AIM Lite - Great Piece of AOL software, a role model

I recently came across AIM Lite. It is available here. This client is wonderful, and should be the role model for other clients. Google Talk and AIM Lite have it going on here. I am a big fan of lite clients. Google Talk has File Transfer, VOIP, Voicemail, so it isn't like it is stripped of no features. AIM Lite is pretty lite, but it does transfer files and chat, which I guess is what an IM cilent should do, but never the less it looks and runs great.

Even though this client is lite, it still has some neat fade effects. The UI on this is what many apps should look like, simple with neat little soft touches, like the fades when you click that + button. Hovering over a contact, the information kinda flies in. Plus this client has tabbed iming!

Windows Live Messenger needs a light client, or a total rewrite. I understand that features are important, but I personally do not use more than Voip, IMing, and file transfers with my clients. I might be in the minority, I don't know, but I think more apps need to move to a more minimalist approach like this.

The options dialogue is well laid out, and very clean.



The whole look is just great.



Note the AIM+Google section.

http://www.betanews.com/article/AOL_Testing_Light_Version_of_AIM/1159806941

Nice to read that intelman, I know the engineers behind it...it was really good seeing come together.

There should be more 'lite' applications. Only have the essentials, but allow extensibility (both by the orginal developer and third parties) of both the interface and backend (i.e. getting AIM Lite to talk to Google, MSN and Yahoo).

sbc wrote:

There should be more 'lite' applications. Only have the essentials, but allow extensibility (both by the orginal developer and third parties) of both the interface and backend (i.e. getting AIM Lite to talk to Google, MSN and Yahoo).

Now this is a program I might consider using as a replacement for WM (if they ever kill it off), kudos to AOL for realising that there are some of that don't tolerate crap on our computers (despite how ironic it seems, what with coming from AOL and all that)

I do not know if anyone here is a butterfly, but I submitted feedback here. I really want Microsoft to put a Lite Client out.

Impressive...  doesn't even attempt to install the usual AOL crapware (toolbars, etc.).  Probably won't last for long like that, though.

Maybe they're trying to retake some of the market from Trillian/Gaim?

Cyber->

Is this written using Boxely?  If so, I'm quite impressed (because the UI is really fast and responsive).

 Directory of C:\Program Files\Lighter AIM\services

10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          .
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          ..
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          basics
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          boxelyAIMApp
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          boxelyrenderer
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          http
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          laimToolkit
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          script
10/03/2006  09:24 PM    <DIR>          urlData

Curious, does anyone know what Google Talk is written with? I wouldn't think they use Visual studio, but what are the other alternatives? (the talk of boxely sparked this)