1. missing_K-W's Avatar
    I've been wanting to download this app, however a lot of the reviews aren't very good as they suggest very limited functioning. Is this true? Is this a result of Shape Services neglect on their part? Or more to do with lousy development tools at the time of development? Available Api's at the time of development may have something to do with this. I'm kind of disappointed.....However I'll reserve judgment until IM+ 2.0 drops.

    How has everyone's experience been with those that currently use the App?

    In all respect IM+ was developed earlier last year for PB with RIM providing limited tools.
    02-04-12 09:12 PM
  2. rmah's Avatar
    I'm also interested to see what users have to say. The reviews and the fact that their forums (for the playbook version) seem pretty dead were enough to scare me away.
    02-04-12 09:31 PM
  3. Spinal's Avatar
    i used it for MSN/AIM - i can hold a conversation so i don't see any problem with it.
    02-04-12 09:52 PM
  4. diegonei's Avatar
    No reviews? That's what happens when you overcharge your product...
    02-04-12 09:58 PM
  5. kennyliu's Avatar
    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...eviews-666006/

    See post #6 for a review.

    The major problem seems to be the inability of IM+ to run a service when the window is closed. It's RIM's fault, not Shape's. See the discussion here:

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ground-685686/

    I have IM+ installed. If you have any specific question, let me know.
    02-04-12 10:51 PM
  6. missing_K-W's Avatar
    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...eviews-666006/

    See post #6 for a review.

    The major problem seems to be the inability of IM+ to run a service when the window is closed. It's RIM's fault, not Shape's. See the discussion here:

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ground-685686/

    I have IM+ installed. If you have any specific question, let me know.
    Notifications should be functioning come 2.0....Native PIM appears to have this enabled. Hopefully IM+ 2.0 incorporates this as well come 2.0....
    02-04-12 11:15 PM
  7. kennyliu's Avatar
    Notifications should be functioning come 2.0....Native PIM appears to have this enabled. Hopefully IM+ 2.0 incorporates this as well come 2.0....
    Notifications APIs are already available. It's the inability of an app to run a service in the background (when closed/minimized). Native apps can run services in the background, but currently no third-party app can.

    OS 2.0 doesn't have anything to do with this issue. So don't hold your breath.

    At least, this is what I inferred from various threads on this topic.
    peter9477 likes this.
    02-04-12 11:36 PM
  8. missing_K-W's Avatar
    Notifications APIs are already available. It's the inability of an app to run a service in the background (when closed/minimized). Native apps can run services in the background, but currently no third-party app can.

    OS 2.0 doesn't have anything to do with this issue. So don't hold your breath.

    At least, this is what I inferred from various threads on this topic.
    What has to be done inorder for this to occur?....I'm sure it's something simple
    02-04-12 11:44 PM
  9. kennyliu's Avatar
    What has to be done inorder for this to occur?....I'm sure it's something simple
    Developers should be able to answer your question (I am not a dev), but for now, take a look at posts #13 and #62 here:

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ground-685686/

    It looks like RIM may be working on this (and has been working since launch). But, as some suggested, it is also possible that we will never see background services.
    missing_K-W likes this.
    02-05-12 12:09 AM
  10. kennyliu's Avatar
    OK, here is my review of IM+ on the Playbook. It will be based on the comparison of the Android version of IM+ Pro (also $9.99) that I have been using for quite some time and wouldn't hesitate recommending to anyone. So I am not going to trash IM+ as some reviewers in the App World just because it doesn't have video or voice calling. There is no video/voice calling in IM+ on any other platform.

    So what are the major cons of the Playbook version compared to the Android version?

    1) Glitchy. Here is a tip for those who were unable to make either of the services (Skype, Yahoo, GTalk, etc) work. You may want to delete the account that wouldn't connect and add it again. It may take a few trials to get it to work. In my case, I added my Skype account, but my Skype contacts wouldn't load although the status would show that Skype was connected. It looks like the PLaybook vesrion hasn't been updated since may whereas the Android version has received many updates in the meantime.

    Also, after relaunching, IM+ wouldn't completely go online (i.e. no online contacts are displayed though you know that some of your friends are currently online). The Accounts will still show that all services are online.

    It also gets stuck at "Processing..." a lot.

    2) Lack of functionality. There is no way to manage contacts. You can't regroup them, you can't block them, you can't remove them. You can't even hide offline contacts. All these can be done in the Android version.

    Shape, where is the Chats tab by the way?

    3) No notifications and it does not run in the background. This is a huge flaw. IM+ will only run (e.g. receive messages) if it is currently open. As soon as you close the window, it goes offline. Again, there is no integration with the OS to give you any sort of notifications when IM+ is not open.

    I really don't know if it's a problem with QNX for which an application has to be open to be active but the fact that IM+ does not run in the background renders it useless. What's the point of paying $10 when you can use an online service such as imo.im, meebo.com, trillian.im, etc?

    IMO, no notifications and background operation means no reason for the PIM application.

