Trillian Astra chat / IM software for iPhone

Those hankering to get your chat on with that shiny new iPhone now have an option other than waiting 'til who knows when for a (potential) Apple update -- if you're cool with alpha software invading your handset, that is. According to Cerulean Studios', the Trillian Astra application has actually been "designed for iPhone, it doesn't just happen to work with it." The result is a polished interface that is "compact" and fit to the screen, meaning that you won't be dragging and moving windows in order to hold a decent text-based conversation. Currently, the software updates your contact list and message windows, and enables the sending and receiving of messages so long as your browser window is open. Interested? Curb your enthusiasm a bit, sign up to be an alpha tester, and exercise your patience "for the next few weeks."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[paul34 @ Jul 7th 2007 10:29PM]

what? They're actually still alive? I quit using Trillian a long time ago because it seemed Cereulean studios just quit making updates and stalling on news concerning any upcoming updates. Although I personally didn't find it buggy, everyone else I know who have used it finds it very buggy.

However, it is irrelevant at this point, as I've switched to Pidgin. Much better.

Anyway, the point of my post is that it seems odd that CS would make something "new" - and beyond that, that they would support this software with updates.

[Philip Seyfi @ Jul 7th 2007 11:15PM]

Trillian Astra is in development for several years already... I'm alpha testing it from the start and it is great. It will definitely be the best IM client when released, Pidgin killer, Miranda killer.

Check out http://www.trillianastra.com/ & http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/ap/

[paul34 @ Jul 7th 2007 11:21PM]

Thanks for the links, Philip. Looks like things have changed over at CS, and I misspoke... looking forward to the new Trillian!

[Sparks @ Jul 8th 2007 3:10AM]

FWIW, part of what happened was that we basically threw out the entire old Trillian code-base and started over with an eye towards learning from past mistakes. As a start, more code is shared between the various mediums now, and Trillian has a more abstracted, less-platform-dependent design.

Beauty of this is that all the mediums are portable; you just compile the exact same code over on Linux and boom, it powers the web version (be it the Flash version people have already been using, or the web-based version shown in the iPhone shots). This means we can maintain multiple variants of Trillian much more easily.

But this whole redesign proved a way, way bigger task than initially envisioned, and has eaten several years. Which is why we decided to change the dev process too, and handle the alpha more openly instead of the way we have in the past.

If Pidgin works for your IM needs, that's great too; we've actually contributed code to them before (bits of Trillian's Yahoo engine were turned open-source specifically so they could be contributed to Gaim).

It's not like there can be only one true IM app; friendly competition helps to improve all of the clients. :)

[Andrew @ Jul 8th 2007 4:36PM]

Now if only I could actually get into the test program. I use several instant messenger clients and got sick of how bloated each client got. Running them all at once ended up being quite a load on the system for simple instant messengers. I've been using Pidgin recently and it's nice, but it's too far on the other extreme of being too simplistic. Miranda has more extensibility, but seems too unrefined to me. Trillian before was just plain bad if you ask me, but I'm hoping Astra will finally be the perfect solution. I sent my name in as a tester when it was first announced but never got in. I hope someday we'll all actually get to use it. It seems like it's been forever.

[bccarlso @ Jul 7th 2007 10:34PM]

It's been in the works for quite a long time now, it's not new news.

[Derek @ Jul 7th 2007 10:47PM]

this is the first iphone app i know of that i'm actually excited about possibly using on a regular basis!

i'm shocked that google hasn't unleashed their various web apps for iphone yet?!

[David McGraw @ Jul 7th 2007 10:48PM]

Trillian is great! However, I'm not quite sure that it'll be that great on the iPhone...

[The Chickening @ Jul 7th 2007 11:06PM]

I hope it doesn't take 45 minutes to log in when it launches. ;-)

[Urza @ Jul 7th 2007 11:45PM]

Ugh. I switched to Gaim a loong time ago because of the various limits of the free version of Trillian. That, and it was the most horridly fugly piece of software I have ever seen.

[Chiefted @ Jul 7th 2007 11:17PM]

Why is this news again. I have been chatting on my iPhone since I got it.
No not text messaging but Yahoo and AIM

meebo.com through the browser.

Haven't had a problem with it at all.

[Tucker @ Jul 7th 2007 11:39PM]

digg it here: http://digg.com/apple/Trillian_Astra_provides_iPhone_interface_to_IM

[Chip @ Jul 7th 2007 11:41PM]

Ok... let me get this straight. I purchased Trillian Pro long, long time ago. I signed up for Astra beta long long time ago and CS never responded. Trillian Pro users STILL can't try out Astra, yet POOF, iPhone users can? Welp.. I guess good for iPhone users.

