iChat AV - what needs to be added
I used it for the first time today to call someone. AWESOME.
However, iChat has a loooong way to go. I finally got used to and prefer the comic book style. However it stills doesn't format text right sometimes. You can't drag text from one play to another either. Also:
it needs:
?Talk (with Mac and PC AIM)
?AIM Groups need better handling. The Buddy List should be able to be Sorted through different criteria, just like Finder in List View. For example, by group, status, time on, or capability (video, phone, etc.)
Direct Connect and multimedia clipping handling.
Other AIM 5.x PC features.
Adding other protocols might be nice but should wait for 2 or 3.0.
What other features need to be added?
However, iChat has a loooong way to go. I finally got used to and prefer the comic book style. However it stills doesn't format text right sometimes. You can't drag text from one play to another either. Also:
it needs:
?Talk (with Mac and PC AIM)
?AIM Groups need better handling. The Buddy List should be able to be Sorted through different criteria, just like Finder in List View. For example, by group, status, time on, or capability (video, phone, etc.)
Direct Connect and multimedia clipping handling.
Other AIM 5.x PC features.
Adding other protocols might be nice but should wait for 2 or 3.0.
What other features need to be added?
Comments
Reliable file transfer
Out sooner !
Stuff you mentioned like correct text formatting sometimes, list sorting
Poss stuff that can be done with add ons like - a searchable log etc
Lets build a nice list : ) ... ichat is very groovy, I use it everyday..
The ability to edit your own personal profile from within the application.
Full-size buddy icons. The current system is really convenient. It's a million times better than finding the right image and shrinking it down to the right size, then putting it in a folder and selecting it from a popup list. However, it would be nice if the buddy icon was the same size as regular AIM buddy icons.
A tabbed interface would be nice, where multiple chats can be kept in a single window. When I have lots of chats open it's nice to have that. Adium is the only one I know of with this.
Why does command-N start a new chat with (null)? That's completely and totally useless! It should prompt you for a screen name immediately when you hit command-N instead of having to hit command-shift-N.
Buddy icons for multiple people in a buddy chat should show up automatically without having to add them to your buddy list. I don't know how feasible this is but it would be nice.
Does there have to be an address book entry for every single person on my buddy list? It makes navigating my contacts on the computer or on my iPod a pain.
That's about all I can think of. The resizable text entry box was addressed in iChat AV.
Good list! The profile thing and away message handling are terrible. I haven't used iChat in and out every day. Now I think I will actually make the switch.
Oh, that reminds me. The Sign In box. It's not there. That is stupid. Windows people are stupid, they won't be able to find the Accounts section in prefs.
Originally posted by Aquatic
Windows people are stupid, they won't be able to find the Accounts section in prefs.
Currently, iChat merely pretends to send files for a significant percentage of users. It should check your network topology and automatically gray-out options prevented by routing, proxies, or firewalls.
Until then, I must continue to explain to my Mac user flock:
'No, that feature is just there as a decoy.'
'But it doesn't give me an error....'
'What? And you thought it would actually work?
Muaaa haa haaaaa.'
(The situation really is that ridiculous
[edit: Sometimes iChat will let you know that the transfer failed, but not always. Never will it let a user know that file transfers are impossible.]
Originally posted by ryaxnb
Anybody realize that iChat lets you turn off the baloons?
I believe that option's been there since day 1 (or day 2).
it needs to be MSN compatiable...
annnnyyyway
for iChat AV, I'd like to be able to record the conversations (a logger) as well as the video chats.
I'd like to to have a pop-up window when buddies come online (like MSN Messenger)
The zero-conf file transfer would be a great plus.
And windows compatible version...
ultimate: be able to have MSN buddies on iChat. I ONLY use Messenger (since the day it came out basically) and have something like 200 buddies on it.
I think everyone I know in europe uses MSN Messenger.
What I really need is multi-protocol, though. MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AOL, and Jabber would be great. I would guess that most Windows/Linux users don't use AOL, and to be truly effective the app needs to support more protocols. Though seeing how MSN and Yahoo are going to stop multi-protocol apps from working on their networks does not bode well.
I always sort of hoped Apple would just take over development of Fire or Proteus, since both these apps already support the different protocols, though that wont happen now.
[edit] Everything ZO said, exactly!
that most Windows/Linux users don't use AOL
Wrong. No one uses anything but AIM and if they do they are a minority in the Northeast USA. Linux people don't count. And they have gaim which they like to brag about.
Multiprotocol stuff is nice but hard to mesh into coherence and keep up to date when M$ and Yahoo are blocking 3rd parties. I say wait for 2.0 to even begin to support anything but AIM/ICQ.
Originally posted by othello
wasn't there a rumour that the full version would offer Jabber support?
it needs to be MSN compatiable...
Please see my l-o-n-g post in this thread.
Fancy to see the microphone, camera, jabber, ICQ, and encryption hooks in iChat 1.0. Obviously the first two have made the cut for iChat AV. ICQ also works with regular iChat (I just never realized it at the time).
I wonder what will ever come of all the Jabber hooks.
No, I haven't taken the time to read through iChat AV to see if it has the same hooks.
Originally posted by Aquatic
Oh, that reminds me. The Sign In box. It's not there. That is stupid. Windows people are stupid, they won't be able to find the Accounts section in prefs.
so far it's 4 for 4, on windows users trying to use AIM on my computer, and failing to find the accounts section in prefs.
everyone who reads this thread and agrees with anything said here goto the iChat contextual menu and select provide iChat feedback and send in these suggestions.
iChat AV being beta, it is likely that many of these features could be added, if whoever reads those feedback forms notices trends appear
Does file transfer not work at all? Or its just finicky? I tried it and had it poop out....but is that because I have a firewall up (used Brickhouse to configure to let nothing in).
Everyone seems to have different experiences tho with file tx, and it is still only beta for another few weeks