This past weekend I downloaded the alpha version of Trillian for Mac OSX 10.5 or higher. I sometimes feel the need to test out and use new IM programs. Some how I find myself always going back to iChat mainly because it is simple and offers the basic functionality I’m looking for. However, the newest Trillian is slowly taken iChats place on my monitor. Trillian for Mac offers more functionality without an impact on user’s experience. Features like Growl support, Facebook chat, and the ability to easily manage multiple IM clients at once is nicely presented through a clean and intuitive user interface. Additionally, Trillian for the desktop works seamlessly with their iPhone app.

While the application is still in it’s early stages, I am looking forward to seeing how it develops. I hope that they can keep the application UI simple while making further developments in areas like Video/Voice chat. One feature that I enjoy most, is the ability to connect and disconnect from individual IM clients in less than 2-clicks. Additionally, the ability to set one status for all your IM accounts is invaluable.