RISC OS News on Drobe
RISC OS Search
containing
"Drobe's only failing is the sixth-form geek-journo tone with it's lead balloon humour and occasional smugness and ugly personalty."
Welcome back guest  |  Login  |  Register Monday 12th May 
Login

drobe.co.uk
About Drobe
RISC OS News
Drobe Features
Alternatives
Bookmarks
Riscos.org.uk
Auctions
Events (shows)
AU issues
Tech Material
Wallpaper
Movies
File archives
SH eBooks
FAQs
Changelog

Interact
Forums
Online chat
Your webspace
BBC Emu(games!)
User gallery
RSS news &
comments
Submit news
Contact us

Quick Links
Open directory
Nutshells
ANS archives
ArcSite
RO Repository
Announce
RISCOS Ltd.
Castle

NTK
The Inquirer
The Register
OSNews
Slashdot
Google

Alternatives
NetBSD
ARM Linux
Iyonix Linux

Found Apps
 RISC OS Software !Avalanche
 RISC OS Software !Darts
 RISC OS Software !CFuncAnal
 RISC OS Software !TranTIFF+
 RISC OS Software !Dustbin
 RISC OS Software !NurseW
 RISC OS Software !Tally
 RISC OS Software !VideoLog
 RISC OS Software !USBKick
 RISC OS Software !Spr2Jpeg
Recent users
flypig is a RISC OS User flypig
epistaxsis is a RISC OS User epistaxsis
tduell is a RISC OS User tduell
md0u80c9 is a RISC OS User md0u80c9
xyzzy is a RISC OS User xyzzy
diomus is a RISC OS User diomus
martin is a RISC OS User martin
flibble is a RISC OS User flibble
mrchocky is a RISC OS User mrchocky
AJW is a RISC OS User AJW


Why donate?

Serving: 15GB
Fuel: caffeine
2 users online
37 guests
263 active accts 24327 comments

Webstats

 
RISC OS News Article
New MSN client in development
Published: 3rd Sep 2007, 00:01:56GMT  Source: drobe.co.uk
By the Drobe news desk
Page 1 of 1
Currently with beta testers [Updated 5/9/07]
Parmesan MSN clientA new RISC OS MSN chat client was released for free tonight for brave punters to test drive. Dubbed Parmesan by developer Christian Ludlam, the software allows people to chat to each other in real-time over the Internet - ideally enabling RISC OS punters to converse with buddies using Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and other computer platforms.

In a covert announcement earlier this evening, Christian said: "I'm looking for beta testers to trial a new MSN client I've written for RISC OS. If you have an MSN account, please try it."

Although the freeware software, pictured, gets stuck at the "Setting online status" point on drobe's RISC OS 4.42-powered A9home, the client at least reportedly works on a vanilla RISC OS 4 RiscPC and a RISC OS 5 Iyonix. Christian's client even supports nudges, allowing online chatterboxes to wobble the other person's Parmesan windows to grab their attention.

While basic chat operations work, other functionality including file transfers has yet to be implemented. The software's user interface is governed by XML and CSS, according to Christian, allowing users to tweak how the program appears on the desktop.

It's believed that, by supporting features such as nudges, Christian's software is the most up-to-date MSN client available for RISC OS.

Update at 19:58 05/09/2007
Christian has withdrawn the beta download as a number of people have now stepped forward to act as beta testers. A number of bugs have now been fixed, and the software is working on the A9home. A website is expected soon, although Christian's priorities are file transfer support, configuration settings, 'sort by group' functionality, configurable fonts and colours, and various user interface tweaks.

He told us last night: "I prefer my client over the official MSN Mac OS X client, even though there's still loads of things it does that Parmesan doesn't.

"There's lots of stuff I want to do, but it's been usable for so long it should be released. I removed the download when I had enough beta-testers and started getting bug reports back.

"I spotted the drobe.co.uk article later - that's unfortunate."

File transfer is said to be mostly working and needs a user interface to finish it off. The program can also receive handwritten messages from other MSN clients.

Links
Download beta version 1
Christian's website - the parmesan site appears to be password locked.

Related articles
RISC OS VoIP client emerges
New free MSN client available for all
File sharing Bit Torrent client ported to RISC OS

This article has been linked to, or is available in the following formats:  
 
 
 
 
 
[Printable] [Digg this] [Blog search]


jess(good user) (+1.0)
Face
3/9/07 11:26AM
This looks very interesting.

Is it tied into only MSN or does it have the potential for mutliprotocols?

(A shame it duplicates the only IM system I can reliably access from RISC OS, as my contacts are spread over MSN, yahoo, AIM, ICQ, Google and SIP.)

Does it provide support for contacting Yahoo via MSN?
Does it support user Icons?

Both of these would be very useful and bring it up to the level of the official mac client.

I shall definitely have a play when I get back home.
jonesd98 (+4.8)
Face
3/9/07 11:28AM
In reply to sa110:

maybe because this is a free?
jess(good user) (+1.0)
Face
3/9/07 12:38PM
And why is it called Parmesan?
Hairy (+1.0)
3/9/07 1:07PM
At this time, would love to download it but the two links via Drobe, give the error 404 Not Found :(
hEgelia(valued user)www (+2.5)
Face
3/9/07 1:30PM
Grapevine is okay, but it's certainly not ideal. Nudges are amusing and can on occasion be useful, it's not essential in my book, like File transfer is. Grapevine does support file transfer, but it requires the user to open the relevant ports in the router manually. From the screenshot above, it does seem there is support for user pictures (avatars) in Parmesan, which has yet to become supported on Grapevine.

