Trillian 6.6.0.42

With the dawn of smart phones, tablets and phablets(!) using a single messaging app has become an increasingly difficult challenge. Past are the days when Yahoo messenger and Skype ruled the internets. I shouldn't idolize them, they were pretty buggy back then. And they hold true to that tradition still.

The reference to the character of the same name in Douglas Adams' novel has nothing to do with the app itself. Trillian is an instant messaging app, pure and simple. Simple is also the proper word to characterize its interface and functions.

You can include pictures and also record audio in the chat window, but other than that there is nothing else. I'd say there's no need for anything else. Trillian is not about stickers and playing games, it sticks to the old school tradition of messengers.

Besides working with its own servers, hence you can create a user account, Trillian also works as a client for a number of well established messaging services. Yahoo!, ICQ, Facebook and others... no Skype though.

Besides being a substitute client for other instant messengers, the best thing about Trillian is that it is also multi-platform. You can install it on Windows, Android, Blackberry, iOS, Mac and you can also access it through your web browser (no Linux support I'm afraid).

Trillian can also check your mail. You can connect to any IMAP or POP3 mail server via Trillian and forget about carrying the laptop with you.

Features

• Support for other messaging services
• Multi-platform
• Email client

Pros

• Quite handy for mobile devices
• Clean interface

Cons

• Some traffic problems
• Does not make coffee

Conclusion

Trillian is a great replacement for original messaging clients that refuse to become optimized. Being that can be run on almost anything, it's an easy choice for anyone who considers that usability is more important than glamour.