Best Chat Software: JiveTalk 1.0.2 versus IM+ 5.0.9 -- NO CONTEST
I am amazed at how good JiveTalk is, so this comparision may compel both IM vendors to improve both products even more. After just 30 minutes, it was obvious that JiveTalk was better and I will probably do a paid registration before its 30 day trial is up.
I am also a computer programmer, and have been programming since 1986, as well as I have lots of beta testing and QA/QC knowledge, and therefore, my comments tend to carry fairly heavy weight among people who rely on me for software quality. I realize IM+ 5.0.9 is a beta, but let's recognize that JiveTalk is still at only Version 1.0.2. I would like to argue that Version 1 products should be much more buggy than Version 5 products, so I will consider both a fair apples-to-apples "beta-to-beta" comparision. Mind you, JiveTalk hasn't been around for very long and they did have the advantage of looking at competition and starting with an amazing clean bug-free codebase, while it seems like IM+ is still trying to mop up Version 5 bugs from what is now probably a legacy codebase. (That's a frequent cause of bugs). So now here goes... JiveTalk strengths over IM+
(not many, but let's be fair.)
And the NUMBER ONE Advantage is...
The runner-up advantage was stability. But when you go from charging your BlackBerry TWO TIMES A DAY ..... into ..... ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS - it's a big leap in battery miser for massive buddy lists logged 24/7 on multiple chat networks. Then the convenient battery life wins over stability! The fact that JiveTalk is so stable, is icing on the cake. Now, more about battery consumption. The programmers of BeeJive apparently did so much performance optimization, the JiveTalk software uses so little CPU, and idling CPU saves bettery power. It even seems to intelligently go into a low-power online mode while running idle, which is the key to JiveTalk's wonderfully long battery life with huge buddy lists. Conclusion... Due to the overwhelming superiority of JiveTalk, I have to declare it "NO CONTEST" at this time. With the large number of Version 5 issues (especially subtle bugs and usability issues, even in 5.0.9), I have to say that these are three winners on my BlackBerry. None of RIM's in-house offerings is at the top -- the Google Talk in JiveTalk is even much more reliable than the Google Talk made by RIM. As both chat software vendors visit these forums, I know Shape Services WILL improve Version 5. I hope Shape Services reads this message and decides to rewrite the software from scratch for Version 6 with a star programmer, to get the "clean-room" feel of JiveTalk. BeeJive, should continue to stay at the top - and don't get complacent because competition may eventually catch up - you've got a huge time margin because of software development cycles, but keep improving the BeeJive product without turning it to mobile bloatware like certain competitor clients are. #1 - JiveTalk 1.0.2 (by a huge margin) #2 - IM+ Version 4.x (very stable) #3 - RIM chat clients (Google Talk and BB Messenger) (Not even in my top 3: IM+ Version 5, still in beta) We have 3 BlackBerries here, and some of them have all the above installed. IM+ - ShapeServices Website JiveTalk - BeeJive Website |
Programmer comments
(technical notes, skip this if you're not a programmer). There is a "Battery Save Mode While Idle" in JiveTalk. These optimizations to run very well with battery power may go down to a simple matter of minimizing CPU and network use intelligently. Let me speculate it's probably batching up transmissions into more infrequent transmissions: It often takes the same amount of power to transmit one 512-byte packet as a 10-byte packet. Instead of transmitting 50 packets, it transmits one packet, and when running in background, it could ignore transmitting unnecessary idle/active/away/etc transmissions and batches them up into more occasional, intermittent prioritized transmissions while JiveTalk is running in background mode, while pushing incoming messages quickly in more immediate transmissions. (especially if there's a tiny delay between packets, that might prevent the OS from batching then together automatically - and even so, one could save the OS the CPU trouble of doing so). For old WebMessenger software which I used a lot in the past, it automatically went into a battery miser mode while running in background (skipped contact list updates such as signons/signoffs, and probably used a server-side pounce signalling since those require immediate notifications) and updated them when the chat client was brought to foreground. I think JiveTalk goes into a similiar battery miser mode when it's idling for 5 minutes, but instead of forcing a list update, it probably intermittently updates it and probably requests an immediate update when stopping idling. This is probably the best way, as I haven't seen the list "suddenly catch up" in JiveTalk so it must be doing it even more intelligently than WebMessenger did. For a big buddy list of 200 people, this makes a huge difference because all those contact list updates require transmissions, which requires large amounts of battery power when 200 people sign on and off all day long. (Remember it takes up to 2 watts of electricity from cellphone battery to transmit a packet in a weak-reception area on a GSM850 or GSM900 network) to transmit a data packet. It is possible to make a chat software waste less power in data transmissions, simply by mere optimization of merging as many chat-signalling messages as possible into more infrequent packets while idling, and running all chat networks over a single socket connection. Theoretically, you could transmit low-priority buddy list updates only once every few minutes while in background, and bringing software to foreground automatically forces a quick update of low-priority online/offline/away/back notifications. Server can even be designed to "push" the incoming chat messages. Even if it's non-push, an idling EDGE / GPRS connection actually uses fairly little power, and it's possible for a modern BlackBerry have a nonstop idling connection for a long period of time - it's the transmissions that