I like the chat synchronization.

Short version:

- Trillian synchronizes across multiple devices.
- Trillian needs to store login information in order to synchronize said devices.
- Trillian is a tiered product, with a yearly fee ($12) for certain Pro features.
- Trillian Mac isnt as developed as the Windows client: also lacks IRC.
- Trillian works on multiple platforms (Windows, Macs, phones, browser).

Long version:

Trillian lets me move to any device; it lets me continue the same conversation no matter where am. It even shows me the most recent chat history Ive had anywhere for a given contact.

I prefer the Adium UI. Its more elegant, the contact list is easier to read, there are far more options for customizability (please give us a simple view, Trillian! I hate bubbles!)… but I also have multiple devices thatre constantly on, and connected to the internet. For this, Trillian offers a level of convenience I simply cannot get with Adium. With Adium (and presumably, most other clients), Id need to log the client off on all of the kit Im not currently using, otherwise facing hassles such as "oh, you sent me a message? I guess it went to one of my other devices" and "You are signed on in multiple locations. Please click this link to log off…".

If you dont use multiple devices and have them activated constantly, then perhaps Trillian isnt for you.

Trillian does store your passwords on their servers. Im fairly certain they need to in order to synchronize your IM clients. Think about it: logging into certain services will normally disconnect you from other devices. I suspect Trillians servers act as the main client, which then pass messages back up to you.

If you dont like the idea of Trillian storing your passwords, then perhaps Trillian isnt for you. If you dont like the idea of messages passing through Trillians servers, then perhaps Trillian isnt for you. That said, I dont reuse my Trillian/IM passwords for anything important, and I really dont see the feasibility of Trillian spying on me, or any of their other millions of users. This is especially given that theyve been around for a decade, and such a fiasco would likely mean heavy legal penalties (and besides, whats to stop someone at Microsoft or AOL from doing the same, if thats a concern?).

>>>> I also want to mention that the synchronization in addition to the all-in-one nature of Trillian requires that you keep your Trillian login safe… moving along...

The third point I want to bring up is cost. Trillian is a tiered product; a few features are only available to Pro users, for which you need to pay $12 per year. Its inexpensive, but it is ongoing, and it certainly isnt free.

The extras seem to be:

- Online chatlog backup.
- Better support (Ive never needed support, so I cannot comment).
- Removal of ads. This is probably the big one.

I cant really comment on the ads. Ive held a pro account for a couple of years now, and dont know what the free client looks like.

The Trillian for Mac client also isnt as developed as the Windows client. This is almost tangential as the Windows client should contain all (and more) functionality, and so the focus falls on the Mac version. HOWEVER it does lack an IRC client, which the Windows version has. For a client designed to synchronize multiple devices, this is a shortcoming.

If you can accept Trillian despite all these concerns, then I feel that Trillian is one of the better multi-platform clients around: I feel Adium is nicer in a single-machine, Mac-only environment, but Trillian works in Windows, Mac, on phones, and through a web browser. Thats worth something to me.

Wtcher about Trillian, v1.2.2