Prev: Email reply address (using Sky and Apple Mail)
Next: How to produce this kind of animation?
From: T i m on 25 Mar 2010 07:13
On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:38:52 +0000, Martin S Taylor
<mst(a)hRyEpMnOoVtEiTsHm.cIo.uSk> wrote:

>Woody wrote
>> While we are OT, is there a decent client for MSN on windows? I used to
>> use proteus, but last time I tried it didn't work.
>> I am currently using the proper MSN client, but it is all adverts, one
>> window per person, adverts that spin out if you go near the window etc.
>> In short, pretty horrible.
>
>My Windows-using friends [of whom I have none] recommend Trillian.
>
;-)

Funnily the only non MSN person I have on-line is (from here) and I
use Trillian.

It's 'ok' but not MSN (however you choose to take that and I'm no fan
per-se). What I will say though is it seems the most logical and
businesslike to me. Multi IM clients are often more complicated,
partly because they are multi IM and other clients (like iChat) are
just too twee / weird for my tastes. The other thing that I didn't
realise till I started trying different IM clients on the PC, Mac and
Linux a while back is how much I rely on having the "... Fred is
writing ..." indication (and animation), right beside where I'm going
to be entering text myself. With MSN it's right between where both
parties texts will appear and *directly* above where you enter the
text yourself so always in the line of site (for that conversation of
course). This is especially important for when talking to a IM n00b
who may not easily follow the track of a conversation if you were to
reply while they were still typing (no matter how pretty the message
thread display) and or are slow typists and you need to know if there
are still typing or not. (The same area reverts to 'Last message
received at time / date when they aren't typing, also very handy if
you have been away from the machine).

Of the kids I've given MSN alternatives to, most fairly quickly say
'that's rubbish'.

However, as an alternative, many seem happy with Skype.

Cheers, T i m


From: T i m on 25 Mar 2010 07:35
On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:54:06 +0000, usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk (Woody)
wrote:


>I am using whatever the latest microsoft thing is.

Help, About? ;-)
>
>There wasn't a way of switching the adverts off (which I guess makes
>sense as who would turn them off?)

Ok.

>I didn't know there was a way of getting all coversations in one window
>though, is that what you have?

No, but rarely have more than one at a time so for me the 'They are
writing' thing is in the right place.
>
>> [1] I also have a reasonable HOSTS file set that seems to help kill
>> all that sorta junk?
>>
>> http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
>
>That is probably the difference then!

<turns settings Tools > Options > Layout back on and off>

Hmm, now I seem to have the box back at the bottom of the main contact
window bit but it's blank (HOSTS probably). That or I just didn't
notice it before because it was empty?

Ho hum ...

Cheers, T i m



From: Woody on 25 Mar 2010 07:39
T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:38:52 +0000, Martin S Taylor
> <mst(a)hRyEpMnOoVtEiTsHm.cIo.uSk> wrote:
>
> >Woody wrote
> >> While we are OT, is there a decent client for MSN on windows? I used to
> >> use proteus, but last time I tried it didn't work.
> >> I am currently using the proper MSN client, but it is all adverts, one
> >> window per person, adverts that spin out if you go near the window etc.
> >> In short, pretty horrible.
> >
> >My Windows-using friends [of whom I have none] recommend Trillian.
> >
> ;-)
>
> Funnily the only non MSN person I have on-line is (from here) and I
> use Trillian.
>
> It's 'ok' but not MSN (however you choose to take that and I'm no fan
> per-se).

not MSN is what I am looking for, and would be seen as an advantage.

> The other thing that I didn't
> realise till I started trying different IM clients on the PC, Mac and
> Linux a while back is how much I rely on having the "... Fred is
> writing ..." indication (and animation), right beside where I'm going
> to be entering text myself.

I guess it is what you are used to - I find I don't see it on MSN as it
is under another window, and the task bar has been flashing for a while
and I haven't noticed the other person was talking.

I have used it for a bit and I really don't get on with it, it really
seems to focus on graphics and adverts, rather than what I want to
concentrate on, just the text of the conversation

> Of the kids I've given MSN alternatives to, most fairly quickly say
> 'that's rubbish'.

Like most forms of music made over 2 years ago, vegetables, jobs and
having to do something you don't want.

> However, as an alternative, many seem happy with Skype.

I find skype horrible. Probably not as bad as MSN as a client, but seems
to have more difficulty as a protocol. I added someone and they accepted
me, but neither of us can see the other one online, even though I know
she is as she appears on my wifes client.

She has had the problem with someone else too, so maybe it is her
settings. And the user interface is not good.

Ironically, their iPhone app I find very nice, probably one of the best





--
Woody
From: T i m on 25 Mar 2010 07:42
On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:02:40 +0000, Trooper
<removethis(a)trooperlooper.co.uk.invalid> wrote:

>
>There is an unofficial patch for MSN (called apatch I think?) which
>allows you to configure the MSN client exactly how you want. Remove all
>the adverts, unneeded menu options, tabs etc...
>
That seems to work well, (thanks).

T i m

From: T i m on 25 Mar 2010 08:22
On Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:39:13 +0000, usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk (Woody)
wrote:


>> It's 'ok' but not MSN (however you choose to take that and I'm no fan
>> per-se).
>
>not MSN is what I am looking for, and would be seen as an advantage.

;-)
>
>I guess it is what you are used to - I find I don't see it on MSN as it
>is under another window, and the task bar has been flashing for a while
>and I haven't noticed the other person was talking.

Really! Was it you I followed down the motorway for 10 miles, trying
to get you to cancel your indicator? ;-)
>
>I have used it for a bit and I really don't get on with it, it really
>seems to focus on graphics and adverts, rather than what I want to
>concentrate on, just the text of the conversation

Yup, hence why I turn all that off.
>
>> Of the kids I've given MSN alternatives to, most fairly quickly say
>> 'that's rubbish'.
>
>Like most forms of music made over 2 years ago, vegetables, jobs and
>having to do something you don't want.

Hehe!
>
>> However, as an alternative, many seem happy with Skype.
>
>I find skype horrible. Probably not as bad as MSN as a client, but seems
>to have more difficulty as a protocol. I added someone and they accepted
>me, but neither of us can see the other one online, even though I know
>she is as she appears on my wifes client.

Strange, even my Wife can normally make that stuff work and she's no
tekky.
>
>She has had the problem with someone else too, so maybe it is her
>settings. And the user interface is not good.

Meh, but it works and loads of people have it so what do you do (apart
from sit there with the perfect IM client and no one to talk to etc).
Maybe not being offended / bothered by such things is a good thing
sometimes?
>
>Ironically, their iPhone app I find very nice, probably one of the best

Yup, happens.


Cheers, T i m


First  |  Prev  |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5
Prev: Email reply address (using Sky and Apple Mail)
Next: How to produce this kind of animation?