Who wants to be a Trillianaire (sic)? (Trillian)

Member Name: Morgenhund

Product:	Trillian
Date:	27/02/02 (865 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One program for all IM programs, freeware

Disadvantages: occasional reconnect problems, can help you to waste a lot of time

Instant Messaging is one of the shooting stars of the Net, and it is estimated that 60% of Net users will be using Instant Messaging by 2004, with it becoming a tool for business and leisure alike, such are its potential applications. Of course though, just as often as not as with the case of everyone having a mobile phone but aren't all on the same network, with Instant Messaging the same is true. However there is no interconnection with Trillian, but it offers the next best solution, namely supporting various Instant Messaging clients in one.

Before using Trillian, I usually had three/four IM programs on the system tray, which clutters up the place, and also ate away at my connection speed (not a problem with a 256kbps connection, but for users on dial-up it can be. Trillian offers the opportunity to be logged in on ICQ, MSN IM, AIM, IRC and Y! instant messaging services simultaneously. This caters for all of the big players (there are others e.g. Excite Pal) and all is one window.

The download process is exceptionally simple, with a download of 2.3Mb from the Trillian website (www.trillian.cc), or otherwise you can download the software from cnet.com (download.com), tucows.com or any other largescale download portal. The installation process then involves you setting up your respective accounts - e.g. for MSN messenger, ICQ etc. to be logged into by default and then you are away. As all of these systems have your contact lists stored in a central server, your contact lists are then automatically loaded into Trillian, and to make it easier, Trillian marks whether they are MSN IM contacts, ICQ contacts etc. You can of course then choose which services to be logged onto e.g. MSN Messenger but being offline on ICQ (or vice versa!).

The basic functions that Trillian offers are as follows:

Add contacts: Add more users to your buddy lists

Autoaway message: Customise this so people know why they can't get hold of you.


Global connection: Allows you to connect/disconnect from all instant messaging clients at once (you can individually set your status on each of the IM systems too i.e. be out to lunch on MSN Messenger, offline on ICQ, but there on Y! IM).

Pending events: Not an option I've used ? will fill you in on this one in an update!

Additionally most of the common services of the respective IM tools is supported, e.g. on ICQ you can search for a chat partner, on MSN Messenger and Yahoo! You can check your mail, etc...

Add ons: There are a wide variety of skins available, so have no fear if Trillian clashes in the style stakes with winamp - a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen style disaster can be avoided by getting coordinating skins, although there is no lime green MDF skin yet!

Smileys (emoticons) are catered for, and there are also audio emoticons (eg: *LOL* will create a sardonic laugh - ok once but bloody annoying after a while!).

So it sounds perfect, is it? Well other than the fact that occasionally there are problems reconnecting using trillian if your connection times out (e.g. dial-up users) I have not experienced any problems that can be viewed as being Trillian's fault - most of the time you can't get on to MSN because there is something wrong with MSN. Being freeware, although a voluntary $5 donation is appreciated, this one won't break the piggy bank either. All in all I would have to recommend it - being not such a great white elephant as I had initially thought it might be - infinitely most usuable and elegant than a pencil pot on your desktop!

In the words of Delboy, "This time next year, we're going to be trillianaires! (sic)"

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