OS X, MSN Messenger alternatives

SquidThing · 03-23-2003, 07:01 AM

I use MSN messenger to IM my friends becuase they all have MSN rather than AIM, so I can't use iChat, and it's one of the most badly coded pieces of M$ digital crap I have ever experienced, it crashes, it has stupid obvious bugs, basically it's like using Windows. But ironically it seems to be the best option.

None of the other Mac OS X clients seem to support group coversations, you can only talk to one person at a time, which is totally confusing when you're added to a group coversation and it just feels like you're talking to 6 other people seperately becuase you have no idea in what order things are being said.

If you're not familiar with this sort of messaging, basically, you can talk to another person, but then either of you can decide to add more people to the conversation, and anything they say appears in one window in a list, you cant see other people's coversations until they add you to them, and only you can decide when you leave the coversation. As you can probably imagine, this is very confusing if you're using a piece of software where everyone in one of these conversations has a seperate window and you can only tell who said what in what order by comparing the time tags next to their sentences, and you can only say what you want to say to one person at a time. Kind of like being in a room with lots of people talking, but being very deaf and only being able to whisper, so you have to rush from one person to another to listen to, or talk to them.

So what alternatives are there? I've tried Fire and Proteus, neither of which worked, Proteus seemed good at first, and group coversations may be added later apparently, so I would use it once this is fixed, but any other suggestions would be appreciated.

What is the likelihood of iChat supporting MSN in the future? Currently, does it support group coversations like I mentioned earlier with people on AIM?

Andrew

CubeDude · 03-23-2003, 01:54 PM

I use Fire, it supports five or so services, but has a not-so-simple interface, and some of the keyboard shortcuts don't make any sense.

http://fire.sourceforge.net/

But hey, MSN does suck.

SquidThing · 03-23-2003, 02:33 PM

Mrgmurmgrurm, I downloaded and tried out Fire, have you got it to work with group coversations? Becuase I can't and I'm not sure whether it's my fault, or if the software just doesn't support it, but when someone I'm talking to adds another person to my conversation I get a separate window. Like I said I can only talk to one person at once, just like in Proteus.

What I'm looking for is basically MSN messenger but without the sucky interface, constant crashes and bugs and total incompatibility with everything else on my Mac.

Andrew

Robby · 03-23-2003, 09:49 PM

go to www.matopia.com i think msn update coming soon.

CubeDude · 03-23-2003, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SquidThing
Mrgmurmgrurm, I downloaded and tried out Fire, have you got it to work with group coversations? Becuase I can't and I'm not sure whether it's my fault, or if the software just doesn't support it, but when someone I'm talking to adds another person to my conversation I get a separate window. Like I said I can only talk to one person at once, just like in Proteus.

What I'm looking for is basically MSN messenger but without the sucky interface, constant crashes and bugs and total incompatibility with everything else on my Mac.

Andrew

Though I have no expierence with group chats(I'm not popular enough to have more than one friend online at the same time), it is supported in Fire.

Amorya · 03-24-2003, 04:26 AM

Not on MSN though - Fire only supports it on AIM as far as I know.

Amorya

CubeDude · 03-24-2003, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Amorya
Not on MSN though - Fire only supports it on AIM as far as I know.

Amorya

Oh.

SquidThing · 03-24-2003, 11:29 AM

Yeah, that's a different type of group chat. With MSN every chat is a group chat, it's just it might be a group with only two people in it, wheras AOL uses some sort of chat room thing.

Andrew

Spart · 03-24-2003, 10:47 PM

Yeah, if you're using something other than iChat. iChat handles AIM similarly to MSN chats.

As for supporting group chats in MSN, Proteus does support this. In the message window, click the Show Recipients button in the toolbar. If the toolbar is not shown, select Show Toolbar from the View menu. If the Show Recipients button is not shown, select Customize Toolbar from the View menu and drag the button to the toolbar. Note that you must be in an existing message window, not the Contacts window. Have fun.

ZO · 03-25-2003, 09:59 AM

MSN Messenger 3.5 released yesterday. VERY cool features

Conversation History (log) of all conversations (user definable)
Dock icon changes according to status
option to have dock icon bounce ONCE instead of continously
new pop-up messages (translucent, nicer effect)
groups
http proxy (wasnt that there already?)
option in menu to get rid of Promo Pane
its much faster and stabler (since Ive been trying yesterday)

VERY nice imporvements??? too bad it took em almost two yeears to update

SquidThing · 03-27-2003, 11:25 AM

Yeah, I'm now using MSN 3.5. I seem to be getting suddenly disconneted a lot though.

Andrew

Gizzmonic · 03-27-2003, 11:52 AM

I suggest that you convince your friends to use AIM. It's free, and has more features (including Group Chat).

SquidThing · 03-27-2003, 12:02 PM

I've tried, the problem is that Windows XP automatically sets up an MSN account for you, so all my friends, all the people I don't know that well and all their friends, relations and aquaintances all use MSN.

Is iChat going to support MSN in the future?

Andrew

Placebo · 03-27-2003, 06:11 PM

OK, here is THE universal messenger: Proteus. Designed for and ative in OS X, beautiful Aqua, very sophisticated preferences, and a simple dialogue setup. AAAAND that's not all, folks!!! IT IS FREE! (ok, it bugs you to pay the college students $15 to provide food in the dorm, but I do not pity

) The only con, for us ignorant Americans, is that everything is spelled all queer. (e.g. colour instead of color, etc. )

stunned · 03-27-2003, 08:04 PM

ICQ works fine for me.

klinux · 03-30-2003, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SquidThing
I've tried, the problem is that Windows XP automatically sets up an MSN account for you,

Not exactly, XP will ask you whether to set up a MSN account. You are more than welcome to say no despite their persistent badgering. However, I agree that the lang they use may be misleading though e.g. "Sign on now to MSN for better internet experience, etc!"