In all, I'd say a very interesting development. Certainly so if Parmesan will have better functionality and a more pleasant user interface than Grapevine, which until now remains the only MSN / Windows Live client for RISC OS users.
jess(good user) (+1.0)
Face
3/9/07 2:16PM
Without access to the application's website, we obviously have no idea why MSN was chosen in preference to jabber, yahoo or icq or a multiprotocol system.

Perhaps the author found a library for MSN that all the correct components exist for and nothing is complete for other protocols.

Or perhaps he has loads of MSN contacts and needs some more advanced features than Grapevine provides. (Webcam maybe :) )
MikeCarter (+1.0)
Face
3/9/07 8:17PM
In reply to Hairy:

I would also like to download it, and would love to beta test it, yet it appears that they only put it up for a few hours.
epistaxsis (+1.0)
Face
3/9/07 8:22PM
In reply to MikeCarter:

Well I suppose it's one way to limit the number of beta testers... ;-)

In reply to Hairy:

Yeah narked me too :-(
xyzzy(valued user) (+2.5)
Face
4/9/07 4:20AM
As sent to the zap-technical list (0422 on 3 September), beta1 is temporarily gone while Christian fixes some bugs. He also asked that people e-mail him if they are successfully using it so he doesn't have to assume no-one uses it if he doesn't get any reports back.
xyzzy(valued user) (+1.0)
Face
4/9/07 4:21AM
In reply to epistaxsis:
No need to be cheesed off.
jess(good user) (+1.0)
Face
4/9/07 9:18AM
"so he doesn't have to assume no-one uses it if he doesn't get any reports back"

Would it be possible for beta versions of the program to add an extra contact? One the author sets up for this purpose. This could even be used for feedback to the author. (Status could be away or available for feedback).

In release versions this could be an option.

Grapevine has one feature I love - changing screen name each message from a file.
MENTAT(bad user / troll) (+2.6)
Face
4/9/07 4:46PM
Parmesan. Makes perfect sense if you think about it (I did hear somewhere that it was originally going to be called Nobcheese, but I think parmesan is a better name).

Sa110 - yes you do. Grapevine is fairly annoying and expensive. Parmesan beta is already better in lots of ways.

hEgelia - nudges ARE essential. Oh yes they are.

Unfortunately, msn seems to be massively more widely used by the UK general public than most other IMs. Pleh.
jess(good user) (+1.0)
Face
4/9/07 5:04PM
parMeSaN ?
bluenose(good user) (+4.2)
Face
4/9/07 6:30PM
In reply to MENAT

"Grapevine is fairly annoying and expensive"

Well at £29 I think it is an Ok price and it's a good product though I agree that some more functionality would be nice and which I would be prepared to pay for. Then again if I lived in the RISC OS world that some others seem to live in then I would be demanding RComp pay me to use their software as even £0.00 is to much.

Any way nice to see more development in the market and well done to Christian for taking the time and effort with Parmesan.
em2ac(good user) (+1.0)
5/9/07 4:04PM
In reply to bluenose:
I have to say I agree with you there!

Still not bad to have seomthing for free once in a while!
em2ac(good user) 
5/9/07 4:06PM
I also have to say...I am impressed with the XML and CSS Ideas! :@)
MikeCarter (+1.0)
Face
6/9/07 5:28PM
On reading the update this is quite an exciting development, especially the nudge and receiving handwritten messages I don't think even Gaim/Pidgin on Linux does this.
polas(valued user) 
11/9/07 1:28PM
Sounds all good - I look forward to using it when the author decides to release it. When the software reaches the release stage, will it still be freeware? I have thought for a while that its a shame we do not have a free MSN client available, like many other platforms. I appreciate that of course for a company to write a client then they require some repayment, but I think that a free client might make the platform more attractive to potential users
jess(good user) 
Face
15/9/07 11:15AM
It's out now. Looks nice.
hEgelia(valued user)www 
Face
15/9/07 5:58PM
Indeed. Compared to Grapevine, it looks great and already has basic stuff Grapevine still hasn't managed to implement after all these years. Best thing it's free! I wonder what R-Comp and Alan Wrigley are thinking of this...
jess(good user) 
Face
15/9/07 6:53PM
Hopefully improving Oscar support, adding Jabber or Yahoo support and doing nothing to MSN unless it's adding webcam or voice support (which would be lovely, but is too much to hope for realistically).
2 comment(s) are below your moderation threshold. Login to view them.
 

Top Tip


Show your support and appreciation of Drobe launchpad by donating a little money to cover our running costs!
 
Headline news
Wakefield 2008 show photos
28th Apr 2008

Wakefield 2008 show live news
26th Apr 2008

Who would want an A9home PDA?
24th Apr 2008

RISC OS 6.10 available to Select subscribers
24th Apr 2008

Gallery photo
Older news
Animation and typing applications really released
24th Apr 2008

Wakefield 2008 show preview
22nd Apr 2008

R-Comp unveils new PDF authoring package
22nd Apr 2008

NetSurf bags GBP10K investment from Google
21st Apr 2008

Apple Mac VirtualRiscPC leaves beta
20th Apr 2008

Blu-ray disc burn breakthrough
14th Apr 2008

PDF import support for ArtWorks
13th Apr 2008

Wakefield 2008 show theatre line-up revealed
13th Apr 2008

Animation software collection falls into R-Comp's hands
9th Apr 2008

Features
A9home: two years on
4th Dec 2007

A9home DIY laptop: first pictures
1st Dec 2007

Software hosted by Drobe: Your guide
5th Nov 2007

 

Top | Design and concept © Fudgecake Design, 1999 - 2001. Content © The Drobe Team, 1999 - 2008. 
Click here for more information and terms and conditions.