• On BNET: 3 worst things about the iPhone 3G S
August 26, 2008 12:36 PM PDT

Open-source Adium becomes even more divine in Version 1.3

by Matt Asay

Adium makes the Gooner in me happy

If you're a Mac user and are still slumming with iChat, it's time that you used Adium. Let's just say that God was busy creating Adium on the eighth day....

For those who have been using open-source Adium, it just got even better. Now with Facebook integration, easier and more powerful search, and more, Adium 1.3 rocks.

This release improves almost every aspect of Adium, ranging from performance and memory to Facebook chat support, and from user interface polish to much improved MSN support with personal messages (finally!). A brand new, gorgeous Contact Inspector brings together all a contact's information in one place - coalescing combined contacts' information and accessing your Apple Address Book to give you at-a-glance information, and intuitive live searching in the Standard Contact List makes it a snap to find your friends.

No, Adium is not perfect (It gets fidgety with file transfers, for example), but it's so amazingly customizable that it has become one of my top five applications on my Mac. If you use a Mac, get Adium. Soon you, too, can dress up your icon in Arsenal colors. :-)


UPDATE: I just tested file transfers in the 1.3, and it actually works! Manna!

Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Recent posts from The Open Road
What soccer team would your company be?
Open-source licensing: Your mileage may vary
Open source to shape cloud computing, but not dominate it
Off-topic: Why can't I have this job?
Legalized drugs, now open source. Those crazy Dutch!
Will 'good enough' virtualization topple VMware?
Linux community codes around Microsoft's FAT patents
As Mozilla 'upgrades the Web,' Microsoft must upgrade its pace
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (5 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by jbsant August 26, 2008 12:47 PM PDT
I've used Pidgin (GAIM) for years, and was very happy to find Adium when I switched to my Mac. I didn't know about the facebook integration, that's neat. I just REALLY, REALLY wish they had support for IRC, but according to their issuetracker, that isn't going to happen any time soon. Boo.
Reply to this comment
by totorototoro August 26, 2008 1:11 PM PDT
All we need now is Adium for the iPhone!
Reply to this comment
by yayfrogs August 26, 2008 2:03 PM PDT
Two words: video chat.
Reply to this comment
by protagonistic August 26, 2008 4:03 PM PDT
For the not so younger among you be sure to try out the Young Frankenstein sound scheme. :-)
Reply to this comment
by bonesbautista August 26, 2008 7:48 PM PDT
Three words: what yayfrogs wrote.
Reply to this comment
(5 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrades

faq The basics and the fine print on Microsoft's options for those eyeing the next operating system from Redmond.
• Full Windows 7 coverage

Road Trip 2009: Big Sky Country

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman takes his car full of gadgets to the Rockies and the Great Plains in search of tech, science, nature, and more.
• America's Fortress: Cheyenne Mountain

About The Open Road

Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to the Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is general manager of the Americas division and vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Open Road topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right