    Will I recommend IM+ to Playbook users? Not until it reaches the level of the Android version. I hope they will roll out updates that will fix the above issues (I hope Shape will read this and other reviews). But at its current state, it's useless. At least for me. Will wait for the native PIM or for Shape to fix the problems.

    NB: I am using the beta OS 2.0 and really don't know if IM+ behaves any differently in 1.0X.
    By the way, # 1 must have been resolved with the recent IM+ update. I have not experienced any problems/bugs connecting services and using IM+.

    As for #2, you can hide offline contacts, delete (but they reappear), and block them. Regrouping seems to still be lacking. The Chats tab is the Inbox tab in the Playbook version.

    #3 No background services (no notifications when closed) per our discussion above. This is the major problem, which is not the developer's fault.


    Edit: Please, do ignore the numerous reviews by people complaining there is no video/audio chat. IM+ is a messaging app and does not do video and audio on either Android or iOS. Thus, only #3 is a valid problem.
    Last edited by kennyliu; 02-05-12 at 02:06 PM.
    02-05-12 01:02 AM
  11. missing_K-W's Avatar
    Developers should be able to answer your question (I am not a dev), but for now, take a look at posts #13 and #62 here:

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ground-685686/

    It looks like RIM may be working on this (and has been working since launch). But, as some suggested, it is also possible that we will never see background services.
    I'm curious to know as to how native PIM apps will give notifications while the app is closed...I guess we'll have to wait and see....RIM is really pushing the frontier on innovation with integrated PIM....Quite possibly native PIM and it's social aspect and cross roads experience is a missing link to how background services function. Or at least a link to the bigger picture By this I imply utilizing the unified /universal inbox.....Have to wait and see.....While an application is closed, and a notification is made we do need to have an interface to touch inorder to reactivate the sleeping app....All IMHO
    Last edited by missing_K-W; 02-05-12 at 07:13 AM.
    02-05-12 07:02 AM
  12. Gerii's Avatar
    A major problem I have with IM+ is that it doesn't support Skype group chats and instead shows the messages of those chats as if they were directed to me.
    02-05-12 08:50 AM
  13. missing_K-W's Avatar
    A major problem I have with IM+ is that it doesn't support Skype group chats and instead shows the messages of those chats as if they were directed to me.
    I did start the thread with questioning why so many basic IM features are missing. Here's to hoping Shape Services kicks it up a notch....These are the same people who were charging 40$ for IM+pro for BlackBerry smartphones in Appworld for the longest time, so it's pretty much up in the air
    02-05-12 09:14 AM
  14. kennyliu's Avatar
    I'm curious to know as to how native PIM apps will give notifications while the app is closed...I guess we'll have to wait and see....RIM is really pushing the frontier on innovation with integrated PIM....Quite possibly native PIM and it's social aspect and cross roads experience is a missing link to how background services function. Or at least a link to the bigger picture By this I imply utilizing the unified /universal inbox.....Have to wait and see.....While an application is closed, and a notification is made we do need to have an interface to touch inorder to reactivate the sleeping app....All IMHO
    You can see how notifications in the native PIM apps work from the CES demo videos. No innovation there. Background services and notifications have been around on Android and iOS as wellas the Playbook (e.g. App World or Bridge notifications).

    Again, OS 2.0 with its native PIN and social network integration, doesn't have anything to do with the inability of third-party (non-native) apps to "spawn" a background service. So don't keep your hopes up. OS 2.0 is not the solution to this problem.
    peter9477 likes this.
    02-05-12 01:25 PM
  15. rjedge54's Avatar
    Of all the apps I have, I'd have say this is the only one I am disappointed with feel was a waste of money, not only did I expect more for the price (the user I/F) seems to be pretty crude and basic. Worse than that though I have a continual problem with it being unable to connect with my Hotmail account and a few funky things happened when trying to set up my accounts in the first place. I added my Gtalk account first, then Skye and when I went to add my Hotmail account the account list refreshed with my Google username appearring in the skype username field. I finished the hotmail setup and then went to edit the Skype problem and my Hotmail account disappeared and I had to re-enter it.

    Once properly configured and setup however, it works very well. I haven't had a chance to test everything yet, but I still feel it is overpriced, 1.99 okay but not 7.99. If it have other capabilities such as file send or camera/video options that would be different but is is really a very basic chat app.
    jonno_atamaniuk likes this.
    02-05-12 02:14 PM
  16. peter9477's Avatar
    kennyliu's got it right. Notifications (although the term is sometimes misapplied to refer specifically to notifications sent from background services) are not the same thing as background services. We have notifications now, but it requires something to be running to send the notification.

    Third-party apps have no way to continue running anything when they exit. Or they can't run without the window showing. Or they can't spawn background services. However you want to describe it, the capability is not yet exposed to third-party developers.

