“iChat is one of the most obvious receipients of Apple’s new interface design rules. This, more than most any program in Leopard, reaps the rewards: the lack of borders and the relatively utilitarian look mean more room for text, both in the buddy list and in any of the conversation windows,” Jon Fingas reports for MacNN.
“Until now, iChat has always been the IM client experienced Mac users ran only out of necessity, such as having to conduct an AV chat or requiring a reliable file transfer method. Although Skype and Yahoo have caught up in some respects, iChat is still what most turn to when connection quality is more important than the luxuries of more robust clients,” Fingas reports.
“iChat 4.0 does not entirely meet every need, especially for those who depend on Windows Live or Yahoo. Regardless, the improvements in day-to-day usefulness are hard to ignore when iChat is used regularly. iChat alone may not justify Leopard’s $129 price-tag, but it could be enough to tip the balance in favor of a purchase for some fence-sitters. The additions may even provoke at least a few companies that turn to iChat for business purposes,” Fingas reports.
Full review here.