Diversity of instant messenger networks promoted all-n-ne approach to IM clients. Still in some circumstances you have nothing but browser. Email services traditionally provide web-based interface, IM services do not.
meebo is web-based app that is a client to the multiply IM services and runs completely in browser.
What it does
Site allows to login into one or multiply IM services and chat in there, completely in browser. For common services you can use account from service alone alone, but for all of them and extra features you can register meebo account and attach other services to it.
Including, but not limited to:
When logged in you get desktop-like interface with unified contact list for all services. Contact list and chat windows can run inside meebo browser tab or be separated into separate browser tabs.
If visiting from phone you get mobile-adapted version of the site.
Strong features
App provides core functionality of IM nicely and doesn’t get in your way. It doesn’t require any plugins or special connectivity settings other than decent browser and open port for https connections.
It may not be as smooth and snappy like desktop clients, but definitely just as comfortable to actually chat.
Software extras
Despite that meebo itself is purely web service it also offers number of software extensions:
- tray notifier;
- Firefox plugin;
- repeater to help bypass configurations that block meebo;
- client apps for Android and iPhone;
- bar and widget for sites.
Downsides
Site works best only with latin character set. Support for other encodings did get better over years, but texts still get broken here and there.
As for usability it could indicate unread messages in title. There is sound alert option, but it is naturally useless when there is no audio.
Also – no Twitter support? I don’t know if this is weird or refreshing.
Overall
Very solid, free and feature-rich service with minimum amount of ads (single collapsible ad at the bottom of interface). It works fine as browser-only replacement for desktop clients and I imagine is capable enough to serve as only client needed to some.
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I always used to use the chat feature in Gmail but that got a little neglected since I started using the imap client in Opera.
I thought that this would make a nice little web panel for Opera.
Though before I can actually test this, I would have to fix a problem first that I can’t seem to login to any client with my Google account passwords. Don’t know what is broken. :(
@Saurabh
My primary IM is ICQ (still popular around here). It can be used in gmail via IM but that is one seriously buggy solution.
For sidebar panel https://www.meebo.com/mobile/ is awesome, this is actually how I use it most now.
On login – you mean you can use google password fine, except with third party clients? That is weird. I don’t think there are any options to restrict third party apps from connecting.
Does native Google Talk client work for you?
@Rarst
Not even the Google Talk native client works. The Google Talk gadget works when I am logged in to Gmail and the chat feature inside Gmail works. I am copying/pasting passwords which work on Gmail but not on any of these clients so that can’t be the problem. Unless there was an option to change Google talk username to something other than my gmail username which I had followed, I don’t really see what could be the problem. I would take this to the google forums and see if they can provide any help.
@Saurabh
Had you at least tried Meebo? Or at another location? If web clients work, but not desktop ones it might be some connectivity issues at your computer.
Yes of course. Meebo also shows that username/password is incorrect and another web client that I have tried at an Indian social networking site also shows the same problem.