MobileChat IM Client Now Available In App Store

[Michael Johnston]

<div id="inlinead" class="inlinead"><IFRAME src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewHTML?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000" width="300" height="250" align="middle" frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no><script language="JavaScript" src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewJScript?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000"></script></IFRAME></div><div class="nodecontent"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july08/mobilechat.jpg" align="right" />

MobileChat, a chat application created by <a href="http://www.twenty08.com/" target="_blank">Twenty08</a>, has been released and is now available for $2.99 in the App Store. The app represents one of the most highly anticipated chat applications for the iPhone because of its long list of features and loyal fan base. Besides AIM support, MobileChat supports multiple instances of ICQ, .Mac/MobileMe, Windows Live/MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, and Jabber accounts.<!--break-->

MobileChat features a unique server-side connection system which keeps your IM sessions active regardless of your iPhone's connection status. If you need to take a call or check email in the middle of a chat session, your status will remain available and messages will continue to come in. This is also great for users will poor cellular coverage.

Another unique feature of MobileChat is its ability to "push" IM notifications via email or SMS. This feature is a temporary solution until Apple enables true push notifications later this month or in September.

<center><object width="400" height="225"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1454897&amp;server=www.vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color= &amp;fullscreen=1" /> <embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1454897&amp;server=www.vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color= &amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1454897?pg=embed&amp;sec=1454897">MobileChat 3.0 Application Walkthrough</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user534006?pg=embed&amp;sec=1454897">Shaun Harrison</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&amp;sec=1454897">Vimeo</a>.</center>

There are many other features in MobileChat, and there are even more to come. You can check out MobileChat <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=287479962&mt=8" target="_blank">in the App Store</a> and read more about it on <a href="http://tumblr.twenty08.com/" target="_blank">the Twenty08 blog</a>.</div>

[mdmrlm]

Looks like they are having trouble with the success they are having already. As soon as you start the app you get the following message.

"Thank you for purchasing MobileChat. Being that we are an indie mac development house, we are very small and (naturally) we're having trouble keeping up with the demand during our initial AppStore debut. As a result, we ask that you remain patient and bare with us for the next 48-72 hours while we get things workig smoothly. We are committed to providing our customers with a quality product. For more information, follow us at http://tumbir.twenty08.com"

Sounds like problems right now. Obviously those that have purchased are pretty upset.

[mdmrlm]

From http://tumblr.twenty08.com:

UPDATE: We will be provisioning new servers throughout the night to improve stability. We took the precautionary measure of ordering a few servers over the past few weeks while we awaited our launch, so we won’t have to wait for our datacenter to provision new servers. Please be advised that as we provision new servers, you will be disconnected and reconnected sporadically. Again, we ask that our users bare with us and the service as we continue to handle the load.

--Mark

[imagine engine]

What are the differences between MobileChat and Palringo?

[Edward Kirk]

What are the differences between MobileChat and Palringo?

For one, Plaringo requires you to sign up for a Palringo IM account, whereas MobileChat does not.

[Peter000]

Is this chat app worth it if I pretty much only use AIM/iChat?

[champ22]

it has landscape typing that all you need to know dog ....sigh landscape typing

[yamir49]

Should be FREE , It dont work!!!!!

[madscientest]

This is lame that apple does not include this in the default apps, now we have to pay for this if we want it. what a scam, even the 20 dollar phones come with a chat client for FREE.

i think this app store is an excuse for apple to not produce apps but let other people make them and charge for them. i dont support that or the damm developers. i hope they all die from starvation.

[Pepper]

What are the differences between MobileChat and Palringo?


I have been following, and waiting for the release of mobilechat 3 for some time now. I have used palringo, which i believe sucks and should be free and no one should download it and waste their time.

The only problem with mobilechat right now is that so many people are trying to use it at once, and the Twenty08 team, which mind you is only 2 people, are trying to set up more servers to handle the load. I am sure they will have all this worked out by the end of today.

