Instant Messaging on Pagers

Instant messaging (IM) has become a staple of deaf and hard of hearing communication via wireless pager ever since the first wireless IM client, RadeIM, appeared on Deafwireless RIM 850’s. Instead of communicating through emails, watching for the “D” and “R” symbols to appear next to your message, indicating that your email had been Delivered and Read; now it was possible for you to communicate to someone in real time! Now all of us could communicate wirelessly like everyone else, albeit using text rather than voice.

Within the deaf community nowadays, a pager is considered somewhat useful if it only gives you access to email. It’s pretty much mandatory for a pager to have an IM client to be considered a true replacement for a cell phone. (Yes, I know that today, pagers ARE cell phones, but within the deaf community, any cell phone with QWERTY keyboard is still called a pager, and that cell phone refers to using it for voice communication.) IM also enables you to make outgoing (and even receive incoming) relay calls, without needing dedicated relay software to be loaded on the pager. The majority of relay services are available through AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), but a few are starting to become available via MSN Messenger (MSN), and Yahoo! Messenger (YIM). For the purposes of this article, ICQ is considered part of AIM.

In this two-part article, I will give a overview of each major pager product line/operating system, and the IM clients currently available to them. IM client overviews are arranged in alphabetical order.

T-Mobile Sidekick 3
AIM, MSN, and YIM clients
The Sidekick is a pager designed for IM. Customizable incoming vibrations can be linked to a specific buddy, so that you can tell if its a message from relay or your significant other, without even having to look at the screen. A nice wide keyboard makes typing very easy. Fonts are fixed, unfortunately. However, the Sidekick comes with all three major IM services preloaded (AIM, MSN, and YIM), making out of the box use a breeze. The only configuration you need to do is to put in your screen name and password, and bam, you’re online. Using one of the Sidekick’s IM clients is just like using a desktop IM client. You have access to your entire Buddy List, and most services mark you as using a Sidekick, so that others can see if you are mobile or not.
(AIM, MSN, and YIM) Preinstalled on Sidekicks, unlimited usage included with your T-Mobile data plan.

RIM BlackBerry
The BlackBerry (BB) line has always been a popular pager for the deaf and hard of hearing, and one reason for this popularity is because there are a multitude of IM options available for the BB. To get most of these programs on your BB, you will need to know how to install software on your BB via sync or over-the-air (OTA).

BerryVine Messenger
Stand-alone MSN client that seems to be quite basic, but also it’s cheap.
(MSN) $12.50 one-time fee, download required.

Causerie Unified Messenger for Blackberry
Causerie is a nice multi-service IM client that comes in two versions, “Standard” and “Premier”. The Premier client allows you to log into the same service twice with two different accounts (good for work/personal, etc.). Causerie also has “bots” that get you information like news, weather, movie info, etc. inside the IM application itself. These clients have a nice interface and are quite reliable, but updates come in spurts.
(AIM, MSN, and YIM) $19.99/yr for Standard & $29.99/yr for Premier, download required

QuickIM Blackberry Edition
Stand-alone MSN client that also can be used for private corporate IM with purchase of their server software.
(MSN) $29.99 one-time fee, download required.

Ramble IM
If you are a BB user on other networks (Alltel, Cingular, Sprint, Verizon, etc.), you won’t have access to the OZ IM software, but there are plenty of other options. First is Ramble IM, a free AIM client. It works very nicely, and some even prefer it to the OZ IM client on T-Mobile BB’s because Ramble gives you access to your full buddy list. Its user interface is a bit spartan, but it gets the job done. You will need to know how to install software on your BB to get this up and running.
(AIM) free, download required

RIM BlackBerry Messenger
This IM program may confuse many new BB users, sounding and looking like a regular IM program. Unfortunately, it will not connect to AIM, MSN, or YIM. It lets you IM to other BB PIN’s. If you are familiar with PIN messaging on the BB, your BB either comes preloaded with BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), or you can easily download it for free. This application is very useful if you already use the PIN messaging function, allowing you to talk in real time.
(BB PIN) free to BB users, download may be required.

RIM Yahoo Instant Messenger
This is an official YIM client made available for free to BB users. It works very nicely, giving you an IM experience that is very slick and “Yahoo!-like”.
(YIM) free to BB users, download may be required.

Shape Services IM+
IM+ is yet another multi-service IM client, but this one differentiates itself (only if you have a Pearl/8700 series) by giving you the ability to do file transfers over IM. Lifetime updates are included in this IM client’s one-time fee.
(AIM, MSN, and YIM) $49.95 one-time fee with all future updates included, download required

Softcentral Yak On!
An multi-service IM client that also incorporates PIN messaging. Seems to be stable and has good features, including custom font sizes, vibrating alerts, and is priced reasonably at a one-time price of $19.95.
(AIM, MSN, and BB) $19.95 one time fee, download required

T-Mobile “OZ” Instant Messenger
(no web address, look in T-Zones on your BB)
If you are a BB user on the T-Mobile network with a recent BB model, you are in luck, because you can download the T-Mobile exclusive OZ Instant Messenger, which gives you access to AIM, MSN, and YIM services. This client is preloaded on some T-Mobile devices, and for others, it’s downloadable for free via T-Zones in your BB web browser. However, it’s only drawback is that it only gives you access to a limited subset of your buddy list on AIM known as “Mobile Buddies” (unsure about the other IM services). Beware, because some people say that this client uses SMS, which may mean that your T-Mobile bill will be very expensive if you do a lot of IM.
(AIM, MSN, and YIM) free to T-Mobile subscribers, download may be required.

WebMessenger Mobile IM for BlackBerry
This is a multi-service IM client available for monthly or annual subscription. Works very nicely because it is a server based program. Its user interface is quite complicated to master, but it is very stable.
(AIM, MSN, YIM) $5.95 monthly, or $34.95 annual subscription, download required

Part Two of this article will take a look at the choices available to Palm and Windows Mobile pager users.