 08:22 AM

Does Proteus let you use photo's for your buddies like iChat does? This is one of the reasons (as lame as it is) why I want to use iChat when I get my Powerbook - It's a neat little feature that none of my Windows IM clients have.

As for the "which IM client do you use" I'd have to say that here in most everybody I know uses MSN, especially all my work buddies. If only iChat supported MSN...

Peter · Mar 26, 2003, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by Wet Jimmy:
Does Proteus let you use photo's for your buddies like iChat does? This is one of the reasons (as lame as it is) why I want to use iChat when I get my Powerbook - It's a neat little feature that none of my Windows IM clients have.

yes it does, it displays their picture in the toolbar.

Jerommeke · Mar 27, 2003, 03:33 AM

Proteus!

(though MSNM 3.5 sucks less than 3 did)

Tsilou B. · Mar 27, 2003, 03:17 PM

Originally posted by Vanquish:
Well we would like to use something else, but MSN is far too popular in Europe. *nobody* uses AIM, Yahoo or ICQ here (well maybe a littlebit of ICQ).

I know *nobody* who uses MSN! And I certainly live in Europe, too. All my friends use AIM or ICQ or both (using Trillian).

Sarc · Mar 27, 2003, 05:19 PM

gotta love the use of transparencies in proteus ....

I have it 40% transparent while in background, and when a message arrives I'm pleasantly notified by a badge on the Dock and when I click it, it becomes 0% trasnparent ... I send my IM's, and then when I click another app. it goes back to transparent.

Also I like the fact that you can close the contact list ... and when a message arrives you can reopen it.

Miniryu · Mar 27, 2003, 09:01 PM

I get the impression that no one has used Fire recently. For starters, it has transparency just like Proteus. Second, if you like brushed metal, they just updated the GUI so now it looks like iChat. Third, IT"S FREE.
I used to like Proteus, but it would never log onto all 4 services I use at once. I assumed this was because I never paid for it. Sorry, but I am sticking with Fire. Simple and consistent.

Jerommeke · Mar 28, 2003, 08:46 AM

This isn't so very right what you say:

- there is a brushed metal version of Proteus
- it connects to allservices, even if you didn't pay
- you are free to use Proteus (as long as it is in beta, but hey)
-

KidRed · Mar 28, 2003, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by Gul Banana:
Maybe Mac users just don't tend to use MSN for some bizarre reason... I can't think what it would be, mind you.

Agreed.

Peter · Mar 28, 2003, 12:51 PM

I like proteus because it looks neat, and it does most MSN stuff very well. Fire, I do not like because I dislike the GUI.