Besides just it offering landscape and vertical viewing modes, the navigation is 10x better than palringo. It uses a Adium like interface, which is very appealing in my eyes. The push doesn't work with MSN and a few other clients, but its still nice that they are offering something that apple hasn't even put out yet, and for $2.99, its pretty cheap for such a great little app.

It also stays active in the background when you close it since they have you tied in through their servers. You can choose to have your messages pushed via email, or sms, which is very handy solution until Apple gets something going.

I highly reccomend that you purchase this, even if they are having a few server sides problems right now. You will not be disappointed.

[GriHingo]

This is lame that apple does not include this in the default apps, now we have to pay for this if we want it. what a scam, even the 20 dollar phones come with a chat client for FREE.

i think this app store is an excuse for apple to not produce apps but let other people make them and charge for them. i dont support that or the damm developers. i hope they all die from starvation.

If you were a developer and didn't get paid for your work, YOU would die of starvation.

And btw... go and get yourself the $20 mobil...

[madscientest]

If you were a developer and didn't get paid for your work, YOU would die of starvation.

And btw... go and get yourself the $20 mobil...

for one im not GREEDY enough to be a damm developer, second the 20 mobile phone will do more out of the box and not nickel and dime you to death like the iphone does. you pay so much for the device but when you get it otb it does crap, so then you have to pay for sh1t like IM. by the time you get a useful phone it cost you 3 times more than the device cost.

developers SUCK!!!!!!!!! im going to say this every post.
if your a developer F U!!! i have no respect for you greedy a$$ho1es.

[GriHingo]

for one im not GREEDY enough to be a damm developer, second the 20 mobile phone will do more out of the box and not nickel and dime you to death like the iphone does. you pay so much for the device but when you get it otb it does crap, so then you have to pay for sh1t like IM. by the time you get a useful phone it cost you 3 times more than the device cost.

developers SUCK!!!!!!!!! im going to say this every post.
if your a developer F U!!! i have no respect for you greedy a$$ho1es.

Awww... ain't you a cutie!
Ever thought about what kind of people it is that creates everything on computers?

So, then we could agree then?
You get the $20 mobile (that actually has programs on it that's created by... DEVELOPERS. Ooooo).
And after that you just play around with that and leave the whole computer sphere alone. Right? No more stupid messages and stuff, and not a trace of the "moronscientest" anywhere on the internet.
Well, I would be OK with that.

I wish you the best of luck

[Pepper]

developers SUCK!!!!!!!!! im going to say this every post.
if your a developer F U!!! i have no respect for you greedy a$$ho1es.

That is pathetic that you would even post this. We don't need to turn this into a flamewar against developers. Its great that they are only charging $2.99 for this app, and its not the developers fault that Apple did not put this in themselves.

Now, what job do you have? Would you like to go into that job and do it for free everyday and not get paid for it? Thats pretty much what your asking developers to do.

Also, look at the other services Twenty08 offers. I am a big fan of Quickshareit, which is a free program (OoO...they must be pretty greedy). They also offered MobileChat 1 and 2 for free with a Jailbroken phone. I think they more than deserve their $2.99 for this app.

[Unregistered]

@MadScientist what the hell are you on it is insane for them not to charge to set up as a dev you have to pay a $99 fee to start off with then in this case they are starting up servers to take the chat's to make it convenient for the end user so that the chat will remain open unlike paralingo where it shuts the conversation when the app is closed. so why should they not charge for it this is how they make there living the last thing that we need is for great developers to be living on the street losing all the great apps that are being made

Also every phone i have ever brought all 399NZD+ have never had IM built in

[warlock]

Wow...I'm gonna have to disagree with you 100%... Granted, a chat client included in the 2.x software would be nice, but I don't think it calls for people dying... :P
"i hope they all die from starvation" i think is a little extreme...

This is lame that apple does not include this in the default apps, now we have to pay for this if we want it. what a scam, even the 20 dollar phones come with a chat client for FREE.

i think this app store is an excuse for apple to not produce apps but let other people make them and charge for them. i dont support that or the damm developers. i hope they all die from starvation.

[Unregistered]

Is it working yet? mine wont when i try to log in it says u r tryin to login to many times try in 10 min