Confluence: a place where
INTRODUCTION
things merge or flow together. Shape Services’ IM+ Mobile Instant Messenger application
provides confluence by merging
multiple instant messenger services into a
common and consistent user experience for AOL, ICQ,
MSN, Yahoo!, Jabber and Google Talk. IM+ version 4.04 now supports
Windows Mobile 5.0. Let’s take it for a spin!
WHAT’S HOT
Here are some highlights of IM+:
- One client for
AOL, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo!, Jabber and Google Talk
instant messaging services - Direct
connection to supported services - Simultaneous
connection to all selected systems - Contact list support
- Full presence
status support - Subscription
authorization - Support for
English, German, Italian, French and Russian
languages - Message
History - Copy & Paste
support - Sound alerts
for incoming messages and contacts coming online - Support of
Windows Mobile 5.0
Shape Services’ IM+ application setup
SETUP
program initiates an ActiveSync installation session
immediately upon execution. There are no
components installed on Windows.
The Windows Mobile
5.0 publisher verification and installation location
screens.
The Language
selection is part of the installation on Windows
Mobile 5.0.
PROGRAM FEATURES
The IM+ main menu provides access to basic
features plus the ability to filter by groups,
display only online users, connect to all registered
services with one tap, and establish a
global presence status.
The settings screen provides options for sound alerts,
a notification bubble, send using the enter key, keep
the
connection alive, save conversation history, and background mode
operation.
Each of the instant messaging services are
identified by their familiar icon (from the left,
MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AOL, Jabber and Google Talk), a tap on
the icon displays function menu for the service.
The MSN and Google configuration pages. Google
provides an encrypted SSL connection while MSN does
not.
Adding a user requires the associated service’s id,
for Google Talk: the Gmail email address. An optional
IM+ nickname and association with a group can be
added. Groups are stored by the instant messaging
service and cannot be created in IM+.
All the public instant messaging services require
approval to add a user.
Adding a user from the desktop public instant
messaging service requires verification with IM+.
IM+ provides for the addition of graphic smiley
faces to messages, however not all services support
the graphics.
MSN supports the graphic representations.
IM+ supports the display of graphic smiley faces
from MSN.
A tap and hold on the user nickname displays a
function menu to manage the selected user. When the
global history setting is checked a log of
conversation is generated.
The dialog screen provides a drop down box to jump
directly to another active conversation. When a
message comes in from another active conversation
an alert message is displayed.
When IM+ notification
setting is checked and the application is minimized,
a notification bubble is displayed when a new incoming message is
received.
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HELP SUPPORT
Services’ support group. An FAQ page can be found here. A good manual in PDF format can be
downloaded from here.
OPTIONS
Mobile Instant Messenger is available for the
Blackberry, Nokia series 60, 80, and 90 phones,
Symbian UIQ phones, Windows Mobile Smartphones (although this version doesn’t seem to scale to QVGA properly yet), Java
enabled phones, and for the Palm OS.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
for Pocket PC 2000, 2002, Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows Mobile 5.0. The
application size for Windows Mobile 5.0 is 1520KB.
BUGS AND WISHES
The only
issue I had using the IM+ application is the slow
update of groups and a user’s online status. Here is
my wishlist:
"MyText" feature
conferencing in a given service and across
services
groups in IM+
message" text display to jump to the associated
conversation
PURCHASING
purchased for $39.95 here. A 5 days day fully functional trial is
available here.
PROS
services
ability to keep the connection alive
presence status globally or by service
CONS
feature
conferencing
minimized
creation
Value
Ease
of Use 
Features
Overall
OVERALL IMPRESSION
individuals on different instant messenger services,
IM+ Mobile Instant Messenger version 4.04 is a straightforward application to use. However without
the ability to conference and to quickly enter
phrases with a "MyText" function, I find the
application tedious to use. The key merit of IM+ is the
ability to simultaneously connect to multiple
instant messenger services, but given the
functionality of the bundled Windows Mobile 5.0 Instant
Messenger, I see no need to pay the high end license
fee, unless your colleagues refuse to signup for a
Microsoft Passport account. However, if your corporation uses
the JabberNow service then IM+ on your Windows
Mobile 5.0 device is the application you need.
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