What is Trillian?


Further to my article What is Jabber?, here is another program that allows you to communicate from a single console screen using Yahoo Messenger, AIM, MSN Messenger and ICQ. This program also supports IRC. So, what makes this different from the Jabber programs? Well, it supports IRC and you are able to send encrypted messages. In addition, I have found this program very reliable and easy to set up. I remember trying to figure out how to add the shuttle services on Jabber with a lot of difficulty. With Trillian, all you need to know is your username and password for each service. The rest is set up for you automatically.

Rather than going into a lot of detail comparing the features of Trillian to similar programs, here is a great Comparison Chart on their web site. You will notice that Trillian has the best functionality. They are constantly upgrading too.

Why would I want to use this program instead of all the individual programs? I think it’s a matter of convenience. I have online friends who refuse to use certain programs. Here I am with 4 different instant messaging programs open on my computer. I know if I’m using all 4 at the same time, my system gets very slow or freezes up. If you do want to use the original messaging system, you just disconnect that service from Trillian and log on to the original. At the click of a mouse, you can go back to using Trillian again. You can pick and choose each service you want to disconnect.

It does sound perfect but I have found a couple small flukes over the past two weeks of using the program. For instance, it won’t save ICQ message history. To me it’s important to save the messages from one or two of people on my contact list.

If you happen to receive an alert for new Hotmail through MSN Messenger, Trillian will shut your connection and boot up MSN Messenger. You can check for Hotmail and read it directly through Trillian without getting disconnected, it's only the alerts that disconnect you.

For Yahoo Messenger, you don’t receive alerts for your email but you can check your mail and read it at any time through Trillian.

Despite the minor quirks, the progam is the best I’ve seen so far. I score it high for ease of use and for simple set up. For down time, I have not seen it go down at all and I have my computer on all day.

The copyright of the article What is Trillian? in Internet Communication is owned by Maureen Fleury. Permission to republish What is Trillian? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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