Yahoo! Messenger Will Expire. Newest Version Exceeds My Specs. What to Do???

Amie

Amie

Mac Convert for Life
I just got a message from Adium that says my Yahoo! Messenger version will expire in August and to download the newest version, go to blah, blah. I went to blah, blah and was about to download it ... and then I realized that that version's system requirements is OS 10.4 (Tiger) or later. I'm running 10.3.9 (Panther). What should I do? Can I still continue running my current version of Yahoo! Messenger on my computer even after it expires? I'm thinking this expiration notice is only for those who are using 10.4 or later, but I could be wrong...

Please advise.
 
Yahoo may indeed drop support for earlier Yahoo! IM clients -- the people that would know this information are at Yahoo!. Your best bet would be to contact Yahoo! directly and inquire about the version upgrade and whether it will be "backward compatible."

In addition, there's nothing you can do to upgrade Yahoo! if you're using Adium. Adium implements each different protocol (AIM, Yahoo!, Jabber, etc.) internally to the program -- if the protocol version that Adium uses for Yahoo! is going to expire, no one but the authors of the Adium software can fix that. If and when they do fix it, you will download a new version of the Adium client and be on your merry way.

If Yahoo! says that they're going to stop supporting older clients, that could mean one of two things:

1) They're going to stop supporting the older client software -- meaning it will still work just fine, they just won't be able to give you tech support if you don't upgrade.
2) They're going to stop compatibility with older client software -- meaning that if you don't upgrade to the newest version, then your client software won't work.

Again, no one knows this but Yahoo!.

You're running 10.3.9 -- if Yahoo! ceases compatibility with older client software and requires you to download new software -- and IF that newer software requires 10.4 or later, then you're simply out of luck. Perhaps Adium will simultaneously upgrade their Yahoo! software, and release a new version of Adium that is still compatible with 10.3.9.

Sooner or later, though, you're going to be urgently pressed to upgrade to at least Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4). It is tedious and time consuming for developers to maintain compatibility with their software for such an old operating system. Technology marches on, and that means that if you want to "keep up with the times," you should expect to upgrade your software every year or two, and upgrade your hardware every four or five. There comes a time when your hardware will become obsolete -- and that time is quickly approaching for PowerPC-based Macintosh computers (older iMacs, iBooks, PowerMac G3/G4/G5, etc.).
 
ElDiabloConCaca, thank you that is helpful information. Unfortunately, some of us can't afford to "keep up with the times". Moreover, some of us who have 10.3.9 (myself included) got Panther when it was new and that itself was an accomplishment, for me anyways. Too bad Apple doesn't make free updateable firmware as with iPod, iTouch, iPhone. True, it would probably hurt their sales but they would have fewer discontented users. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get 10.5.7 (or whatever is newest) but I have a slow (G3) computer and in order to get a higher OS I'd have to get a new computer, you see? There are always MORE things you have to buy when you only want to buy a single thing. And then there's planned obsolescence… But I digress.

10.3.9 shouldn't be abandoned just yet as it is not TOO far from the coding of the newer OSes.
 
I hate to sound like a poophead, but if you don't keep up with technology, then technology will eventually leave you behind -- old, outdated, and incompatible.

It's been quite a few years since 10.3.9 was released -- even more time has passed since the last G3 computer was manufactured. Things such as architecture switchovers (from PowerPC to Intel) also compound the difficulty in remaining "up to date" -- but the alternative is to slow development and forward movement in terms of technology... something not a lot of people are cool with.

There's only so far your computer (and operating system) will go before you're forced to upgrade to keep compatibility with the rest of the world.

(BTW -- the software for the iPod touch ain't free -- it's $10 a pop, every major release, much like an operating system)

10.3.9 shouldn't be abandoned just yet as it is not TOO far from the coding of the newer OSes.
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I'm all for indefinite backward compatibility, but it's just not a realistic expectation.

A good rule of thumb is that if you're not going to plan on upgrading your hardware on a regular basis, then you should also stop upgrading your software on a regular basis as well. Bring your computer up to date to 10.3.9, and bring the programs that are compatible with 10.3.9 up to date as well -- then stay there. There are no more operating system upgrades beyond 10.3.9, and, as such, the programs you're using with 10.3.9 should stop being upgraded as well. Sooner or later (as with Adobe programs), you'll have updated your programs beyond compatibility with your OS.
 
