Coming to grips with Android: Aussies get screwed on Instant Messaging
Android's tight Instant Messaging integration is impressive, but Adam Turner is disappointed Australia's HTC Dream only supports Google Talk out of the box.
If you're a big fan of Instant Messaging, you'll love the way Google Talk is integrated into the HTC Dream from Optus. The IM client runs continually in the background, with incoming messages incorporated into the phone's alert system just like SMS.
It's great for Google Talk users, but too bad if you're using AOL, Yahoo! or MSN, they're pre-installed on US Android phones but not in Australia.
HTC tells me the reason for this is that Optus isn't running the IM servers required to support these services. Of course you're not to know this when you buy the phone, as even the even the screen shots in the Australian HTC Dream user manual show AOL, Yahoo! and MSN Messenger installed alongside Google Talk.
I've had HTC chasing this up with Optus for me, but it's been nearly a week and there's still no reply - so I don't hold much hope that Optus intends to support these services any time soon.
You can download free third-party AIM and Yahoo! clients from the Android Marketplace, as well as multi-service IM clients such as Meebo, but the quality is hit and miss.
The Hello Yahoo! client is in beta and keeps insisting the phone isn't connected to the internet when it clearly is. The Meebo client performs much better, happily connecting to my Yahoo! IM account to send and receive messages. When I go back to the phone's desktop, the Meebo alerts appear just like any other phone alert.
The fact Android runs IM clients in the background and lets them access the phone's alert system is great if people need to reach you quickly. They can treat IM like SMS because they know if the phone is on you'll get the message. If you and your friends are SMS addicts, it could save you a lot of money.
Of course staying logged into IM services on your phone could get confusing when you're sitting at your computer. Different IM services behave in different ways if you're logged in on more than one device simultaneously, so you might miss messages.
Depending on how your IM services behave, it might make more sense to create a separate IM account for your phone. This way your IM sessions won't conflict and your friends will know if you're on the phone or at your desk.
Unfortunately there's an added complication, the Dream's pre-installed Google Apps only work with the Google account details you entered when you set up the phone.
You can't set the preinstalled Google Talk app to work with a different Google account to the Gmail app. If you want to change the phone's primary Google account details, you need to perform a factory reset on the phone - which isn't what I'd call convenient.
Once you're using Google Talk on the Dream, you can set your presence to Available, Busy or Invisible, but you need to open up the app to do this.
If you don't use the phone for a while, your friends see your presence as idle, which doesn't really make sense in a smartphone context.
Idle implies you're away from the device (such as your desktop PC), but idle on smartphone doesn't mean you're not there, just that you haven't made a call for a while.
Perhaps this feature should be integrated into the phone's motion detectors, so it shows you as idle if the phone hasn't moved for a while.
What Android really needs is a global presence setting, preferably with a status icon in the notification window. I'd love to be able to pull down the notification preview panel and, with one button press, change my status or log in or out of all my IM services.
Even better, I'd love to schedule this according to certain times or certain locations - for example logging me out of my IM services if I'm sitting at my desk between 9 and 5 on a weekday, but then logging me back in if I move away from my desk to get a sandwich down the road.
I wouldn't be surprised if such options pop up when Android embraces other business-centric features such as MS Exchange support.
Meanwhile, lets hope Optus pulls its finger out and offers Australians the integrated IM features that US users enjoy.
Other Blog Entries written by Adam Turner:
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
Comments: 2
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nix
Feb 18, 2009 12:24 PM
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I don't think the other IM clients will ever be supported. The servers you refer to are T-Mobile hacks designed to provide IM support to phones without proper data / multitasking, and they all work via SMS. To be honest, I wouldn't want them even if they were there. Just wait for third party clients.
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palringo
Feb 20, 2009 7:46 PM
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Palringo was demonstrating its multi-headed IM client at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. This will provide support for Yahoo, MSN Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ, iChat, Google Talk, Gadgu-Gadu, QQ as well as Facebook Chat. In addition to basic IM, Palringo includes voice IM, photo capability and enhanced presence and location for both individuals and groups.
You can download Palringo for all other mobile platforms and PC/Mac at www.Palringo.com
We expect to have Android in the market in beta version within the next 3-4 weeks. Please check the Palringo forums for more information.
regards
Kerry Ritz
Palringo Ltd |