RSSICQ Goes Lite in New Alpha
By Nate Mook | Published July 1, 2002, 10:07 PM
ICQ on Monday released a new alpha version of its wildly popular instant messaging client, dubbed ICQ Lite. Named for its small size and interface simplicity, ICQ Lite is a new direction for a company that continues to tack new features onto its main Windows client.
The release is also a sign that ICQ has been listening to its users who have long complained about unnecessary additions and the abundance of advertising in ICQ chat windows.
ICQ Lite is a small download at 1.4 MB, and requires very little system resources to run. But despite its small size, the client still contains ICQ's most popular features such as file transfer and SMS. Messages take on an AIM-like interface in ICQ Lite, displaying a full conversation in a single window above the writing area. Taking a page from MSN Messenger, ICQ Lite also sports a typing indicator, which displays when your friend or colleague is typing a message. Perhaps most attractive to current users, ICQ Lite contains no advertising.
Avid ICQ fans however, will note the lack of an automatic message history. Conversations can still be saved manually into text files, but the process can become quite a chore for frequent chatters. Also absent are group chats and voice support.
ICQ Lite may be downloaded for all versions of Windows except 95 via FileForum. While still in its alpha phase, ICQ may opt to restrict the number users on the Lite system as it has done in the past with previous clients. ICQ is requesting feedback from testers on a special message board dedicated to the alpha release.
Had they released this two years ago maybe I'd adopt it again. Unfortunately I got hooked on Trillian, and there's no going back =)
www.trillian.cc
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|Most applications complete their full beta cycle within a reasonable amount of time. I remember when ICQ was not an AOL stepchild but a company from Isreal. I feel ICQ has not improved due to it's useless fearures and constant bloat. Though ICQlite may be a trimmed down and acceptable perhaps the attempt is too little too late. I can see it inow, year 2020 ICQ beta build 2655662.2. For Gods sake release a final or scrub the balloon altogether/
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|Who cares if it's labeled beta. ICQ's beta releases are just as or more stable than releases called "Final" by other companies. Beta allows ICQ to keep the product free and also indicate the product is continually in development - which it is.
And how can a lite version of ICQ be too little too late? ICQ is already the #1 instant messaging client in the world and isn't likely to lose that position any time soon. ICQ should "give up" because you wanted a lite version two years ago? Should Microsoft give up because it took them until 2000 to make a stable operating system? That makes absolutely no sense. Give up the flamebait, it gets old.
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|Has ICQ ever released a version that was NOT label "beta" or "alpha"? Keep in mind, I have not been using ICQ's client for about 2 and half years now, so I'm not aware of anything in that timeframe.
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|Just because software is BETA doesnt mean it isnt stable etc, in reality no software is ever final, you can never make bug free software so the software is never perfect therefore not final making it a beta but with the majority of bugs fixed. By keeping the software BETA then it means that they are constantly fixing the bugs, also if the software goes to final i am sure that is causes problems as ICQ will have to support the old final versions for a certain amount of time.
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|Who says you can't right bug-free software? My Hello World! program is bug free :)
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|I tried the new ICQ lite yesterday, and it works allright, but its bad that features like sending files etc. not comes with this release I hope they will add it in the future that's the only thing I need. And it's the great that I don't have to look at their bottom banner anymore this is the best part of this prog.
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|Umm, this release does have the ability to send files. Did you even download it and try it out?
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|http://www.icqlite.com/
A friend of mine showed me this... I never use it, but the way I see it, this is the REAL ICQ lite...
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|actually that is ICQ2GO what icq lite once was... they changed the name and made icq lite for windows instalations.
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|With a simple interface and no advertising they have a winning product on thier hands. The lower memory consumption and faster loading time is great!
The product codename for ICQ Lite is Trillian, and is available for download at www.trillian.cc. The full version which has automatic message history is a 2.25MB download.
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|FYI Trillian is NOT ICQ Lite!
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|LOL
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|Can I have some of what you're on please?
Trillian has absolutely nothing to do with ICQ lite! it looks different, sounds different and even smells different!
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|HEHEEEEE... read again! :))
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|FYI, it was a rhetorical comment dripping with sarcasm. I believe the original poster was quite aware of the differences.
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|I am not quite sure if your analysis is really correct. I can see how it can be, but I would still call it a weak statement because the original message could be written in a way that shows its sarcastic nature in a more obvious manner. BTW, I really dislike it when people tell me how to think about what a thrid party states.