[paloooz @ Jul 7th 2007 11:58PM]

When you bought Trillian Pro, you bought Trillian Pro. You didn't buy VIP access to any beta released until the end of time. Quit feeling entitled and shut the fuck up.

[Pez @ Jul 8th 2007 12:31AM]

Palooz, you just won a spot in my heart. Forever.

[Ben @ Jul 8th 2007 1:10AM]

Apply again. I applied a few times over the past 4-5 months, just got accepted in the newest batch of testers. Their blog says they plan to add testers at a steady pace for awhile to test loads on their server farm, so odds are in your favor now.

[Chip @ Jul 8th 2007 9:04AM]

@paloooz
I'll assume you're not a business major.
1. Because you talk like my 10 year old.
2. Because the 80/20 rule escapes you.
I don't expect to get Astra for free. There are two groups of Trillan users, those that paid and those that didn't. Those that didn't pay for Trillian, most likely won't pay for Astra either. Why would a company try to endear a non-paying customer over a paying one?

[Momo @ Jul 8th 2007 2:32PM]

@Chip

Your 10 year old talks like that? Apparently, you weren't a Daddy major...

[Eleventeen @ Jul 9th 2007 10:13AM]

What does being a business major have to do with whether or not you bought Trillian Pro?

For that matter, what does Pareto have anything to do with whether or not you bought Trillian Pro?

[DorianGray @ Jul 9th 2007 12:56PM]

@palooz

...made me smile...

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 8th 2007 12:13AM]

Meh. Show me Adium for the iPhone, and I'll gladly even pay for it. Adium (Mac only) is the sheeeeeite.

[Arlo @ Jul 8th 2007 10:04AM]

congratulations on making a web page that looks like a chat client?

if this was a real app with real im capabilities (like receiving a message when you arent doing anything) i'd be thrilled... this is basically useless.

[craig @ Jul 8th 2007 10:17AM]

Considering that Apple forces you to do exactly this or do without a chat client entirely, I'd say you were mistaken.

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 8th 2007 12:21AM]

Trillian Astra is the new Duke Nukem Forever.

[Ben @ Jul 8th 2007 1:09AM]

Except Astra is in active development and despite being an Alpha, is actually functional right now.

Plus, just prior to the iPhone announcement they added a few thousand new testers. If you visit the blog (link above), you'll also see they intend to switch gears a bit and steadily add testers to load up the servers and test scalability -- So I'd encourage any Trillian users to get an application in.

Running it now - Very nice. Still have 3.x installed because the IBM Sametime plugin doesn't work right yet, but Astra is my day-to-day client for now.

[Rob @ Jul 8th 2007 12:50AM]

IM on that stupid iphone keyboard is gonna be impossible

[Dave @ Jul 8th 2007 1:21AM]

The iPhone keyboard is actually easy to use. Try it before you dismiss it.

[Rob @ Jul 8th 2007 1:25AM]

it differs from user to user because i did go and try it and it was really hard to use my two thumbs and was OK with my one finger. But the adaptive text or whatever its called where it guesses what your typing didnt work at all, and for typing quick IM's it probably would get annoying

[paloooz @ Jul 8th 2007 2:39AM]

Works good for me. Maybe your fingers are too fat, fatty.

[petsounds @ Jul 8th 2007 4:03AM]

Typing isn't any worse than the small physical keyboards, but I agree that the adaptive text feature is just about useless. The correct word suggestion doesn't pop up until about one letter before you're done typing it. By contrast, the Wii's software keyboard offers many likely words that you can quickly select from. Nintendo knew that there is no way to accurately predict the word you want to use within a couple keys. With their system, often after only typing two or three letters you can complete the word. It's a much more efficient and useful system, and I wish Apple had gone that route.

[craig @ Jul 8th 2007 9:55AM]

"Typing isn't any worse than the small physical keyboards..."

Haha, yes it is. It's far better than any previous touchscreen and it's an adequate substitute for some people. It is worse.

"Works good for me. Maybe your fingers are too fat, fatty."

palooz, what a gem you are. Live in your parents' basement?

[I.M. Yerpappy @ Jul 8th 2007 1:02PM]

Effin impossible you say? Are you able to walk upright or what?
If you'd just consider using your fingers instead of your effin prick, then you might be able to get some faster typing done.
Oh, I forgot. You don't even have an iPhone so you must be talking BS about what you don't even effin know, as usual. Because you put in a hard five minutes of practice on the iPhone and couldn't type as fast as on your normal keyboard, you just chalk it off as being impossible. Jeez.

