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Need an alternative to Trillian (now that it's ad supported)

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Maxvla

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2002
Location
OKC
Title says it all!

If you don't know what Trillian is, it's a multi-client IM chat program so you have 1 program for all of the instant messaging services.

MSN and AIM are what I use, but I'd imagine most Trillian alternatives have all the others too which is fine. I've used Trillian for about 8 years straight, but I won't pay for Pro or deal with ads so I'm on the hunt. Anyone have suggestions?
 
Pidgin, hands down.

I use it for MSN, AIM, gtalk, IRC, and facebook chat. Windows and Linux client both work excellently, and the pyschic mode is fun to screw with people.
 
It opens a new chat window whenever someone starts typing to you, works with various networks (AIM, gtalk, fbook possibly others but I mainly use those three). If you already have a chat window open for that person, it tells you they are starting to send a message.

If I'm quick, I can send people WHAT DO YOU WANT!?1?1?!! before they say hello.
 
Sounds great! I would love to use a multi-Im client on my desktop but I have a very jealous GF :( I have Twitter on my desktop but thats about it. If I say "Hi" to another female its like a spanish inquisition.
 
My suggestion from experience with many a failed relationships: Use more IM clients, when things don't work out, always hurts more further down the road. :D
 
My suggestion from experience with many a failed relationships: Use more IM clients, when things don't work out, always hurts more further down the road. :D

My FB chat is always turned off, and I dont use Windows Live Messenger very often anymore. Never used any other IM client other than yahoo when I was talking to a very attractive american girl.
 
Thanks, Matt. I'll check it out. I'd heard Pidgin recommend before, but never looked into it since I was fine with Trillian. Trillian has been fairly buggy for a while, but it was free so I didn't care really, but now the ads have done them in.
 
I always "felt" pidgin was lighter/sleeker/less kludgy. Only dabbled with trillian tho.

Interested to see how you like it, or what you end up using.

I've also used meebo, when in a pinch.
 
I've got it installed. I'll report back after I've lived with it for a few days.
 
I used Pidgin for a while a few years ago, and actually preferred it over Trillian. I think when I made the switch, Trillian was just starting to move to a.paid program. I think I started to notice features being stripped out to add to the paid versions. Back then, Pidgin was known as Gaim, if anyone remembers that.:D
 
pidgin and trillian are both great, Trillian isn't ad supported if you run 4.2 build 24, the version after that is ad supported and sucky.

I've used both and honestly, both have their quirks. I prefer Pidgin's "GUI" to Trillian's "let's just throw tons of unnecessary artwork at something" method.

However, Trillian keeps all old messages in the window even after you close it. I didn't realize how much I missed this until I went back to Pidgin.


I use Trillian now.

BTW: Pidgin users: Update to the latest version there is a security flaw in previous versions

http://www.oldversion.com/Trillian.html

EDIT: It was easier for me to get Skype and Trillian to work together, but Skype can eat me for not being completely integratable.
 
Went back to Trillian. Pidgin has no sort by account, so my bajillion Facebook friends who I don't really talk to fill up my buddies list. ><.
 
So far the only 2 major things I don't like about Pidgin is the sound profiles. With Trillian it would only make sound if it wasn't in focus. Pidgin only has sounds on always or only when focused. I need the 3rd option.. I can tell when someone is typing to me if I'm looking at it, but I want sounds when I'm tabbed to something else or in a full screen game.

Also I haven't found a way to have Pidgin show when I get new emails except the button on the taskbar blinking. Trillian would flash a small page in the corner telling me even what the subject of the email was. It was really nice to see those since I'm Nazi about a clean email box on all of my email accounts. With Pidgin I don't know if it's a chat message or email without clicking on it.
 
pidgin and trillian are both great, Trillian isn't ad supported if you run 4.2 build 24, the version after that is ad supported and sucky.

I've used both and honestly, both have their quirks. I prefer Pidgin's "GUI" to Trillian's "let's just throw tons of unnecessary artwork at something" method.

However, Trillian keeps all old messages in the window even after you close it. I didn't realize how much I missed this until I went back to Pidgin.


I use Trillian now.

BTW: Pidgin users: Update to the latest version there is a security flaw in previous versions

http://www.oldversion.com/Trillian.html

EDIT: It was easier for me to get Skype and Trillian to work together, but Skype can eat me for not being completely integratable.

History is a default pidgin plugin, you can enable it. It inserts the most recent previous convo with that person when you start or receive an im.

@Maxvla: good points. Outlook 2010 gives me the email part.

The sound part is an awe-inspiring oversight. Definitely would be nice to have what you want there.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but it's just the 'free' version of trillian that's ad supported? I used pro for as long as I can remember and can't recall it relying on advertising.

J :cool:
 
So far the only 2 major things I don't like about Pidgin is the sound profiles. With Trillian it would only make sound if it wasn't in focus. Pidgin only has sounds on always or only when focused. I need the 3rd option.. I can tell when someone is typing to me if I'm looking at it, but I want sounds when I'm tabbed to something else or in a full screen game.

Also I haven't found a way to have Pidgin show when I get new emails except the button on the taskbar blinking. Trillian would flash a small page in the corner telling me even what the subject of the email was. It was really nice to see those since I'm Nazi about a clean email box on all of my email accounts. With Pidgin I don't know if it's a chat message or email without clicking on it.

you might be interested in guifications (https://www.guifications.org/projects/gf2/files). it is a plugin for pidgin that adds toaster style popups of your choosing. the only thing that stinks is that every time you upgrade pidgin, you will have to re-install guifications afterwards.

i use pidgin across the board (linux & windows). it does exactly what i need and nothing more. people who want a super feature rich client may not like it. it is meant to be sleek and simple. it definitely took some getting used to since i was coming from trillian pro. at first i didn't really like it but i stuck with it and became a pretty big fan of it.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but it's just the 'free' version of trillian that's ad supported? I used pro for as long as I can remember and can't recall it relying on advertising.

J :cool:

Just the free version. Trillian has always been oddly buggy for me so I don't feel like paying for it. Some of the bugs include buddy names never showing up so I have to guess who it is, also sometimes the usernames would show up as numbers instead of a name (like their account number instead of user name) it was weird.

@mbentley

I'll check it out, thanks.
 
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