Cross-platform communication apps

[Czar]

Just thought I'd mention an app or two that are on multiple platforms that folks should check out:

WhatsApp - excellent IM client that works on all major platforms (Android, BB, iOS, Symbian S60). Good replacement for SMS that uses your data plan. Integrates directly with your address book of phone numbers so it's really easy to add people to your list, just add their number to your address book. Think MSN Messenger meets SMS - http://www.whatsapp.com/

PingChat! is another good IM client, but this one uses the tried and true "buddy list", so you need to be added to other user's lists before they can chat with you. Nice if you only want to be seen online by folks that you choose to add to your list, rather than by everyone in your address book. Works with the 3 major platforms (Android, BB, iOS) - http://www.pingchat.com/

[TriniXaeno]

Nice post.

A friend made me install WhatsApp on my blackberry a month ago.

Apparently its free for a year, then they charge you a fee. (I guess they hope by that time, you're totally dependent on it)

I'm a little confused as to what advantage it has over MSN messenger on your bb? or google talk for that matter?

Its very invasive. Like you mentioned, all and sundry see you on their WhatsApp messenger list and can IM you. That's the default behaviour. I would have thought they'd do something a little more private.

Also, my bb has become a little more sluggish and the battery dies all the quicker since the install.

Still, I'll keep it for the year and make a decision on whether its worth keeping when they ask for the credit card number.

[Czar]

Yeah, it's both a pro and a con that it seamlessly integrates folks from your address book - on the one hand, no need to go finding people with the app, it already check through yuh address book and find who done have it, but on the other hand, did you necessarily wanna be that easy to get a hold of on IM? That's where PingChat!'s approach of the standard buddy list comes in handy - you get to choose who on yuh list.

For me, I use PingChat! only with my sis and pops. WhatsApp could conduc everyone else in my phone address book. WhatsApp hasn't shown up on my battery use listing just yet, so maybe it's a lil better coded on Android...?

As for the benefit over MSN and GTalk, I would have to point at the immediate integration with yuh phone address book, rather than having to add people manually. But as we mentioned before, that could also be seen as a downside. It all comes down to  how would you like yuh buddy list to be formed? From yuh email address book, yuh phone address book, or a totally manually put together list? Pro and cons all around. Pick yuh poison.

[woodyear99]

I understand the pros and cons of these options. My main issue is the mere fact that there is too much choice. ie. if everyone is running a different client eg whatsapp, bbm, pingchat etc. then that would mean you would need to run all of em to stay in contact. I am sticking with good old msn yes, never signed up for bb service. I like that you can do PC to mobile communication with msn, I assume the others do not have PC clients?

[Czar]

True at having to install multiple. Interoperability has always been somewhat of a pipe dream, but there are apps, like Fring and eBuddy, that connect to multiple IM networks, so maybe the dream will be reality some day.

As for MSN on other platforms:

For Android, there are a few different options, all by third party developers:
MSN Talk by "Talk Builder" - http://www.appbrain.com/app/msn-talk/com.xrath.jmsn
MSN Droid by "MSN" - http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/communication/msn-droid_etkm.html
MSN Messenger: Mercury by "Mercury" - http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/communication/msn-mercury-mobile-donate_ndor.html
There are others, but these were just the first three with 4+ stars when I did a Market search.

For iOS, Microsoft has an official app - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/windows-live-messenger/id376196406?mt=8

Then there are other apps, as mentioned before, like Fring (http://www.fring.com/) and eBuddy (http://www.ebuddy.com/) that also connect to the MSN/Windows Live service, and other IM services.

[TriniXaeno]

I think the biggest drawback is the effect all these apps can have on your device's responsiveness and battery life.

Android and Ios maybe aren't as susceptible but my blackberry really takes a hit

[Czar]

Damn.

Only app that i've ever installed that I saw a direct connection to battery dying early was v1.0 of the Skype app for Android. They supposedly fixed that in the next release, but I haven't reinstalled it since, so can't speak from experience.