What Chat Client?

[Spinal]

As the title suggests, I'm looking for suggestions over what chat client to use... I've uses MSN Messeger/Windows Live messenger till now (and am quite happy); but I also need to connect to .Mac accounts (i.e. iChat people) which MSN doesn't do.

There are a plethora of articles on the net on how to add MSN accounts to iChat, but not the other way around...

I'm thinking maybe something that uses Jabber, but then again, Jabber doesn't directly support .Mac...

The only thing that supports .Mac on windows is AIM, but I would a)prefer not to have more than 1 chat client, and b)NOT use anything that ever was aol'ed....


Ideas?

 

[wallingd]

What about the Akiva service used by Orange + EveryWhereChat? I'm not an expert but I do now it's a nice client to use and is very clear, non-cluttered + configurable for the user. All sorts of users on there, my point being many on Macs without trouble. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Spinal]

What about the Akiva service used by Orange + EveryWhereChat? I'm not an expert but I do now it's a nice client to use and is very clear, non-cluttered + configurable for the user. All sorts of users on there, my point being many on Macs without trouble. Hope that helps a bit.

Never heard of them! Can't even find them on google! (I'll look better in a few mins); but the problem is, I don't need it to be "installable" on macs, I need it to communicate with .Mac accounts (<dot>Mac, not macs). .Mac/iChat is a macintosh propietary chat protocol (which also supports video conferencing and a few other gimmicks), kind of like MSN actually.

I think I may have a workaround, but I think the firewall at work wont allow me to connect to my pre-selected jabber servers... need to find one that isn't blocked - or add an exception... (probably not the wisest thing to do the first day at work that you are left "on your own").

The idea lies in AIM's interoperability with the .Mac/iChat protocol, hence, using a pre-registered AIM account, and a Jabber compatible client (e.g. Pandion - which really is pretty good) I might be able to get it to work...

Fingers crossed... <runs off to make the chainsaw meet the firewall>
Michele

 

[glojo]

What about My Space? Is that Mac compatiple?

Regards,
John

 

[Spinal]

Leaving aside that My Space is a categorically banned at my workplace (apparently its an anti-educational site... hmmm); it does not interface with .Mac accounts. The problem is NOT being Macintosh Apple compatible, its being .Mac compatible (dot Mac being a chat protocol used by iChat).
Michele

 

[masqueraid]

If your Windows users have Gmail they can use Google Talk, which also has undocumented voice compatibility with iChat.

Otherwise Trillian, Miranda or Gaim may be worth a look.

 

[Spinal]

GTalk allows undocumented voice with iChat? Thats news to me! Does it allow text-chat? (all I am interested in really). Trillian I've tried the basic, I would need the pro to get Jabber. Gaim might be worth a look, miranda I've never heard of, will look into that. My main problem is that I can't ask 700+ users who are (and have been) happily using iChat with their .Mac accounts (so [email protected]) to swap just because "the new guy" refuses to install aim on his Windows machine

 

[masqueraid]

GTalk allows undocumented voice with iChat?

Yes

 

[guydewdney]

heres a related Q

why cant I talk to a skype person from my gtalk account? (or whatever)

isnt there a cross 'platform' ip talk system? If not - why not? I cant be ar*ed with having a dozen differnt programs - I have one phone, 1 BB supplier, and I want 1 talk account...

or have I missed somthing?

 

[masqueraid]

Because they currently use different methods to connect between users.

Google and eBay agreed last summer to link GTalk with Skype but nothing seems to have happened yet. Skype isn't even included on Google's list of available IM/Chat clients