The Future of AIM+

[Big-O Mark]

Obviously there are a number of problems with AIM+ and the new AIM 5 betas. Personally, Ryan and I are using the final release of the AIM 4 series, as the new betas seem rather silly. We'd like to know your opinion on this matter ... should we continue AIM+ development for the AIM 4 series, or should we immediately look towards the new AIM 5 releases. We don't have a ton of free time at the moment, so having two versions of AIM+ (one for 4.x, one for 5.x) in simultaneous development isn't very likely.

Once 5.x becomes final, AIM+ development will almost certainly move in this direction ... however, as with all things AOL, who knows how long it will be before they offically release a final version of AIM 5?

Please vote in the poll, and feel free to reply here if you have something worthwhile to add to the discussion. Thanks :).

[voltron]

AIM4 is nowhere near perfect and I think everyone will agree, neither is AIM5. But I think AIM+ brings AIM4 a little closer to something everyone can use happily. Notice, while AIM+ improves AIM4 way beyond any of the engineers at AIM are ever going to think of doing with AIM5, AIM4+ can still get better with more advances customizations and what not. While they're not required, they just make the program much more versatile.

I love AIM4+ as it is and I wouldn't mind sticking to it, in fact I do. But cool new features would be pretty neat as well.

If AIM-Expressions is the only thing AIM Engineers can think of, I say let them continue to fancy up and slow down AIM as they see fit and let Big-O-Software make AIM4 nice and compact for the masses that use instant messaging for just that -- instant messaging... not expressing ourselves through slow-loading IM boxes.

2 cents -- nothing more -- nothing less -- deal with it.
voltron

[jff2k]

IMO start the development of AIM+ for AIM5 now, so you can release it when the new AIM becomes final...

I think the current release of AIM+ für the AIM4-series is nearly perfect (well, away-state and smaller history would be great )

Keep up the good work!

[ZeroAvengerX]

maybe you should make "AIM+4 Final" and have it include all the features on the Coming Soon page, THEN work on "AIM+5 Beta" by simply upgrading all of the old modules to be compat with the new AIM5 Betas just to see how it WILL work eventually, and when they come out with AIM5 Final add more features to it but stick with the "AIM+4 Final" features when experimenting with the AIM5 Betas

if i am misunderstood just e-mail me or talk to me or something useless like that i'll explain in more detail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i'm editing my post:

the reason i am leaning towards AIM+5 is because some people like the new look of the buttons and buddy list setup for AIM5 (the other things besides the dumb AIM Expressions which i personally dont like) But many users like the new "XP Look" if you wanna call it that cuz everything is starting to look more -XPish- in all programs if you ask me (which isnt bad, i like it) so just keep up the good work on however you thing would be the best way to do things

[kiggastyle]

I think u need to work on AIM+ for AIM5, because u are going to have to anyway

[killcrap]

i would stay with aim+ for version 4.0 as of right now. aim5 imo isnt that attractive atm, and i dont think many users are using it. once ur done with aim+ for version 4.0 with all the comming soon stuff added, and bug fixes. i my self would make small internal builds of aim+ for version 5. to test it out. and see if anyway aim+ can be implmented with the version 5.

[dmf sauce]

finish whatever the hell you have been working on for the past three months. sorry, but i don't think many people are going to stay loyal if you start over AGAIN and we have to wait for a whole new version to be created. if you have been working on a new version compatible with AIM4, PLEASE PLEASE finish it and release it. if you released an improved version for AIM4, i would stick to AIM4 because AIM4 with the new AIM+ would be better than AIM5 anyhow!

i think the answer is obvious

[fillup07]

I think you should definately work on an AIM+ for the NEWEST version of AIM at all times (currently the 5 series). It looks cooler, and in time AIM is going to be upgraded more... and be better than AIM 4 and we are going to be left behind if we have to stick with AIM 4 to use AIM+

[Plasma2002b]

well, heres MY 3 cents.....lol

stick with v4.

i dont know bout other people, but personnaly, im not even gonna download aim 5...... i hear too many bad things about.... see, on my server computer, i still use aim 4.7... cause it works fine... so why upgrade to 4.8 or 5?

this all goes back to the thing of 'dont fix it if it aint broke' (which actually, AIM+ made it seem like it WAS broke, lol)

but yea.... i say continue on v4

[voltron]

In reply to the guy who said AIM5 because it's "XP-ish":
Uhh, I don't understand, AIM4 can have the Windows XP Luna interface.

In comment to all who favor AIM5:
Can someone point out a few reasons why they prefer it? Besides the fact that it's a new version and you feel the need to have all the latest software?

If you have an opinion, back it up please.

voltron

[blahman]

I see someone double posted =). Although Aim 5 right now does not seem to be all that great, it still is in beta. Who knows what other changes are in store for this program. By the time of its final release it could actually be better then version 4. I do not think it is fair to knock a beta version of a program only because it is still unfinished. I do agree with everyone else who says that the expressions are terrible. Maybe they will change that in the future, but who knows. Just give the program time to develop, if it still sucks after the final version is released then stick with version 4. Aim+ should continue working to perfect its product for version 4 because that corresponds to the most current version of aim, but as soon as version 5 final comes out, a lot more people will be using it. If you guys do not come out a with an add on program for version 5, people will look elsewhere for a program which has the same capabilities as aim+ such as dead aim.

As why some people perfer aim5 over aim 4 is that most people like new products. New might not always be better, but most people would rather have something new then somthing old. The beta version of aim has some added features, and the buttons have been updated, thats what I think that person meant by saying it looked "XPish". Not the luna interface, but the style of the buttons on the buddy list.

[a big sombrero]

AIM4 is way better than AIM5 and AIM+ adds even more. AIM5 is too fru-fru and the AOL people are tyring too hard. I say continue development on AIM4 make it good BUT if you coud, make it compatable with AIM5 because you may lose some users if you don't developfor AIM5 because people who dont know copmuters, seem to fall for the 'cute' expressions etc and would like those. I am sticking with AIM4 and I hope AIM+ does as well.

[Thyme]

AIM5 is largely unappreciated amongst most people. I wouldn't start working on the 5.x tree doesn't even have a final version. There's no guarentee fixing the things that AIM4 has that AIM5 doesn't work with will even stay fixed as they continue developement. So perhaps you should release what you have, then start working on the parts of the new features that don't require AIM's crap to work on. Then, as the future of AIM5 becomes clear (if all they have are expressions, for instance, 4.8 will remain de facto) then you can decide which to work on.

[iamvoyager]

the only real good thing about the new aim 5 is the typing indicator

***but i really like the typing indicator;)

i think the custom smilies will be cool when they finaly come out

[a big sombrero]

AIM5 is just a bunch of sissy fru fru girly things. wow more smileys, i can display my emotions better. hey i can express myself with AOL-made expressions. hooray. AIM4 gets the job done and AIM+ only adds to that, stick with AIM4