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Liquidity X · Aug 22, 2002, 11:50 PM

Ok, I liek iChat, its sleak simple and kool. But it needs a few more bells and whistels. I wanan put together a feature list that every on can just cut and past into appel feedbackform. here what I have so far.

1. A Sign on at login feature (log in in the background via the Menue extra)
2. When the app s quit, no souds r played when u r still onlne via he menue extra. (option to turn this on and off)
3. Be able to sort members on yer buddy list via groups.
4. Auto reize buddy list as member sign off and on so no space is left blank. (can turn on and off)
5. Voice and video chat.
6. Bring back AIM Profiles for user.
7. Have a Idle away message that displays after X amount of idle time.
8. Optional dock icon feedback when IM is recived, maybe have the ! blink.
9. Be able to resize the buddy icon size, ( I liek mine at 32x32, currently I think they are to small.
10. Optional .mac Intergration, where when u update your personal Adressbook card, its auto updated on all yer buddys machines who have 10.2
11. When adding a Address card to yer book, have a "update Info" button if the person already exist. Right no u have to delete the person,a dn then add the new card, then delete the user from iChat, then readd them, and link them to the new card. VERY BAD APPLE!
12. Graphite theme support.
13.Transparancys that work in the buddy list icons.
14. The option to display yer buddies as ther real name, or there screen name. Once they are added to your addy book, they only show up as there real name.
15. Same buddy alerts/action that are in AOL client.

any other ideas folks? once this is built upon for a day or so i'll typ up a offical one for you to paste int he feedback form.

gorickey · Aug 22, 2002, 11:55 PM

Damn, you hit all my wants on the button....great job! Also, make sure to proof read your "official typed" up one for us to copy/paste...no typos

waffffffle · Aug 23, 2002, 12:10 AM

ability to actually SEE people's away messages

reorganization of the buddy info window so that you can actually read people's profiles (that box is WAY too small)

removal of brushed metal

service icons (AIM, AOL, away, idle) instead of those colored globs next to the screen names

ability to NOT use the address book (adding new buddies currently requires WAY too many steps)

ability to see yourself on your buddy list

more conventional time stamping (like adium)

ability to customize all text (like adium)

the text input box for the IM window needs to be larger and scrollable (and the divider needs to be adjustable (like adium)

the IMs need to appear in the proper order, not this screwed up iChat order where whoever starts typing first gets the message on top (but its only seen like that in ichat

buddy icons need to be shown in the IM window itself

the screen names in the message window (aliases) need to be colored so you know who is typing to who

it basically needs to work like an IM client. right now iChat is a big mess. I don't understand why everything in iChat needs to be assbackwards. AOL has the buddy list and instant message paradigms done correctly and Adium improves on the interface greatly. They really screwed up this program royally. It is not usable in its current state.

waffffffle · Aug 23, 2002, 12:15 AM

more:

the status indicators in the messages: <screen name went away (12.:31:00 PM>, etc

a REAL text format tool bar, including font color, background color, outline color, insert hyperlink, font size, etc

tool tips that appear when you mouseover a screen name in the buddy list that display screen name, alias, service, status, and online since

obviouly iChat has a long way to go. It bothers me that they couldn't just hire Adam Iser as an intern for the summer to do this thing properly

waffffffle · Aug 23, 2002, 12:25 AM

I just submitted my list on the OS X feedback page. Is there a specific iChat page because currently the OS X page doesn't let you choose 10.2 as your OS.

starfleetX · Aug 23, 2002, 12:43 AM

Originally posted by waffffffle:
a REAL text format tool bar, including font color ... font size

Actually, iChat uses Apple's standard text and color palettes. I think they are FAR better than the crap font/color selectors in the official AIM client.

Telusman · Aug 23, 2002, 12:57 AM

I completley agree that iChat is fairly unusable, I have to admit it was fun to tinker with at first but as time wore on the lack of features, and a lot of the interface gets into your way, rather then getting out of it... Few things i've noticed...

Brushed metal.... havent we seen enough of this?

Cannot minimize File transfer windows. annoying when i dont want to sit and watch a download.

Lack of feedback when starting a Direct IM connection.

AIM clients cannot see away messages and are not sent away messages if they IM a user in an away state. Many a buddy has messaged me and not actually seen that im away at first because of the lack of an away message.

