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Review
SnapTalk 3.0
Issue: 1.2 (October/November 2002)
Author: Brian Jones
Article Description: No description available.
Article Length (in bytes): 3,277
Starting Page Number: 10
RBD Number: 1107
Resource File(s): None
Related Link(s): None
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Full text of article...
In any enterprise, having chat software ready to use at any moment can do wonders for streamlining communications between participants. There is a lot of free software out there that serves this purpose: Adium, Yahoo! Messenger, Fire, and many others ad nauseam. However, they all are Internet-based which can pose complications at times and implies a degree of insecurity. Glassbead Software addresses these concerns with their network messaging software, SnapTalk.
The chatting features of the software work about as one would expect given experience with any online messaging software, including incoming message chimes (which happen to be customizable), chat archiving features, and auto-replies. Also, file transfers are supported. A file is simply attached to the next outgoing message, a much more elegant solution than has been implemented in most chat software. One nice twist is that you can dynamically include and exclude any available users in your current conversation by way of selecting their name from the list of available users.
There are other unique features that make SnapTalk a logical choice for use in an office. Most important is that the software can function in the background allowing the user to actually get some work done. While in the background, the application will notify the user of any incoming messages and allow them to ignore the message, respond in full, or respond from a list of user-defined QuickReplies, a very convenient feature. Another important feature for business use is that all conversations in SnapTalk are encrypted meaning important and confidential conversations can take place without worries about snoops.
The most notable aspect of SnapTalk will be seen as an incredible strength or a damning weakness depending on the user's needs. SnapTalk runs on your local network; it is not an Internet application. This feature is great for offices where not all of the computers have Internet connections or where Internet bandwidth is at a premium. However, for those coordinating people in different areas it makes the software much less appealing a solution. The inclusion of TCP/IP support in version 3.0 does allow it to work for remote and cross-platform networks.
Glassbead Software has shown, in the form of SnapTalk, the great power and flexibility of REALbasic and should be an inspiration to other developers to match their degree of professionalism. Be on the lookout for SnapMail, also from Glassbead, which will be rewritten using REALbasic shortly.
In Brief Product SnapTalk 3.0 Manufacturer Glassbead Software Price Starts at $12 per user System Requirements Mac OS 8.1+ or Mac OS X, TCP/IP or AppleTalk network, 4 MB RAM Contact Info info-at-glassbead.com
www.glassbead.com
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Article copyrighted by REALbasic Developer magazine. All rights reserved.
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