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|"BTW, I really dislike it when people tell me how to think about what a thrid party states."
Then you need to read his message again. Nowhere did he ever tell you what to think about what a third party stated.
He said "FYI, it was a rhetorical comment dripping with sarcasm." That is a statement of fact about the original post and has nothing to do with what you should think about it.
He also said "I believe the original poster was quite aware of the differences." Now that is a flat out statement of HIS opionion.
So where exactly did anyone "tell you what to think"?
Or were you just making a general statement along the lines of "I like it when it rains"?
Personally, I also think that you're making a fool of yourself and that the sarcasm in the original post was fairly obvious.
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|Turns out that ICQ Lite is actually just the ICQ98b source code recompiled, my mistake.
I got confused because the two sound so similar, ICQ Lite and Trillian. (Note the “i” sound.)
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|I was just wondering has anybody ever mentioned the idea of designing ICQ and then just having optional plugins for the featuers they want, like Miranda ICQ? I think it would be great if we could download ICQ but have NO features at all, note even messaging and then download just the features they want and "plug them in" to the client. I think it would be a great idea, anyone else got any input?
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|better yet, imagin if all apps were like this. vee windows :)
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|oops, "even windows" i mean.
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|When I used ICQ it had that to an extent, but even after removing everything it still had too many "features" for my liking.
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|it is nice to see an ad free version that is a little better on system resources etc.
Check www.icq-4u.com for older versions, i stoped using ICQ about 1 ½ years ago because of the SPAM i was getting! MSN is my primary IM client now. However no client at the moment offers all my needs, and please do NOT mention trillian, i really dislike that program, it seems too good to be true, everyone says it is great but there must be a catch somewhere, or sometime!
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|I'm sorry, I can't help laughing. Yeah, the catch is that it isn't owned by Yahoo, Microsoft, or AOL-TW, but it offers reliable service on all those systems from the same client. It's hard not to like when you start using it.
Actually the extra bloat in ICQ was one of my reasons for switching from ICQ in the first place. If all my friends hadn't droped it for the same reason I did, I might be switching back to this light version. Sounds like this is a step back in the right direction for them though. I'll probibly DL and take it for a spin, but I'm not going to be able to really test it out while my friends are on MSN and AOL.
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|Though nobody uses it, Sonork is by far the best IM client and protocol.
http://www.sonork.com
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|i checked ou Sonork yesterday afer you mentioned it, i have to agree it is excellent! Simple clean interface with all the options i want. I just need to get my friends to convert over to it, i also like the way i can have my own server and just have the people i want etc. I would suggest everyone at least try it out, my ID is "ditoa" w/o quotes of course, feel free to add me so you can try it out.
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|Trillian kicks ass, I have been using it for years and you can do all the most important things with each client, there is no catch, just donate and it says your registered and you just get the fact of knowing you are helping the maker out by giving him money :) There is no catch really, I have been using it for years, its great, really :)
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|Trillian? and 'please don't mention it' ?
HA. It's the only proggie I use in WinXP Pro. It handles: ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, and IRC. In one simple interface.
Sending files? Via email.
Lack of emoticon smilies? who cares?
Does it work? Heck Yes.
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|Use Jabber, very very light (most download are under 1 MB) and it supports MSN, ICQ, AOL and Yahoo + it's native Jabber IM system. Some clients can even handle IRC if the server supports it.
I love it and it's the only thing I use.
Go see @ www.jabbercentral.org
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|Does any non-spammer still use ICQ? I gave up years ago when I had to do the umteenth rebuild of my contacts and the porn offers out numbered the fun.
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|I still use ICQ, and so do 30 others on my list. ;-)
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|Well, I use the service but not the client.
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|I never get any spam now. just play with the settings a bit more, its easy to stop the spam because icq actually has a nice range of security options now.
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|Mirabilis, just keep the feature set of ICQ 98b or ICQ 99 (pur message history back in!), and I would definitely junk that 6MB-large ICQ 2002.
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|or at least make the text chat logging automatic.. and one textfile for each person.. like msnplus for msn does http://www.patchou.com/msgplus/
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|No no no, I don't want logs of my conversations unless I decide to log them. lol
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|logging is an option in messenger plus, you dont have to feel big brother is watching you ;)
i would like to have an option to set which users i do and dont log! It would be nice to select, Mr. X as someone i log but not Mrs. Y ;)
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