Holy Crap.

Om Malik has been hinting at it for half a year. I’ve been asking for it ever since I switched to Mac. But Yahoo has finally done it. They updated their messenger client for Mac. This is something that hasn’t been done since OSX’s introduction (and even then it was just a refresh to the code to make it run outside of the Classic environment, and a few new, but dated, features.) You Windows folk have been getting updates left and right since 2003, but us no.

So what’s new in it? Well, a Universal Binary for one. That’s a welcome feature. A brand new GUI. I should add though, it’s not very pretty. Both MSN Messenger, and the new Yahoo Messenger have tried to copy iChat’s style, but both lack the smoothness, as seen in the contact list window here and the message window toolbar here. Why does every icon need to be huge? But I digress. Also new is Avatars. I don’t know what the hell that is, but I do know that it’s something that hasn’t work for Mac since they introduced it. I don’t know if they fixed that now, since their touting it, but I don’t care that much to find out. (Update: It does work. I got as far as checking to see if it works on a Mac, and then I closed the tab, ‘cuz I’m not the sort to play with virtual paper dolls.) I haven’t been able to try the cam2cam abilities yet, to see if it’s improved any since the old version, but I should certainly hope so. Doing a quick self check shows that it’s still QVGA (320×240) but the image quality is greatly improved. However, it still has a sucky framerate (averaging 3 frames per second, i.e., very noticeably jerky. Other new features I hope for but haven’t found/tested yet: I hope they have improved file transfer by now so it doesn’t fail 90 percent of the time.

Also, I just noticed built-in (or through some magic hoodoo) Growl Support. That’s pretty sweet. Also, the ability to set the current iTunes track as your status message is new too.

What’s missing: Two big ones. First, the ability to save or log conversations. I know the Windows version can do this (can’t it? I remember it doing that.) In the previous Mac version, there was a grayed out option for message logs, meaning they put it in the menu but didn’t put it in the program. In the new version, the app creates a folder for logged conversations, but in the app itself shows no such function.

The other huge missing thing is chat. Yahoo chat, when it ran in the browser through Java, never worked on the Mac. There were third party apps such as Chit Chat X that were able to connect via the Java site, but earlier this year, Yahoo shut the Java access, meaning you could access through the messenger only. Meaning that they had essentially shut out Mac users from accessing chats. Adium has limited Yahoo Chat support, but, quite frankly, it sucks. Don’t get me wrong, Adium fully rocks as a multi-platform client, but it lacks in a lot of platform-specific features, due to it’s LibGAIM limitations. I for one would enjoy if Yahoo added Chat to the Mac client.

The messenger froze up for a minute when I first started it as it loaded the privacy statement, and it crashed once when I was trying to adjust the toolbar. However, they finally got rid of that horrible zzzzing sound when you get a message, and you have the ability to shut off BUZZ!s all together. I fucking hate people who BUZZ! you. That’s about as self-centered and asshole-ish as one can get.

The new Messenger is still in beta (though isn’t everything these days?) so maybe my little gripes will work themselves out when it comes as a proper release. Also, DB, of the world famous White Roof Radio podcast, would like to add his mini review of the new Windows beta Messenger:

It.

Won’t.

Install.

Thanks DB.

As a completely unrelated sidenote, over in the sidebar there, I’ve got little updates on my moving status. Yes, I’m moving in a few weeks, I’ll keep you updated on that. Via the moving update. And posts. Just thought you might be interested.

That is all. Go forth my children.

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