Here's the problem with AIM on the G1

[tiki]

Been testing out AIM (icq) on the G1.

Unfortunately, its rife with problems.

The worst issue is this:

It doesnt notify you if you've been logged out. So what good is that?

Let's say youre sitting around waiting for some important info to come in from a friend on ICQ- two hours go by and you don't hear anything. But AIM is on so he must be blowing you off, right?

Nope.

It's your stupid phone- it hasnt been logged into AIM for the past 45 minutes and never told you- you missed the message! you wont be able to see Michael Phelps down the street whaaaaa


Seriously- that is mind bogglingly LAME.

#2 suck point:

No icon on the top bar to tell you you are logged IN.

There should be an icon that tells you when all is well. a little red AIM balloon next to the wifi icon would suffice.

If you get logged out, you should hear a sound and see a flashing X over the AIM icon.

This is how the SideKick does it- and it works perfectly. Why this wasn't set up scrambles my brain.


#3 suck point:

theres a bunch of buddy groups setup when I Login- but apparently no way to delete a group to clean things up. Little to no customization of the AIM list. Bleegch!

Someone please write a good AIM app!!

[secrecyguy]

Doesn't surprise me that the AOL IM sucks on G1. It uses SMS (text messaging) I will wait until a 3rd party make a program that is compatible with AOL IM.

[tiki]

hate to tell you, but its always been SMS on phones.

Its just nobody had the stones to go public with that tidbit before..

Sidekick=AIM via SMS always has been.

[JoshHart]

just edit your buddy list on the computer, and if you're really waiting 2 hours for an IM and you don't check to see if you missed it...well. Also, set it for auto login.

[DeoreDX]

Originally Posted by secrecyguy

Doesn't surprise me that the AOL IM sucks on G1. It uses SMS (text messaging) I will wait until a 3rd party make a program that is compatible with AOL IM.

The problem with Data-centric IM programs is that maintaining that constant connection really burns through battery life, at least with other phone OS's. For example on my Blackberry, there were multiple competing IM programs that used data instead of SMS. Some were bad enough to take a BB Curve down from 2-3 days of battery life to barely one day. This is on a smartphone with great battery life, I can't imagine what it would do to a G1.

[tiki]

Hey Josh- you beat me to it

I found out where I can delete and rename groups in my computer's ICQ client, and that's where you want to clean up your "buddy" lists.

I re-logged in on the G1 and all synced up.

So now I just gotta see if auto-login helps with that other issue..

thanks for the tip though

[tiki]

update-

The auto-login thing doesnt really do it.

Still no notification if you get kicked.

..and its kinda insecure, cuz it requires you to have your password saved on the device, which is not a good idea if your phone gets jacked

unless you want the thief IMing your friends and pretending to be you

[Technickal]

they made Gtalk perfect and screwed us on the rest

[tiki]

this one im sure there will be a good app for eventually

the iphone could never touch a good aim anyway since they dont allow things to run in the background- so eat that turtlenecks

[Hollywood 101]

AIM is very flawed, i dont know how they can every put out this proggy.