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A.I.M. Frame 2.5
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Ken
Sturm, aka
I checked out the latest version of a shareware AIM add-on, A.I.M. Frame, created by BPS Software. A.I.M. Frame has many features that enhance the IM experience for AIM users.
Appearance
When I first launched AIM with A.I.M. Frame, I noticed the Buddy
List structure is practically the same, except for the removal of
the ads that normally appear above the list.
As for the IM windows, at first glance I was a little worried with the setup. There is a whole new and different structure for instant messaging using the A.I.M. Frame, with all conversations in a single, tabbed window.
As you can see, A.I.M Frame has a larger IM window in efforts to make AIM into a single window program. On the right-hand side there is a window that also serves several purposes. Send History shows you a list of the most recent conversations that you have been in. Next there is the Now Online section that shows all users in your buddy list that are currently online. Lastly there is a Quote at the bottom, that is merely for the entertainment of the user.
When you're in a conversation with someone the A.I.M. Frame IM window changes a bit:
You can see that the format stays almost the same, except for a few things on the right side. Here you have the option to display a picture from file, or use one of theirs (which I did to show example). If you had a photo of the person you could display it there. The next thing below it is your logger, and notes window. The logger shows past logs that have been had between you and the person that you are contacting. The notes part has two functions. You can click the “Get Profile” link, and have the person’s info show up in that box, or you can write your own personal notes about that person. The only problem with the info integrated in the IM window is that it shows up in text, so any HTML that is in the Profile shows up in text. That is about the extent of format changes.
Key Features
A.I.M. Frame has incorporated many features to help AIM
users get the most out of their IM experience. Here is just some of features that have been added to the program.
- Single, Tabbed IM Window
- Auto-Logging and Log Manager
- Profile, Notes and Picture
- Nickname Manager
- Auto Spell Check
- Floating Messages
- Encrypted Messages
Single Tabbed IM Window
As seen above, BPS has tries to lower the level of IM clutter by
making all the messages into one window. To navigate through the
separate messages you click on the tab that shows their screen name.
Having all messages in one places really helps keep your toolbar a
little less cluttered.
Auto-Logging and Log Manager
The logging feature in is one of the better that I have seen with AIM add-ons. The top right hand corner is where the list of all the people you have talked to will be. All you do is select one, and the bottom window of that same side will show a list of dates and times that will contain the log. Click on the log that you want and it will show up in the large window on the right hand side. It seems to me that it is very functional and very useful.
Profile, Note, and Picture
For the most part I discussed this already in the look of the
program. Basically what it is an added bonus to the user to write a
few extra notes about the person they are talking to, or add their
picture to the IM window. As for the profile part, as I mentioned
earlier it does what it says, but if the user has any HTML in their
profile, you will see all the HTML tags in the window, which might
make it hard for some users to understand.
Nickname Manager
I found this to be a very interesting and helpful addition to the
program. What it lets you do is assign a nick name to a user to make
it easier for you to know who they are. For example, say you have a
friend and their IM name is “XRGA5262” you can assign the nickname
“Bob” to that person. When you message him, the tab will now say
“XRGA5262 – Bob” So you will never get confused to who you are
talking to.
Auto-Spell Checker
BPS has added an auto spell checker into their program. I personally
found this a little annoying. It all depends on if you want to take
the time to make sure everything you are saying is correctly
spelled. None the less it is a very useful program, and could
possibly help someone if they were stuck for a word. They do have an
option to turn the auto spell checker off, in case you didn’t want to
worry about your spelling.
Floating Messages
Floating messages is a new thing that I have also seen in this
program. What they do is if you are not currently looking directly
at the conversation it will pop up a small notification window that
tells you who has sent you a recent message, and what the message
was. Perhaps this could get a little overwhelming when talking to
multiple people, but the feature is still quite useful.
Encrypted Messaging
This feature can only be used by users who are both using the A.I.M.
Frame program. What this does is sets up a very secure conversation
session that encrypts the message and as it is received by the other
person, it decrypts so that the other user can read the message.
This could be very useful if you were very concerned about your
privacy in sending messages.
My Rating
I based my rating on a few things… Appearance, Usefulness, and
User-friendliness. I found that the program is very compact, and
helped maintain a cluttered AIM program. I also noticed that the
single window IM format was basic, without many complicated
functions. The features for the most part were very useful, and are
not complicated to learn how to use. The only big problem I have
with A.I.M. Frame is you can get pretty much the same features from
other freeware add-ons. So on a 1 to 10 scale, I am going to give
A.I.M. Frame…..
Rating: 6
Where to get A.I.M. Frame?
You can download the shareware version of A.I.M. Frame from the
BPS website.
Note that this is a shareware program, and after a 20 day trial
you must stop using the program, or buy the program for a one-time
fee of $19.95.
Also to let you know the shareware does involve some restrictions on how much of the program you can use. One that I noticed is you cannot have more than two conversations going on at one given time.
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