03-23-2003, 07:01 AM	#1
SquidThing Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 123	OS X, MSN Messenger alternatives I use MSN messenger to IM my friends becuase they all have MSN rather than AIM, so I can't use iChat, and it's one of the most badly coded pieces of M$ digital crap I have ever experienced, it crashes, it has stupid obvious bugs, basically it's like using Windows. But ironically it seems to be the best option. None of the other Mac OS X clients seem to support group coversations, you can only talk to one person at a time, which is totally confusing when you're added to a group coversation and it just feels like you're talking to 6 other people seperately becuase you have no idea in what order things are being said. If you're not familiar with this sort of messaging, basically, you can talk to another person, but then either of you can decide to add more people to the conversation, and anything they say appears in one window in a list, you cant see other people's coversations until they add you to them, and only you can decide when you leave the coversation. As you can probably imagine, this is very confusing if you're using a piece of software where everyone in one of these conversations has a seperate window and you can only tell who said what in what order by comparing the time tags next to their sentences, and you can only say what you want to say to one person at a time. Kind of like being in a room with lots of people talking, but being very deaf and only being able to whisper, so you have to rush from one person to another to listen to, or talk to them. So what alternatives are there? I've tried Fire and Proteus, neither of which worked, Proteus seemed good at first, and group coversations may be added later apparently, so I would use it once this is fixed, but any other suggestions would be appreciated. What is the likelihood of iChat supporting MSN in the future? Currently, does it support group coversations like I mentioned earlier with people on AIM? Andrew www.xfluida.net

03-23-2003, 02:33 PM	#3
SquidThing Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 123	Mrgmurmgrurm, I downloaded and tried out Fire, have you got it to work with group coversations? Becuase I can't and I'm not sure whether it's my fault, or if the software just doesn't support it, but when someone I'm talking to adds another person to my conversation I get a separate window. Like I said I can only talk to one person at once, just like in Proteus. What I'm looking for is basically MSN messenger but without the sucky interface, constant crashes and bugs and total incompatibility with everything else on my Mac. Andrew www.xfluida.net

03-23-2003, 09:49 PM	#4
Robby Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 109	go to www.matopia.com i think msn update coming soon. And thats the bottom line.

03-24-2003, 11:29 AM	#8
SquidThing Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 123	Yeah, that's a different type of group chat. With MSN every chat is a group chat, it's just it might be a group with only two people in it, wheras AOL uses some sort of chat room thing. Andrew www.xfluida.net

03-25-2003, 09:59 AM	#10
ZO :::: Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Paris Posts: 3,047	MSN Messenger 3.5 released yesterday. VERY cool features Conversation History (log) of all conversations (user definable) Dock icon changes according to status option to have dock icon bounce ONCE instead of continously new pop-up messages (translucent, nicer effect) groups http proxy (wasnt that there already?) option in menu to get rid of Promo Pane its much faster and stabler (since Ive been trying yesterday) VERY nice imporvements??? too bad it took em almost two yeears to update I'm having deja-vu and amnesia at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.

03-23-2003, 01:54 PM	#2
CubeDude Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 1,556	I use Fire, it supports five or so services, but has a not-so-simple interface, and some of the keyboard shortcuts don't make any sense. http://fire.sourceforge.net/ But hey, MSN does suck.

03-24-2003, 04:26 AM	#6
Amorya Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: England Posts: 1,085	Not on MSN though - Fire only supports it on AIM as far as I know. Amorya

03-24-2003, 10:47 PM	#9
Spart Beloved Local Storyteller Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,059	Yeah, if you're using something other than iChat. iChat handles AIM similarly to MSN chats. As for supporting group chats in MSN, Proteus does support this. In the message window, click the Show Recipients button in the toolbar. If the toolbar is not shown, select Show Toolbar from the View menu. If the Show Recipients button is not shown, select Customize Toolbar from the View menu and drag the button to the toolbar. Note that you must be in an existing message window, not the Contacts window. Have fun.

03-27-2003, 11:25 AM	#11
SquidThing Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 123	Yeah, I'm now using MSN 3.5. I seem to be getting suddenly disconneted a lot though. Andrew www.xfluida.net

03-27-2003, 11:52 AM	#12
Gizzmonic Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Antonio Posts: 510	I suggest that you convince your friends to use AIM. It's free, and has more features (including Group Chat). Dual 2Ghz G5, Single 2Ghz Xserve G5, Dual 1Ghz QS G4, Single 1.25Ghz MDD G4.

03-27-2003, 12:02 PM	#13
SquidThing Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 123	I've tried, the problem is that Windows XP automatically sets up an MSN account for you, so all my friends, all the people I don't know that well and all their friends, relations and aquaintances all use MSN. Is iChat going to support MSN in the future? Andrew www.xfluida.net

03-27-2003, 06:11 PM	#14
Placebo Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: http://tinyurl.com/fswz7 Posts: 5,725	OK, here is THE universal messenger: Proteus. Designed for and ative in OS X, beautiful Aqua, very sophisticated preferences, and a simple dialogue setup. AAAAND that's not all, folks!!! IT IS FREE! (ok, it bugs you to pay the college students $15 to provide food in the dorm, but I do not pity ) The only con, for us ignorant Americans, is that everything is spelled all queer. (e.g. colour instead of color, etc. )

03-27-2003, 08:04 PM	#15
stunned Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,092	ICQ works fine for me. iSurf, iSaw and iType

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