One of the common complaints about the Apple iPhone – beyond the inability to cut and paste – has been that such a powerful communications platform is sorely lacking in one particular respect: instant messaging.
But Apple’s shortcoming in terms of a universal IM client is the iPhone development community’s gain. And any number of folks are rushing to fill that void. One recently released mobile IM client appears to have a fighting chance: Nimbuzz.
But what makes Nimbuzz so compelling aside from the fact that it’s free? For one thing, it’s intuitive. Unlike other IM clients whose workflows are cryptic or difficult, getting Nimbuzz up and running on the iPhone was straightforward. For another thing, the application is fast and responsive. Within a couple of minutes of setup, I was IMing with my contacts and the messages were instantaneous. At times, it seemed even more responsive than my desktop IM client.
But the thing that sold me on Nimbuzz didn’t have anything to do with the IM functionality. It had to do with being able to change the perspective on the client by shifting to landscape mode. Having the ability to use the wider keyboard made sending messages even easier. And typos were far fewer than on the traditional upright screen (which I’m sure the folks to whom I’m sending messages greatly appreciate).
Nimbuzz for the iPhone currently supports Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger (MSN), Google Talk, Facebook, MySpace, Gadu-Gadu, studiVZ, and Hyves. The mobile app is also available for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and a number of other popular handsets.
For more information, visit Nimbuzz or download the free Nimbuzz app from the App Store.
