This nostalgic software review examines Trillian's evolution from a pioneering multi-protocol instant messenger into a complete social media aggregation platform, evaluating how the classic communication tool adapted to integrate Facebook, Twitter, and modern social networking alongside traditional IM protocols. Marc Angeli provides hands-on assessment of Trillian's Mac App Store debut, exploring the interface improvements, social media panel features, and cross-platform features that enabled the veteran messaging client to remain relevant during the transition from desktop IM to social media-dominated communication. The coverage captures the critical period when traditional instant messaging faced displacement by social networks and integrated communication platforms.
The software features analysis covers Trillian's continued support for major instant messaging protocols including Facebook chat, alongside its new social media connection features through dedicated Twitter and Facebook panels accessible from the status bar. The interface evaluation details contact list organization, tabbed chat features, offline messaging support, and history management that maintained familiar IM features while adding social media monitoring features. The social media connection assessment examines the Twitter panel's timeline viewing, reply management, and direct message handling compared to dedicated Twitter clients, while noting the Facebook panel's news feed access and friend request management despite limited group features.
The platform comparison evaluation encompasses Trillian's cross-platform availability across Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry devices during the period when unified communication solutions competed against platform-specific applications. The pricing strategy analysis covers the free Mac version compared to the $4.99 iPhone app, reflecting different monetization approaches for desktop versus mobile instant messaging applications. The features limitations assessment details the Twitter panel's lack of automatic notifications, Facebook group connection issues, and browser redirection needs for complex social media interactions that highlighted the challenges of creating complete third-party social media clients.
This Trillian review represents the critical communication software evolution period when traditional instant messaging clients adapted to incorporate social media features while maintaining their core multi-protocol connection advantages. Looking back 13+ years later, Trillian's approach to unified communication proved prescient as messaging platforms consolidated, social media connection became standard, and cross-platform synchronization became essential for modern communication workflows. The multi-protocol IM connection legacy influenced modern messaging platforms like Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams that provide unified interfaces for diverse communication channels, validation of Trillian's original vision for integrated messaging experiences. The social media aggregation attempt documented reflected early recognition that users wanted consolidated access to multiple social platforms, though dedicated applications and web browsers ultimately proved more effective for complex social media interactions. The cross-platform strategy highlighted the importance of device ecosystem support that became fundamental for communication tools serving users across multiple devices and operating systems. The nostalgic approach showd how established software brands could leverage user familiarity and brand recognition to compete in evolving technology markets, though technical innovation ultimately proved more important than historical brand value. The Mac App Store distribution represented early recognition of platform-specific distribution channels that became essential for software discovery and user acquisition in mobile-first technology environments. This moment captures the transitional period when desktop instant messaging evolved toward unified communication platforms that integrated traditional messaging, social media, and collaboration tools into complete communication solutions serving both personal and professional use cases.
This summary was created by Dave Rogers. The original post was written by Marc Angeli and published on March 1, 2011.
If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it here.