Alternatives to MSN/WLM messenger client?

[Madeline]

I've been using MSN messenger, live messenger, whatever they want to call it, for years and I'm finding Skype to offer a rather rubbish alternative to what MSN used to do. I need a new chat client. I don't really care if I have to sign up for something else, I just want the following:

I'm looking for something that allows for image sharing within the client itself. e.g copy/paste and the image displays in the chat window.

My friends and I used to sit around and bullshit and spam images from BG/Reddit/4ch/blah and now that core functionality is gone for us and I can't stand it. Clicking is fucking hard. (I know it really isn't but it's annoying when you share hundreds of images over the span of an hour or so.)

So, anyone have any ideas? Google only returned some questionable results that I didn't much care to try and BG has never failed me before.

[Dranio]

not sure on alternatives, but, funny thing, my msn messenger still works fine. I've decided not to look for something new till my actual msn messenger client craps out.

pretty sure it'll stop working on the 30th but whatever, I'll worry about it after finals that week.

[Madeline]

Yeah I'm aware it's working at current. I went ahead and changed to Skype when they claimed they were disconnecting the servers on the 8th. Huge mistake.

I'm appalled they think Skype can outright replace MSN. They didn't give MSN users the slightest feel that they were coming to something better. Instead they cut out half the features I cared for. My custom icons I've had for several years, my custom colours, image sharing, etc. I'm not going to diss Skype and say it's terrible rubbish all together, because for what they meant it to do it's not. But I have no interest in what it does so it's time to move on I suppose.

[hey]

irc? I know pidgin can do that, but i'm not sure of any other clients that do offhand that aren't crap. I'm sure you can probably find something with google.

[Jefe]

If you can stomach Pidgins grotesque UI, then that's the one you're looking for. Although some of my msn friends were telling me they couldn't see my custom emos/files shared. Only msn tho.

[Madeline]

Yeah I don't know if it's just because I'm using an MSN email or what but I tried Pidgin and it wasn't able to do it. I guess I'll try on another email.

[Halion]

I've tried every free client I could find and tbh didn't like any of them, they all lack in one area or another. I don't remember any of them having the specific image in client feature and if they did the person you were sending to would probably need the same client in order for it to work. Trillian is the best alternative client for customization features, it would be the one most likely able to do it. The main issue Trillian had for me was losing messages to MSN, dunno if that carried through to Skype.

[Madeline]

I've also been down the list. Pidgin isn't doing what I want it to, either. Apparently that has something to do with the Skype protocol since I merged. I am however going to leave it installed 'til my buddy gets home from work tomorrow and we can try some things such two users on the same client.

I've Trillian left to try. But reading around the feature I'm looking for seems to be a paid one in this particular client. I'm not a cheapass, but this is getting ridiculous.

It also seems that once they complete their merger most of these clients will no longer work for WLM emails, requiring updates to support the Skype protocol. Which will likely kill the functionality I want even if I were to use an all-accepted chat client.

Not sure wut do. I went ahead and reverted my Skype to WLM. It's funny, over at the Skype community there's a huge fuss going on about it. It even warranted a post from a rep stating how to repair/reinstall your WLM.

[Deadgye]

Right click -> copy image location -> paste. If that won't do for some reason, idk. I always recommend pidgin as a chat client. One thing I remember is that using aim on pidgin I can't send/receive files to people who actually use aim, but if they use pidgin it works fine. So if testing sending images directly try having both people using pidgin to ensure it really doesn't work?

[orinthia]

I've used trillian for the past 7+ years. I log into about a dozen+ different IM/mails (a few msn, y!, aim, pop3, etc) with it, including guildwork through their jabber/xmpp interface. Had most of these accounts since the late 90s. You can set them up as identities that are separate from each other (like a set for work, school, and other online so your contacts are not all be dumped in the same lists). Works fine and is free. Has browser based version and smartphone apps as well.

The ads it says supports it show up rarely, and only while chatting with someone. It'll show in that window instead of being a random popup. I get maybe one a day, but then I'm using it more to see when I get new email than to chat so I'm not sure how much it really happens. Not sure if it supports the features you guys use though.

[xopher]

Yahoo Messenger does the image sharing thing that you're asking about but it's fucking terrible otherwise.

[Gwynplaine]

Pretty sure AIM does that maybe wrong.

[xopher]

AIM does it through direct connections but the other side has to accept first.

[Cjskater]

https://messengergeek.wordpress.com/...nd-beat-skype/

Actually works

If you can stomach Pidgins grotesque UI, then that's the one you're looking for. Although some of my msn friends were telling me they couldn't see my custom emos/files shared. Only msn tho.

http://code.google.com/p/msn-pecan/

Tested this out with Shidobu just now, you can send/receive custom smileys (yes, msn can see pidgin's), receive handwritten messages (seems to have a max size), and receive files from msn. Can't really test whether he can send me files because he's on a mobile connection and its slow as fuck.