The text imput box on the IM window are wayyyyyyy to small and the timestamping is annoying and from what i can see, cannot be turned off.

Chat balloons.... need i say more?

Volume control for sounds... there isnt one.... there should be.

Adding a buddy is cumbersome, unless u press the "chat participants" button on the IM window, and then drag the buddies name into your buddy list.

Personally i think iChat has a lot of potential, but its one of the most un-elegant, and un-mac programs i've used.

Lets hope that apple hasnt made iChat a Mac user to Mac user pleasant interface, as lets face it, everyone on my buddy list less 2 are Pc users. I sure hope this program gets better in versions to come.

- Telusman

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I just submitted my list on the OS X feedback page. Is there a specific iChat page because currently the OS X page doesn't let you choose 10.2 as your OS.

Guy Incognito · Aug 23, 2002, 01:22 AM

I sure hope there's an iChat 1.1 before 1.2. That's my wishlist.

waffffffle · Aug 23, 2002, 01:53 AM

Originally posted by starfleetX:
Actually, iChat uses Apple's standard text and color palettes. I think they are FAR better than the crap font/color selectors in the official AIM client.

I really don't like those system-wide palletes. They're HUGE. There is no reason to take up so much space just to chose the color of text I want to use. Just have some presets in a little popup menu. Same thing for font and size. These palletes are overkill.

goose · Aug 23, 2002, 02:33 AM

Originally posted by waffffffle:
ability to NOT use the address book (adding new buddies currently requires WAY too many steps)

Yes. There are some people I only know online and have no need for a full address card created for them. Plus I don't need their entries cluttering my addressbook.

oeyvind · Aug 23, 2002, 02:41 AM

Add in ICQ support! That will make a lot of people's day

GnOm · Aug 23, 2002, 03:19 AM

Originally posted by Liquidity X:

3. Be able to sort members on yer buddy list via groups.

that is my number one request, highly needed. How are you supposed to keep track of some hundred buddies in your list without it.
I'm wondering anyway why it's not in already since groups are basically there.

bye.

krove · Aug 23, 2002, 03:27 AM

Originally posted by goose:

Yes. There are some people I only know online and have no need for a full address card created for them. Plus I don't need their entries cluttering my addressbook.

Put them in their own address book group...

karbon · Aug 23, 2002, 03:33 AM

Originally posted by oeyvind:
Add in ICQ support! That will make a lot of people's day

That'll not happen. Apple has done a deal with AOL on iChat, and they are not going to include ICQ anytime soon.

But there were talks a while back about merging the AOL and MSN instant messaging networks. To bad it didn't happen, cause it would at least make my day a little easier...

iBabo · Aug 23, 2002, 04:24 AM

Originally posted by karbon:

That'll not happen. Apple has done a deal with AOL on iChat, and they are not going to include ICQ anytime soon.

But there were talks a while back about merging the AOL and MSN instant messaging networks. To bad it didn't happen, cause it would at least make my day a little easier...

AOL owns ICQ

kennethmac2000 · Aug 23, 2002, 04:26 AM

Originally posted by karbon:
That'll not happen. Apple has done a deal with AOL on iChat, and they are not going to include ICQ anytime soon.

ICQ is owned by AOL Time Warner you know.

kennethmac2000 · Aug 23, 2002, 04:28 AM

Originally posted by Guy Incognito:
I sure hope there's an iChat 1.1 before 1.2. That's my wishlist.

That's a given. There are so many bugs in 1.0 that there will obviously be a 1.1.

CarpetFluff · Aug 23, 2002, 05:42 AM

Originally posted by waffffffle:

I really don't like those system-wide palletes. They're HUGE. There is no reason to take up so much space just to chose the color of text I want to use. Just have some presets in a little popup menu. Same thing for font and size. These palletes are overkill.

I know what you mean, they could do a similar thing to Macromedia Flash where you click and hold to get a pop up pallete with a small selection of colours or double click to get the full system pallete.

Liquidity X · Aug 23, 2002, 11:01 AM

i said 1.2, becuase there isa 10.2.1 update due out soon, which is just bug fixes, no new features, and iChat is getting some of those bug fixes, so i bet 1.1 is already almost don and included with 10.2.1, so I as palnning ahead. and It seems like this list is about done, gonna type it up in just a bit... check back here to paste it into the feedback form.