    That doesn't mean RIM is limited in the same way. Obviously there's an alarm service available, running in the background. Also the video chat incoming-call stuff. With 2.0 we'll have email and some other things happening in the background as well. None of that helps us devs do the same thing, until RIM finishes defining and implementing the mechanism and is willing to expose it to us.
    kennyliu and missing_K-W like this.
    02-05-12 02:31 PM
  17. missing_K-W's Avatar
    @peter9477 Must be an issue of priority
    02-05-12 03:28 PM
  18. diegonei's Avatar
    @peter9477 Must be an issue of priority
    Maybe a matter of security? Or do you wanna risk apps opening ports for access or even worse, turning your playbook into a DDOS-zombie?
    02-05-12 04:27 PM
  19. missing_K-W's Avatar
    Maybe a matter of security? Or do you wanna risk apps opening ports for access or even worse, turning your playbook into a DDOS-zombie?
    Thanks for that reminder....Everything RIM engineers has security at the root of the matter...Hence why certain projects often run behind schedule...I am aware of this, however at times even tend to forget the security focus
    02-05-12 04:46 PM
  20. kennyliu's Avatar
    Maybe a matter of security? Or do you wanna risk apps opening ports for access or even worse, turning your playbook into a DDOS-zombie?
    Does this argument still hold for BB phones? Can services run in the background on OS7/6/5 phones? If so, I don't think security is the issue.
    02-05-12 06:43 PM
  21. jonno_atamaniuk's Avatar
    Does this argument still hold for BB phones? Can services run in the background on OS7/6/5 phones? If so, I don't think security is the issue.
    I think it's a different matter for the phone OS vs. the Tablet OS more in how they handle apps. Some applications, such as BeeJive or Rdio, technically still run in the background so long as you don't quit the application. They don't quit until you tell the app to exit. This seems to be a little different within the tablet, though. With the exception of Bridge apps such as BBM and e-mail, swiping up on an app to remove it from the active tray effectively quits the application, causing it to close up entirely. This is the same for games and everything.

    As an occasional user of IM+, I gotta say... this is not at all even close to a comfortable instant messaging experience, and it's rather unfortunate that it's the only instant messaging app available for the Playbook. I've gotten to the point where I'd almost rather just message through my phone in most cases because I lack so much in the way of notifications. If someone messages me, I can't tell at all unless my volume is up (not convenient in transit since I don't always have my headphones plugged into my tablet). Even a little glow in the corner would be helpful. I have also discovered that when it adds contacts, it goes through the entire e-mail list of your instant messaging system choice. For example, a whole bunch of my supposed Yahoo contacts are literally just people I e-mail with who don't even use Yahoo! IM+ merely assumed they were some of my contacts for IM use.

    Long story short... the app needs improvement. If you really want instant messaging on the Playbook... well you've got no choice, really. I'd say if possible, hold out until after the new OS drops to check and see if any new options arrive.
    02-05-12 07:26 PM
  22. kennyliu's Avatar
    I think it's a different matter for the phone OS vs. the Tablet OS more in how they handle apps. Some applications, such as BeeJive or Rdio, technically still run in the background so long as you don't quit the application. They don't quit until you tell the app to exit. This seems to be a little different within the tablet, though. With the exception of Bridge apps such as BBM and e-mail, swiping up on an app to remove it from the active tray effectively quits the application, causing it to close up entirely. This is the same for games and everything.

    As an occasional user of IM+, I gotta say... this is not at all even close to a comfortable instant messaging experience, and it's rather unfortunate that it's the only instant messaging app available for the Playbook. I've gotten to the point where I'd almost rather just message through my phone in most cases because I lack so much in the way of notifications. If someone messages me, I can't tell at all unless my volume is up (not convenient in transit since I don't always have my headphones plugged into my tablet). Even a little glow in the corner would be helpful. I have also discovered that when it adds contacts, it goes through the entire e-mail list of your instant messaging system choice. For example, a whole bunch of my supposed Yahoo contacts are literally just people I e-mail with who don't even use Yahoo! IM+ merely assumed they were some of my contacts for IM use.

    Long story short... the app needs improvement. If you really want instant messaging on the Playbook... well you've got no choice, really. I'd say if possible, hold out until after the new OS drops to check and see if any new options arrive.
    Unfortunately, IM apps that will be released after OS 2.0 (if any) will still suffer from the same problem - you close the app and it's gone. Whereas some of us would want to have it running a service in the background (i.e. no active GUI window and minimal resource requirements) so that we can always stay online and respond to messages as they arrive. It is currently out of the developer's control to fix this problem.

    The rest of the (minor) problems can easily be addressed by the developer, and I am also hoping they will eventually get resolved.
    02-05-12 09:46 PM
  23. JayEtched's Avatar
    I would love to see them implement Skype Group chat for the IM. When a group conversation is started with me, an individual conversation for each person in the conversation is started which is.. a bit awkward to manage.
    kennyliu likes this.
    02-05-12 10:41 PM
  24. TLS2000's Avatar
    For what I paid for this app I'm extremely disappointed. If it lived up to my expectations I would have purchased it for my Torch as well.

    Overall, Trillian is better on the phone, and the Android version of Trillian works quite well on the PlayBook. It also runs in the background, including notifications.
    02-23-12 05:13 AM
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