AIM Pro for AOL Instant Messaging
I needed to get on AIM, and apparently forgot to copy over my Trillian folder. I went to the Web in search for AIM Express, only to discover that it was currently down for the count. I really wasn’t feeling like installing AOL’s crapware, but (if I had to do anything) I thought I’d give the latest Triton build another shot. Before the installer process could begin, it told me that my copy of Windows wasn’t new enough - even though I’m running Windows Vista Beta 2. A quick-click into compatibility mode sent that dialog running, but just when I thought I was good to go - nothing happened.
I still needed to get to someone on AIM, so I went back to the AOL instant messaging portal in search of another IM binary to download. That’s when I noticed something new (?) in the sidebar: AIM Pro. It appears to be a way to help AOL users interface with the WebEx platform. However, in doing so, AOL has created an amazing product. I’m talking about AIM Pro, mind you - not any other AOL IM product. It’s not perfect, but AIM Pro is far less annoying than any other AOL IM product I’ve seen to date. I could easily recommend using AIM Pro over either Windows Live Messenger or Yahoo Messenger (though I’m still a Trillian fan). AOL needs to push AIM Pro over their other instant messengers. Jason Calacanis, are you listening?
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9 Comments
Anonymous
June 23rd, 2006
at 6:01am
product you develop, and if you wont use it why do you think someone else will? That being said Chris makes very strong points, I wont steal his glory I’ll let you read his article. To give you another example of how often I don’t read Chris Pirillohe covers AIM Pro as his newest post as well.
Drew
June 23rd, 2006
at 7:04am
Meebo.com is a great solution in situations like that. It’s often my first choice!
MikeB
June 23rd, 2006
at 7:09am
Have you tried meebo.com? It’s an AJAX driven IM client that supports all of the major IM networks.
Michael A. Vickers
June 23rd, 2006
at 7:20am
Chris, next time you’re away from your regular computer and need to get a hold of somebody on AIM give Meebo (meebo.com) a try. It’s a pretty sweet AJAX messaging client supporting a handful of popular messaging platforms.
Drew Olanoff
June 23rd, 2006
at 11:14am
Good call on AIM Pro, I’m impressed and using it. Really slick, really fast.
Mary Wehmeier
June 25th, 2006
at 3:40pm
Hey Chris… AIM Pro is a variation on the original proposal we had (when I was with CompuServe,) for what we thought AIM should be… obviously they didn’t take our original comments on AIM being a business tool seriously until now, or they couldn’t find a business model they could make money. Until now. ;-)
I’m still like you a total Trillian Fan, I always carry around a zipped copy of Trill’ on a USB stick or a mini CD with other programs I call my Bag of Tricks.
AOL: Doomed To Fail, Again (GnomeREPORT)
August 2nd, 2006
at 9:26pm
[...] Maybe I’m misreading this, but it seems that AOL wants broadband users to download advertisements willingly? They’re not offering an actual broadband connection service for free, are they? Why would I, with my perfectly clean broadband connection, want to put **** on top of it - falling victim to the promise of free software that would protect me from the very same **** that came with it? No way. That’s like spyware advertising itself as spyware protection.I’m not saying that AOL is spyware, but it seems to me that the only winning party in this relationship is AOL. When the Internet first became available outside of educational institutions, workaday users needed some kind of friendly interface to get online. Trumpet Winsock was an absolute nightmare to explain (and configuring Kermit was far more unfriendly). However, AOL needs to wake up to the fact that users no longer need advertising-laden software to get themselves online. Offering me “useful” software that’s just as riddled with advertisements is not a step in the right direction.I don’t mind ads in Internet apps - not at all. But to suggest that the only way AOL can boost sagging ad revenues is to offer their dwindling audience more junk proves to me that executives at America Online have their heads screwed on backwards. AOL isn’t thinking creatively enough about this problem. We don’t want more software, we want less obtrusive, more HELPFUL software - either directly on our desktop or through the Web. For years the AOL Instant Messenger has been a mess, though there is much promise in the AIM Pro product. There’s increased competition across the board - and we’re all feeling the pinch. We either have to adapt, or we die. From Time Warner, itself: [...]
AOL: Doomed To Fail, Again ~ Windows Fanatics
January 1st, 2007
at 1:17am
[...] I don’t mind ads in Internet apps - not at all. But to suggest that the only way AOL can boost sagging ad revenues is to offer their dwindling audience more junk proves to me that executives at America Online have their heads screwed on backwards. AOL isn’t thinking creatively enough about this problem. We don’t want more software, we want less obtrusive, more HELPFUL software - either directly on our desktop or through the Web. For years the AOL Instant Messenger has been a mess, though there is much promise in the AIM Pro product. There’s increased competition across the board - and we’re all feeling the pinch. We either have to adapt, or we die. From Time Warner, itself: Among the AOL products that will be available for free to anyone with an Internet connection are: AOL’s integrated software; communications features, including AOL e-mail, instant messaging, a local phone number with unlimited incoming calls, and social networking applications; and safety and security features, such as parental controls. To encourage former members to return to using the AOL software, e-mail, instant messaging and other AOL products, they will be able to reactivate their screen names, if given up within the last two years. [...]
SocioBiblog
February 5th, 2008
at 8:50am
still expensive by comparison to other pc system RAM, but far shy of Apple pricing. Enjoy your Mac Pro. Yeah, I’m still tossed up on the memory… gotta order that soon. Related Content:Penryn Mac ProAsk Leo - My Mac is Back, and running WindowsAIM Pro for AOL Instant MessagingWho’s on Flickr?Mac OS X: the Light or Dark Side?