Alongside today's OS X Mountain Lion news, Apple released a public beta version of its new Messages app for OS X for existing users. Set to replace iChat in OS X Mountain Lion, the new Messages app integrates features of iChat and FaceTime and adds compatibility with the iMessages service introduced for iOS last year.
Download Messages Beta and get a taste of what’s coming in OS X Mountain Lion. When you install Messages, it replaces iChat. But iChat services will continue to work. And Messages brings iMessage to the Mac — just like on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 5. Here are the features you can expect with Messages:
- Send unlimited iMessages to any Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Start an iMessage conversation on your Mac and continue it on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
- Send photos, videos, attachments, contacts, locations, and more.
- Launch a FaceTime video call and bring the conversation face-to-face.
- Messages supports iMessage, AIM, Yahoo!, Google Talk, and Jabber accounts.
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Update: Apple's servers appear to be overwhelmed at the moment, with the download button for the Messages beta showing an error message. The app is, however, still available via direct download (63.8 MB).
Update 2: The Messages download button is now operating properly.
Top Rated Comments
When a friend iMessages me, the iMessage my phone number, NOT my Apple ID.
With Messages for Mac, you don't have a choice but to send from your Apple ID, creating two separate conversations or threads in Messages on iOS.
If you're iMessaging somebody on a Mac from your iPhone, and you lose your 3G or WiFi data connection (every so often you'll see that message that says "Sent as text message") you're screwed. Without a data connection, you can't reply to somebody using Messages for Mac, because it goes through the iMessage protocol.
Apple should find a way to integrate your phone number in iMessage for Mac (and iPad and iPod touch provided the user has an iPhone) so there are no double-conversations in the iOS version of Messages.
Direct link:
http://appldnld.apple.com/MessagesBeta/041-4274.20120216.z5km/MessagesBeta.dmg
What did you expect?
The Mac version needs to have a status you can select that enabled only the Computer to bleep and notify, while the others receive in the background.
Would be great to save lots of battery life on my iPhone through the day while I'm at home, but that won't happen if it's lighting up and bleeping every time.