If you’re like me, keeping track of your AOL Instant Messenger account, Facebook account and Google Talk account can be a hassle. Especially when you’re running each of these applications separately on your iPhone. eBuddy Pro, a premium mobile instant messaging application, aims to solve this problem. eBuddy Pro offers integration of 8 different messaging services into one client, perfect for those looking for an all-in-one messaging client.
Some of the best features of eBuddy Pro are:
- Client Support: It supports MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, Google Talk, Facebook, ICQ, MySpace and Hyves.
- Collaborative "contact list": All services are combined into a single list, differentiating each contact by an icon next to the name corresponding to the service.
- Themes: Choose from over 10 different themes for your chats. At this point, there is no way to create your own theme.
- Push Notifications: Choose when to receive a Push Notification (i.e., every message, new message) and also sound, alert, and badge ON/OFF switches.
- Chat Options: In chat options include the ability to send pictures, group chats and emoticons.
When first launching the application, you’re required to create an eBuddy ID. I found this a little cumbersome although the process only takes a minute or two. I would have found it much easier if I could have instantly started to add my existing messenger accounts, instead of going through a registration process for the application.
One downfall of the eBuddy ID I found (that is supposed to be a "feature"), is the all-in-one account log in. That is, once you log into eBuddy Pro with your eBuddy ID, all messaging accounts associated with it are logged in. What if I just want to log into my AOL Instant Messenger account and not my Facebook account? I have to manually disconnect. All-in-all, I’m not too fond of the eBuddy ID. All these other services have my information, why do I need yet another log in just to access my already activated accounts?
Despite the annoyance of the eBuddy ID, the application itself handles chats quite well. It features a familiar interface (iPhone Messages application) and delivers the messages promptly. As for the Push Notifications, they seem to be working quite well too. No major delays or issues to report here.
eBuddy Pro is available in the App Store for $4.99.
eBuddy Pro was provided by eBuddy for review on Just Another iPhone Blog. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
The only problem I have is that it displays user numbers for Myspace instead of screen names. I never have any idea who I’m talking to.
Very interesting. I don't have a MySpace account so I wasn't able to check out that platform. I'm putting together a review for the App Store, I'll be sure to mention this. Thanks.
A key feature of iPhone IM clients is the abitilty stay logged into the services even after you exited the app on your iPhone. Some clients handle this better then others. That is critical to my decision on whether to use the app or not, so please consider mentioning it in future IM client reviews.
It does allow you to stay connected for up to three days. It actually handled this very well. I didn’t have the application backgrounded with Backgrounder but did receive Push Notifications quite promptly (as I stated in the article) when not having the application active on screen.
Thanks Shane. Good to know it stays connected for 3 days. They all have different periods of time that they stay connected for. Some stay connected as short as 1 hour which makes it useless for my (many peoples?) purposes.
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