[brownsfan019]

I've been doing a bit of hunting around recently for chat services that also have a screen share service with them and thought I'd post my findings here. Might save someone some time that is looking for the same thing. The key for me is the screen share part of the chat service. There's a big amount of IM services out there, but surprisingly not many have a screen share.

Skype w/ Mikogo Add-On
Currently this looks like the best option as Skype is free when calling another computer, includes chat and this free add-on gives you screen sharing. It looks like there is support in place and installing the add-on is quick and easy. I still have to test.

Brosix w/ Mikogo Add-On
I downloaded this one and like the look of it but not sure how to get Mikogo to work with it so there is screen sharing. Their site says that Mikogo will work with it, but there's zero instructions on how to do that.

Trillian
This one is pretty slick if you want bells and whistles. It does not have a true screen share but a screen capture instead and the screen capture is only part of the paid version.

AIM Pro
Awhile back I used AIM pro and was just planning to use this again. Problem is that it does not appear that AOL is supporting this anymore as all I could find were download links from non-AOL sites. Any link I found on an AOL branded site eventually redirected me back to the standard AIM, which does not have screen share. It's too bad b/c the AIM Pro was a nice program when I used it last and had what I needed. I did redownload from an old link and it does appear to work but I do not think there is any support for it.

That's what I've found so far when looking at IM services that also have a screen share program with it. If you know of any others, please post here.

There is other programs such as HotComm, Omnovia or WebEx that are available, but those are built for heavy duty presentations or regular screen sharing. I am just looking for a light program to do the occasional screen share.

[Kiwi]

You got me thinking again Brownsfan and because I was using googlechat I decided to try Trillian again. I found a portable version and tried it out as a non-paid user.

Gave me google, irc, and the native Astra network. Astra gives good screen snapping (select, select the area you want to snap (no doubt a chart for us), and send it) with a thumbnail showing in your message that you click for full display.

I think you could then use it "in conjunction with" Mikogo because it doesn't seem you need the two to actually be linked.


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[BlowFish]

Paltalk used to be popular, not that light essentially a free hotcom. If you don't need voice chat Ensign Chat is super light has text chat and static chart sharing. (You don't need to be an Ensign user).

Someone wrote a snagit helper that allows a single key window capture and uploading of a chart image. It also creates a link that you can paste into a chat window (might do that automatically too).

Do you need live screen sharing or just chart images?

[subterfuge]

Yugma? yakkle? (i promise im not just making up words)

[Hlm]

Hey Brownsfan, I've been looking into the same thing for me and some fellow traders that regularly hang out in the current TL chatroom. It really depends on how many people you wish to share with, how often, and do you need the ability for multiple screen shares at the same time (versus a "presenter").

Good resources that I have found....

Web conferencing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Comparison of web conferencing software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I believe that Skype now has screen sharing native with no need for a plugin.

Currently DimDim seems to be a very popular service. The free version probably has everything you would need. Also, you can run it on your own server for free if you have one. It seems like their paid version mainly gives you more dedicated resources (runs faster) and some customization. Even with their "Pro" version the cost is almost half of the other popular services (WebEx, OmNoiva, etc).

[brownsfan019]

Originally Posted by BlowFish »

Paltalk used to be popular, not that light essentially a free hotcom. If you don't need voice chat Ensign Chat is super light has text chat and static chart sharing. (You don't need to be an Ensign user).

Someone wrote a snagit helper that allows a single key window capture and uploading of a chart image. It also creates a link that you can paste into a chat window (might do that automatically too).

Do you need live screen sharing or just chart images?

Live sharing is the preferred method vs static. Also need voice as well.

Originally Posted by Hlm »

Hey Brownsfan, I've been looking into the same thing for me and some fellow traders that regularly hang out in the current TL chatroom. It really depends on how many people you wish to share with, how often, and do you need the ability for multiple screen shares at the same time (versus a "presenter").

Good resources that I have found....

Web conferencing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Comparison of web conferencing software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I believe that Skype now has screen sharing native with no need for a plugin.

Currently DimDim seems to be a very popular service. The free version probably has everything you would need. Also, you can run it on your own server for free if you have one. It seems like their paid version mainly gives you more dedicated resources (runs faster) and some customization. Even with their "Pro" version the cost is almost half of the other popular services (WebEx, OmNoiva, etc).

You are correct - Skype now has the screen share just part of the package, which is great. Will be using Skype as it has everything I need (and then some).

[BlowFish]

Originally Posted by brownsfan019 »

Live sharing is the preferred method vs static. Also need voice as well.

Ahh Ok, then my suggestions where probably not that useful though whilst double checking whether PalTalk would fit the bill I came across HearMe, another paid service.

[UrmaBlume]

Acrobat Now has both a free and a paid service that supports live screen sharing, chat, voip, document conversion to pdf and more.

The free service allows live chat & screen sharing with up to 3 participants and a limited amount of free document conversions. The paid services offer increasing limits on the number of particpants and the number of conversions.

The free service has worked quite well for me over the last couple of years.