Windows Live Messenger / MSN client for Android?

[MrDictionary]

Hi,

I'm about to buy a used HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), but I'd like to know more about what MSN/WLM clients are available before I do.

My ideal client would be a complete straight port of Pidgin. (I understand that porting isn't a straightforward task due to the vastly different environments.) The primary features of Pidgin that I would like to see are WLM connectivity and the ability to keep logs of every conversation locally.

I've tried a number of WLM clients by downloading the apks and running them in the development emulator, but they're not suitable for a number of reasons:
- Meebo isn't suitable as my firewall is reporting that it tries to access meebo.com upon sign in. Does this mean that it acts as a thin client (and therefore I would be sending my password to this unknown company)? Also, I can't figure out if Meebo allows you to keep logs.
- Both MSN Talk and MSN Droid have adverts.
- Nimbuzz requires me to create some sort of meta-account, which I assume would allow me to sign into multiple different IM networks using only my Nimbuzz name and password. I'm not interested in anything like that. (Which rules out Trillian, if I recall.)

I want something that runs purely on the phone with no adverts: exactly like Pidgin. This rules out web based services such as Microsoft's own WLM web client and ebuddy (unless there's a native Android ebuddy WLM client that I'm not aware of).

Can anybody recommend a suitable WLM/MSN app?

Thanks.

 

[hdevine]

Hi,

I'm about to buy a used HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), but I'd like to know more about what MSN/WLM clients are available before I do.

My ideal client would be a complete straight port of Pidgin. (I understand that porting isn't a straightforward task due to the vastly different environments.) The primary features of Pidgin that I would like to see are WLM connectivity and the ability to keep logs of every conversation locally.

I've tried a number of WLM clients by downloading the apks and running them in the development emulator, but they're not suitable for a number of reasons:
- Meebo isn't suitable as my firewall is reporting that it tries to access meebo.com upon sign in. Does this mean that it acts as a thin client (and therefore I would be sending my password to this unknown company)? Also, I can't figure out if Meebo allows you to keep logs.
- Both MSN Talk and MSN Droid have adverts.
- Nimbuzz requires me to create some sort of meta-account, which I assume would allow me to sign into multiple different IM networks using only my Nimbuzz name and password. I'm not interested in anything like that. (Which rules out Trillian, if I recall.)

I want something that runs purely on the phone with no adverts: exactly like Pidgin. This rules out web based services such as Microsoft's own WLM web client and ebuddy (unless there's a native Android ebuddy WLM client that I'm not aware of).

Can anybody recommend a suitable WLM/MSN app?

Thanks.

You could try Trillian (Trillian - IM, Astra, Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, MySpace, AIM, Email, and more!). I'm using it on my Droid Eris and it works pretty good. I have ICQ, AIM, and Facebook on there. I think it supports Yahoo and Windows Live as well according to their site.

Hope that helps!
Harry

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

I use MSN Talk. Unlike the app I used before this, MSN Talk allows me to be logged in at two places simultaneously.

 

[MrDictionary]

You could try Trillian (Trillian - IM, Astra, Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, MySpace, AIM, Email, and more!). I'm using it on my Droid Eris and it works pretty good. I have ICQ, AIM, and Facebook on there. I think it supports Yahoo and Windows Live as well according to their site.

Hope that helps!
Harry

Thanks, but as I mentioned above, you need to make a Trillian account to use Trillian.

 

[MrDictionary]

I guess I've exhausted the free WLM messengers.

Out of all the ones I've seen, MSN Talk seems to be the simplest. How much does it cost? I can't find any info on it.

Edit - 'save chat history onto sd card automatically' AHA! You beauty! :3 That's PRECISELY what I want.

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

I guess I've exhausted the free WLM messengers.

Out of all the ones I've seen, MSN Talk seems to be the simplest. How much does it cost? I can't find any info on it.

Edit - 'save chat history onto sd card automatically' AHA! You beauty! :3 That's PRECISELY what I want.

I must admit, you've confused me. MSN Talk has a free version and a paid version. I am running the free version. It's easy to find in the market if you search by name. Your edit confuses me even more. Is the chat history on SD comment a function of MSN Talk?

 

[MrDictionary]

Sorry for the confusion, I got a bit excited.

I was originally looking for a simple, advert-free, free WLM app that doesn't run through a third-party server or require a third-party user account.

I tried Meebo, Nimbuzz, MSN Talk, MSN Droid and Trillian, but I wasn't satisfied with any of them.

Meebo runs through a third-party, Nimbuzz requires a Nimbuzz account, MSN Talk has adverts, MSN Droid has adverts, Trillian requires a Trillian account.

So, I moved onto paid ones, hoping I could find an app with the features I wanted for resonable price.

A friend showed me MSN Talk Pro (the paid version of MSN Talk), running on his G1.

I was impressed by the simple interface, which was exactly what I was expecting to see (it's very similar to Pidgin), and I noticed that it has an option in the settings menu to automatically save all conversations to the SD card, which is the one feature I was definitely searching for.

I also ran the package through the Android development emulator to see if it contacted a third-party server at any point, but it only contacts the Microsoft live servers directly, which is good.

So, I concluded that if one needs MSN capability on Android that much, they should put up the