Whether most users can master the iPhone keyboard or not is up to the individual. If you're spastic or don't even want to try, then that's your tough luck.

If you check out youtube there are plenty of people doing the effin IMPOSSIBLE on the iPhone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC8YS-EVOmI&mode=related&search=

You think if you rode a effin plow horse for ten years and then jumped into Lamborghini Murcielago you could drive it well in five effin minutes. I don't think so. You'd probably just say the Murcielago sucks and go back to your faithful, flea-bitten plow horse. Well, enjoy your flies and horsecrap. I'll drive the Lambo.

[Eleventeen @ Jul 9th 2007 10:17AM]

Funny that many *reputable* reviewers have stated that after a week with the iPhone, they were faster on the virtual keyboard than they ever were on physical keyboards on Treos or Blackberrys. It's not fair to knock an adaptive keyboard after a 5 minute test session at the AT&T store.

[ajftl @ Jul 8th 2007 1:38AM]

To ROb , U sure have no idea of what r u talking about,,,,,,, the iPhone keyboard is very easy to use , had many phones in the pass and im a big texter so i use that keyboard every 2 secs and sure like it, go and get an iPhone then talk no because u tryed once make it annoying like u said . get an iPhone then talk here about the keyboard

[ed @ Jul 8th 2007 2:27AM]

To ajftl,
You may be a big "texter," but work on your grammar if your going to criticize someone about typing.

Rob admitted it differs from user to user. He's just one that happens to find it difficult. No less valid then some random guy saying the iPhone is easy to use.

[carlos @ Jul 8th 2007 1:47AM]

It took me 1 day to get used to the iPhone keyboard. It's fine. I've actually gotten pretty fast on it using two thumbs.

[Todd @ Jul 8th 2007 2:28AM]

Yahoo web based Instant Messaging is iPhone friendly, for the most part, no local app to install. Point Safari at:

http://webmessenger.yahoo.com/

[Matt @ Jul 8th 2007 3:17AM]

Not bad, as long as you're actively using the both your iPhone, and MobileSafari. If you're working in another application, or the phone is in your pocket, you'll have no way of knowing you've received an IM.

Since they didn't allow 3rd-party native apps, I wish Apple had made three simple concessions in MobileSafari:

1. allow both toolbars, top and bottom, to be hidden
2. allow single-finger scrolling in iframes if the full page itself doesn't require scrolling
3. provide a means for web pages to utilize iPhone's notification sounds and/or vibrate functions

Those three MobileSafari-only extensions would allow for web-based iPhone "applications" that work and feel much more like real, native ones.

[ssuk @ Jul 8th 2007 4:33AM]

PHONE, not fone. Go back to school.

[marc @ Jul 8th 2007 4:07PM]

iSuckers.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19627590/wid/11915829?GT1=10150

[Glazun @ Jul 8th 2007 6:30AM]

I'd assume you adapt to the iPhones keyboard much like how you adapt to using any new phone that has new button layouts or a different interface. For isntance the EXIT button's on a Nokia and Motorola are switched. Its the same with predictive text aswell, the more you use it it adapts to you, learning what words you use most, etc.

[craig @ Jul 8th 2007 10:16AM]

No need to assume, Glazun. The phone is available so you've either tried it or you haven't.

You can adapt to the iPhone but not in the same way that you learn a new keyboard layout. With other phones you learn the new placement of keys. With the iPhone there are no keys. You are learning a new input method, not a slightly different one.

If you are suggesting the difference is comparable to a few switched buttons you are entirely mistaken.

[Glazun @ Jul 8th 2007 10:52AM]

Suppose touch screen is different, but after period of use you would adapt to it. I know that I've gotten used to writing on the DS / Wii. And the DS's keyboard is horrible for the most part. Also the iPhone isn't available in Ireland yet so I haven't yet had the chance to see what its like to use first hand.

[David MacMillan @ Jul 8th 2007 12:39PM]

Does meebo really work with the iPhone?

[spencer miles @ Jul 9th 2007 5:51PM]

in the meantime, try www.foneim.com for google chat. It's very alpha, but works, and I will be improving it a lot over the next few weeks.

spencer

[Rich @ Sep 19th 2007 12:34AM]

As a Trillian Astra Alphatester, I can say that comparing single-service IM websites like Yahoo, google, MSn...or even ones that let you use 3-4 services still cannot compete with what I'm doing and what I am sure Astra for iPhone will do...I use 13 different services on my Astra. Looking at all the alternative IM (and IM websites) only lead to disappointment. wonder how Myspace IM looks on the iPhone *grin*