Screenshot of Trillian Astra web IM

[Jeff]

Trillian Astra comes in two flavors. There's the desktop application, running on Windows XP or Vista, and then there is the web-based Trillian Astra, that runs, well, on any computer with an Internet connection and Flash support.

Yes, Cerulean Studios is coming out with a web-based version of Trillian Astra that will, in theory, run on Mac OS X, Linux, or whatever -- all from your web browser. Could it be a Meebo-killer?

It's still in private testing, but you can sign-up if you're interested.

So why would you want to run the web-based version of Trillian Astra? Well, you can sign on from anywhere with a network connection. The library, your girlfriend's house, the pub... basically anywhere with a half-decent computer and an Internet connection.

It won't give you all the bells-and-whistles of the desktop version. There's currently no file transfer, video or audio... yet. If you need all that, for now you will need the desktop version. But for basic instant messaging the web-based Trillian Astra is great.

Note to the guys and gals over at Cerulean Studios -- It would be really, really nice if there were some easy way to distinguish the web-based version from the desktop version by name. How about it?

Relevant Links

• Trillian Astra website - where you can sign-up to be a tester
• Video of Trillian Astra for the web from the Cerulean Studios blog
• Trillian Forum at BigBlueBall
• Meebo - the competition