Some of you know that one of the recent additions into my roll-your-own software suites for better productivity is Digsby. Their interface was killer, but it was also killer on system resources. Much like any young software application it needed additional feedback from users so they can improve it.
I admit I haven’t tried out the new version of Digsby yet, I’m working on tri-booting my system between Windows XP, Windows Vista and Ubuntu Linux. That said, I will try it out and provide a more in-depth review in the future.
The Digsby Blog posted a blog entry informing users that Build 32 is available for download. In an effort to not recreate the wheel, here are the talking points on the entry:
- RAM Usage: We optimized from the ground up and fixed memory leaks to lower RAM usage by almost 75%. This has been the number one complaint since our launch and we are proud to introduce this massive improvement.
- Performance: User interface elements draw twice as fast for better performance. We have made changes to the architecture that will improve GUI responsiveness and CPU utilization across the board.
- Connectivity: Every IM protocol automatically tries multiple connection methods and ports to improve the odds of getting through restrictive firewalls and proxy servers.
- LinkedIn: Digsby now supports LinkedIn in addition to the other social networks. Functionality includes a full newsfeed, alerts when new messages arrive, and the ability to set status right from Digsby.
- Bug Fixes: We have fixed hundreds of bugs, making Digsby more stable than ever. There have been almost 3,000 revisions in our codebase since the last release so there are too many fixes to list in our changelog.
You’re probably wondering why am I writing about Digsby before I even got my hands on it? Well, to be honest, they are responsive to their users and I endow trust in them that they’ll “get it right” this time around. Besides, it’s always a good idea to upgrade to current production software if you’re on an older version. (From my experience, it requires Administrative privileges to do, so go ahead and get those IT support tickets ready.)
Preceding Digsby, my alternative Instant Messaging client was Pidgin, as it’s open source and supports many third-party, useful, plugins which enhance or secure the experience. It works for the big four IM networks in addition to the open source XMPP protocol, too. I recommend everyone tries Pidgin first to better familiarize themelves with how a simple IM client operates. Afterwards, go ahead and use Digsby so you can better manage all the bells and whistles.
