It's still free, open-source software, and is now available for Windows and for several popular Linux distributions.Īdium and Proteus are all-in-ones for Mac OS X that use the libpurple C library like Pidgin. Pidgin started as an application called Gaim, developed in the late 1990s as a way to use AOL Instant Messenger on Linux. Pidgin is one of several all-in-ones that use libpurple, a C library that takes care of all the different protocols behind the scenes so developers can just focus on the user interface. Cerulean Studios, the group behind Trillian, boasts that its newest release, Trillian Astra, has more than 400 features that include instant messaging, social networking, and video and voice calls. A Mac OS X edition is currently in development. ![]() It's now available as a Web application at trillian.im and an iPhone application from the iPhone App Store. ![]() Trillian has been available for Windows since its launch. ![]() Trillian has been around since 2000, and its user interface and features have evolved a lot through the years. For example, all-in-one messenger Pidgin connects to AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, GoogleTalk and other protocols that include video chat in their native clients, but its version 2.6 only implements video chat in the GoogleTalk protocol. OSCAR is the protocol currently used by AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and ICQ.Įven if an all-in-one instant messenger connects to a protocol, application developers have a choice of whether to implement all the features of that protocol. For example, AOL opened its OSCAR protocol as part of its Open AIM 2.0 Developer Program in March 2008. With growth in the open source movement, some companies have opened up the API for their instant message protocols, making it easier for them to keep up with ongoing changes. With this information, they've added each protocol in their own instant message clients. However, enthusiastic developers have found ways to capture each protocol's packets from network traffic, study the data, and reverse-engineer the protocol. They have refused to publish the data type, packet or API information about their protocols. Some businesses behind some proprietary instant message protocols have tried to limit use of those protocols to their own client applications. Finally, it needs to know the application programming interface (API) that directs the server and clients for that protocol. Second, it needs to know how to recognize a packet associated with that protocol, which involves frame types and headers used in TCP/IP networks. So what does the all-in-one instant messenger need to know to use each protocol? First, it needs to know the data types that the protocol handles, and how the service expects that data to be encoded. Go on to the next page to read about the technology behind these all-in-one instant messengers. Features for Web-based messengers may be more limited that those you'd install on your computer, but you might prefer the mobility. ![]() You can add and manage accounts in the Web application, and you can instantly connect to those accounts each time you log in to the Web site. Instead of installing an application onto each computer, you can create an account to use the Web application and access it from any Web browser. Web-based instant messengers like Meebo give you the freedom to go anywhere. When you've installed and set up your new all-in-one messenger, browse the interface and documentation to learn more about all its features. Some messengers have a wizard when you first open them that prompts you to add one or more accounts. Some protocols are used by multiple services, such the OSCAR protocol used by AIM and ICQ.Īll-in-one instant messengers are available for both computers and smartphones. The protocol is the set of networking rules that allow you to exchange data on a certain instant message service. Each all-in-one messenger connects to a select group of services using their instant message protocols.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |