- Joined
- Nov 27, 2006
- Messages
- 440
- Reaction score
- 52
- Points
- 28
- Your Mac's Specs
- Power Mac G5 Dual 1.8 GHz
(Deja vu? =P )
Anyone who uses Microsoft Messenger (as it's now called) knows what I'm talking about.
The main problem is features (or lack thereof).
Let's see what's missing:
1) Offline Messages
2) Sending messages while in "Appear Offline" status
3) Video Chat
4) Audio Chat
5) Windows Live Spaces integration
6) Nudges
7) Winks
8) Backgrounds
Personally, #1 and #2 are the most important ones to me. While things like Nudges are fancy shmancy "extra" features, Offline Messaging is a genuinely useful feature. The fact that I can't send them is bad enough; worse is the fact that the Mac version of Messenger can't even receive them. What if somebody leaves me an important offline message and expects that I'll get it as soon as I sign in?
Well, I guess I should be thankful that the current version at least has Display Pictures, Custom Emoticons and Personal Messages.
There is also a bug that is pretty annoying:
If there is a new message in either a new window or a window that is already open, the Dock icon will bounce but it will stop bouncing in about 45 seconds.
(note: If it's a new message in a minimized window, it will keep bouncing forever, which should always be the behavior.)
This has made me completely miss certain people's messages until hours later. Sometimes, I get back to my computer, and there is a window from another program at the front. So I can't see the Messenger window. And the Dock icon isn't bouncing anymore. So I am completely unaware of the new message.
Another issue:
If you turn sounds off, when you are focused on a Messenger window and someone sends you a message in another window, there is absolutely no notification of the new message.
For instance,
I'm in a conversation window with Person A, and Person B sends me a new message in a window which is hidden in the back. Since I'm already focused on Messenger, the Dock icon doesn't bounce. So once again, I am completely unaware of the new message (until hours later). Grr!
So what about alternatives?
So far, I've tried Adium, aMSN and Mercury Messenger.
Adium is great. You can customize it quite extensively.
Not to mention notifications are great in Adium. If Person A sends me a new message, Person A's display name will actually be shown on the Dock icon! Excellent stuff.
Furthermore, Adium also has a Menu Extra (icon on the right side of the menu bar), which can also notify you.
Another good point: You can also customize notifications for any event: new message, contacts signs in/off, file transfer request, etc. etc.
Unfortunately, Adium does not have the features that are missing from the official client.
In fact, it's even missing one fairly important feature: Personal Messages. (My friends sometimes write something important, or at least interesting, in the P.M., so if I'm using Adium... well, too bad, I won't see it.)
As for aMSN and Mercury, they support many of those missing features: Nudges, Video Chat, etc. Unfortunately, both of them are pretty glitchy, especially in terms of the interface. (This is probably because they are made to be cross-platform.) Offline Messages are still unsupported by either of them though.
Anyone who uses Microsoft Messenger (as it's now called) knows what I'm talking about.
The main problem is features (or lack thereof).
Let's see what's missing:
1) Offline Messages
2) Sending messages while in "Appear Offline" status
3) Video Chat
4) Audio Chat
5) Windows Live Spaces integration
6) Nudges
7) Winks
8) Backgrounds
Personally, #1 and #2 are the most important ones to me. While things like Nudges are fancy shmancy "extra" features, Offline Messaging is a genuinely useful feature. The fact that I can't send them is bad enough; worse is the fact that the Mac version of Messenger can't even receive them. What if somebody leaves me an important offline message and expects that I'll get it as soon as I sign in?
Well, I guess I should be thankful that the current version at least has Display Pictures, Custom Emoticons and Personal Messages.
There is also a bug that is pretty annoying:
If there is a new message in either a new window or a window that is already open, the Dock icon will bounce but it will stop bouncing in about 45 seconds.
(note: If it's a new message in a minimized window, it will keep bouncing forever, which should always be the behavior.)
This has made me completely miss certain people's messages until hours later. Sometimes, I get back to my computer, and there is a window from another program at the front. So I can't see the Messenger window. And the Dock icon isn't bouncing anymore. So I am completely unaware of the new message.
Another issue:
If you turn sounds off, when you are focused on a Messenger window and someone sends you a message in another window, there is absolutely no notification of the new message.
For instance,
I'm in a conversation window with Person A, and Person B sends me a new message in a window which is hidden in the back. Since I'm already focused on Messenger, the Dock icon doesn't bounce. So once again, I am completely unaware of the new message (until hours later). Grr!
So what about alternatives?
So far, I've tried Adium, aMSN and Mercury Messenger.
Adium is great. You can customize it quite extensively.
Not to mention notifications are great in Adium. If Person A sends me a new message, Person A's display name will actually be shown on the Dock icon! Excellent stuff.
Furthermore, Adium also has a Menu Extra (icon on the right side of the menu bar), which can also notify you.
Another good point: You can also customize notifications for any event: new message, contacts signs in/off, file transfer request, etc. etc.
Unfortunately, Adium does not have the features that are missing from the official client.
In fact, it's even missing one fairly important feature: Personal Messages. (My friends sometimes write something important, or at least interesting, in the P.M., so if I'm using Adium... well, too bad, I won't see it.)
As for aMSN and Mercury, they support many of those missing features: Nudges, Video Chat, etc. Unfortunately, both of them are pretty glitchy, especially in terms of the interface. (This is probably because they are made to be cross-platform.) Offline Messages are still unsupported by either of them though.