gobble power. While I don't know how JiveTalk optimized for low battery power usage, the improved performance is one of them - because it's spending less CPU time trying to render the user interface. A startling example is when IM+ logs onto a chat network - it adds the buddies one by one, while JiveTalk adds all 200 buddies nearly instantaneously to the list (after a very short pause on a blank buddy screen). JiveTalk uses a lot less CPU per buddy status change away/online/offline. Whereas, IM+ tends to use a fraction of a second worth of CPU when this happen. This isn't a problem for small buddy lists, but when you've got 200 buddies logged on 24/7, one really need to optimize the low priority stuff such as signon/signoff/away/busy/etc signalling to use as little CPU and network bandwidth as possible. It seems JiveTalk does this better, and probably batch-processing plays a role. For example, comparing a Pounce list with Buddy list, would require a battery-efficient search algorithm, and a signon/signoff notification probably shouldn't update the graphics if the software is running in the background, and so on. JiveTalk probably uses a lot of techniques to improve efficiency by optimization to reduce as much CPU and network use as possible, while making high-priority stuff (i.e. incoming messages) immediate. Most developers of mobile chat software do not test with large buddy lists often enough, but JiveTalk clearly designed the software to be efficient with big buddy lists. And clearly programmed by programmers that obviously love their BlackBerries, and have BlackBerries as their personal non-work phones from even before they got hired by BeeJive (or started BeeJive). |
Discovered something new and cool -- I can doubletap ENTER to switch to the next chat. So I don't have to doubletap ALT unless I want to switch to a specific buddy.
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I sometimes feel like a broken record or a BeeJive employee or something when recommending JiveTalk to everyone. I uninstalled all the BRAND NEW RIM IM apps from my 8320 because JiveTalk simply can't be beat.
It is just the best. Good advice, though, to BeeJive. I haven't seen much from them lately on improvements or updates. I hope they read this, too. You left out one very important strength of JiveTalk....it's $20 cheaper than IM+ And one important strength (to some) of IM+....IM+ supports MySpace chat. |
Very nice review, yea I agree. I've been a jivetalk beta tester and they really stepped it up. They took mobile IM messaging into another level.
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Thx, good read. I have to agree!
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a lot of work, cool job
BurningBerry amicus certus in re incerta cernitur |
I paid for a IM+ myself, and then switched to JiveTalk. I agree on all points. JiveTalk has a simplicity going for it, and battery life is something I watch. Some applications can destroy it. Some applications have memory leaks. Some applications are just harder than they need to be. JiveTalk is one of those apps where using it for week will make anyone love it. Great app. The only IM client I use.
-Alex |
i have one question... how do i access in beejive.com/download but it said you dont have access rights to this site....how can i get through it ?
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Best Chat Software: JiveTalk 1.0.2 versus IM+ 5.0.9 -- NO CONTEST
I know this is a thread specific to JiveTalk and IM+, but can anyone offer feedback on JiveTalk and GoogleTalk for BB? I have GoogleTalk setup using transports, which gives me all my ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, AIM and open Jabber users in one buddy list. I do also like the level of integration that Google Talk has on the device, but I am always looking to upgrade to something better.
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Welcome to the forums, shaun.
i could only advise you to try the free trial from JT and make your own comparison. |
Thanks for the welcome!
Downloaded installed and setup... I'll compare over the next few weeks and post a thread with what I find. |
JiveTalk myspace?
I installed it, but there is no myspace account available. Is that only a 4.2OS option?
Im on an 8700c 4.1X |
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The links below will get you the latest stable "public" beta builds including MySpace support. Currently the builds are available for OS 4.2 or 4.1.0.309 and above only (check your OS to make sure that it qualifies, the old default OS for 8700C was 4.1.0.192 or something like that, so you would have needed to upgrade your OS.) 4.2 OS and above: http://www.beejive.com/jt_beta/dev/J...erry-pearl.jad 4.1.0.309 and above (for 4.1) http://www.beejive.com/jt_beta/dev/J...erry-midp2.jad |
Thanks! The MySpace thing was the only negative I can find with JiveTalk
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I have been using JiveTalk since my post above, and I was faced with the decision on what to stick with GTalk(+Transports) or JiveTalk.
Now there are some things that GTalk does that I wish JiveTalk had. If they were added to JiveTalk, I would be very happy. 1.) Icon Indicator in top bar for new chat message received 2.) Address Book integration - option menu includes "IM [Contact Name]" 3.) Display Chats in the Message List (on/off option in settings) 4.) ** Display an Avatar to other users (especially in MSN) ** I know this is not available in GTalk or any other BB IM app, but it would be nice. Final verdict: (y) JiveTalk over (n) GTalk easily |
Not bad features if they can be added. There is a long thread in here in Aftermarket which the developers used to check for comments/ideas. You might post there, as well email them.
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Messages always delivered?
If I lose service for any reason (e.g. on an elevator, battery dead, out of service area) will the messages sent to me during that time be lost with JiveTalk or IM+, or will they be delivered when the phone returns to service? If they are held for later delievery, is there any time limit?
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