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AOL to Replace AIM with Triton
An anonymous reader writes "BetaNews is reporting that AOL has begun beta testing a replacement for its AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) software. Triton has an entirely new user interface that adds highly anticipated features including tabbed messaging and logging. The client will also be open to third party plug-ins." From the article: "It is no coincidence that AOL is fielding so many betas concurrently. AOL Browser, an Internet Explorer based Web browser; AOL Media Player, a standalone audio and video player; AOL search technologies and AOL's synchronization utilities are all part of what was once a unified communications client called Fanfare."
Pretty interesting stuff. Hopefully it wont suck like the latest AIM versions...
I'll stick with trillian...
adds highly anticipated features including tabbed messaging and logging
I've been using this for quite a while, though. It's called Gaim.
StrategyTalk.com, PC Game Forums
I've seen screens before it came out of alpha, and it's also directly ripping off iChat's messaging window. You don't know what I'm talking about? Thank goodness for google images and bloggers with their screenshots.
For context, click Parent.
The client will also be open to third party plug-ins.
Yay! More ways for spyware and viruses to take control of your computer! And propagate themselves to your friends' computers too. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
I totally get your point- being able to talk with people using different clients is from one source is handy. But I don't think Trillian is the killer app people make it out to be. I've used it, and yeah it's OK, but Trillian is basically just an IM client aggregator- it doesn't provide any messaging capabilities itself, I don't find any of its own features that useful, you still have to have an account with each service you want to use, and until recently that was kind of a pain in the ass (cue flaming arrows).
It's not like Trillian does anything super fantastic, if you look at the new features Trillian has like the bio thing, it's just AIM profiles. There's no tabbed messaging, as far as I know Trillian doesn't support VOIP (in TFA they say Triton will), and there's no plugin support (again TFA says that will be in there).
I think the plugins is going to be where it's at- look how much they've helped the popularity of Mozilla and Firefox. When you have an app and think "damn, I wish it did [THAT]" and then you can either go find it or write your own, that's fucking sweet. For me, waiting for the next release and wondering if it's in there sucks.
R(k)
This beta is running at about 100MB usage of RAM.
Why do I get the feeling the ICQ developers had a hand in this?
I'm scared of numbers that can't be written as a fraction. It's an irrational fear.
Ugly, worse than ugly.
Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
So we've come full-circle, back to the equivalent of just calling someone on a telephone? Revolutionary!
Sounds like they were paying attention to Adium, which is webkit rather than gecko based but otherwise sounds similar.
Well, except that Adium works with just about every IM service out there.
It's been a while since i used AIM(I use trillian instead), but do new windows pop up *and* give focus ?
Always hated that. You're typing in the first half of a sentence to person A, and right at that moment Person B messages you, and you accidentally end up tying the rest of the sentence to person B. '
Of course if you're shit-talking about person B, you end up with egg on your fae.
...like using pure Flash for advertisements?
I had to switch to GAIM not for any particular feature, but to get rid of the advertising.
Seemed the version of AIM I was using at the time allowed Flash advertisements with sound, and the sound completely ignored my other settings in the AIM client to turn all sounds off.
so here i am, in my quiet little room trying to get work done, and suddenly I get interrupted by a trailer for some movie coming from the one app that should have been totally silent.
I was not amused.
and AIM was off my box in seconds.
"But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
-- Joe
First they are copying Gaim... next well see a CLI version like Naim for the windows CMD. http://handhelds.freshmeat.net/projects/naim/