Epistula Instant Messenger

23 February, 2006
Epistula is to AmigaOS what GAIM is to Linux and Windows. For people not in the know, GAIM is an instant messenger application which can handle a variety of IM protocols, for example Microsoft MSN, AOL AIM and Yahoo Messenger.

I know JabberWocky can provide a similar service, but that requires extra setting up with Jabber ID's etc. This way, you can log straight onto your favourite protocol, by-passing any need for yet another IM account. One of the main reasons I started to write this client was because I couldn't be bothered with Jabber... I can't be the only one... can I?

Unlike GAIM, Epistula is written in a modular fashion in that each "protocol" is a plugin which can be installed, and updated, seperately from the main application and other plugins.

Epistula is initially only in development for AmigaOS 4, but hopefully in not-to-distant future, will also be made available for MorphOS, AmigaOS 3.1 and AROS.

People looking for individual 68k instant messengers available now wouldn't be going far wrong looking at JabberWocky, AmiMSN and AmigAIM.

After a period of internal testing by several members of the AmigaOS 4 beta testing team, and a developers pre-release shortly after, it seems that a lot of the bugs are now finally squashed within Epistula itself, leaving only the MSN plugin to be fully debugged once codesets.library is finally released this week.

Work is on-going and I'm busy implementing the last couple of functions in the plugins for adding, moving and removing contacts from the contact list. A new 'general messages' window is now almost complete and work has begun on the preliminary file transfer interface.

Thanks again to the people who have registered Epistula, your support is appreciated. Incidentally, you've indirectly helped me buy a new tyre for my MG TF-160, stopping me going further into debt before pay day! :-)

The following should be available by 11pm tonight (23.02.2006):