That's a surprise to me, as I have been able to upgrade my devices for—get this—free. HTH is that possible?

BTW, if homeless people don't go out and get a house, they'll remain homeless.

I'm all for indefinite backward compatibility, but it's just not a realistic expectation.
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That's a damn shame, pardon my French. Backward compatibility is still a feasible approach used by many companies, BION.

Also, there ARE people who are still updating for 10.3.9, though their numbers are dwindling.

Given the money (remember THAT factor?), I would buy the best thing on the market! Absolutely! Positutely! And when I get the money, I'll most likely do that. When… when… when…

In other words, I understand your point, Diablo but I'm wondering if you understand MY point.

At any rate, I'm glad Amie posted this question as I was wondering pretty much the same thing. As a matter of fact, I have another important question: namely, when Adium expires, can I save my contacts list to a file so that they're not all lost? I would hate to have to start from scratch adding my contacts all over again. I have several different accounts with sundry clients and Adium has helped me to stay connected to all of them through a single interface.
 
Strabismus said:
That's a surprise to me, as I have been able to upgrade my devices for—get this—free. HTH is that possible?
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Well, firmware for older iPods is free... the operating system for the iPhone is free... but if you manage to get the iPhone OS 3.0 update installed on your iPod touch for free, I will be surprised.

That's a damn shame, pardon my French. Backward compatibility is still a feasible approach used by many companies, BION.
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I understand that a lot of companies do this -- Airlines, for instance. In this case, though, their systems are usually kind of archaic (to put it nicely). Not to mention that up through Windows XP, you could still run DOS programs -- a fine example of backward compatibility -- but that same compatibility is part of what causes Window's susceptibility to viruses and malware.

Also, there ARE people who are still updating for 10.3.9, though their numbers are dwindling.
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Yes, and there are people still using PL/360 and System360 as well... although that's a bit extreme compared to 10.3.9, I'll admit. ;) Much software has moved on -- you'll be hard pressed to find an application that is still compatible with 10.3.9 these days. The minimum seems to be 10.4.

Given the money (remember THAT factor?), I would buy the best thing on the market! Absolutely! Positutely! And when I get the money, I'll most likely do that. When… when… when…

In other words, I understand your point, Diablo but I'm wondering if you understand MY point.
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Yes, I understand your point. It's been, at minimum, about 7 years since the purchase of that G3. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, at least in Apple's eyes, you're due for an upgrade if you want to continue having a compatible user experience.

I realize that money is tight in these times for a lot of people. Apple offers some low-cost machines that are quite capable. So do other manufacturers. If you can't afford it then you can't afford it, but I would think that one would be able to spare a few hundred bucks over the course of 7 years for some hardware upgrades.

I don't mean to come across as a poop again -- really, I don't. But I think it's time for an upgrade of the hardware to remain compatible. That's really not just my opinion -- it's Moore's law and the way things are all in one. Jus' statin' the facts, ma'am. ;)

At any rate, I'm glad Amie posted this question as I was wondering pretty much the same thing. As a matter of fact, I have another important question: namely, when Adium expires, can I save my contacts list to a file so that they're not all lost? I would hate to have to start from scratch adding my contacts all over again. I have several different accounts with sundry clients and Adium has helped me to stay connected to all of them through a single interface.
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In my experience, each of my online chat protocols saves my "buddies" and "contacts" on their own servers -- not on my machine. When setting up my new Mac mini, I simply downloaded Adium, entered the correct credentials for each of the services I use (AIM, Yahoo!, MobileMe, etc.) and my buddies appeared in my contact list -- no need to manually enter them again.

You can test this out and see if it's the same for you by creating a new, temporary user account, launching Adium under that new account, and putting in your credentials for Yahoo!, AIM, whatever -- I think you'll find, at least with the major chat protocols, that your buddy list for a particular protocol will appear in your contacts list automatically.
 
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Just thought of something else -- the life of your G3 can be lengthened and remain compatible with many modern programs and protocols... the catch is you have to give up OS X. Many Linux distros release PowerPC-compatible ISO images that can natively boot and install on New World Macintosh computers (later iMac G3s, iBooks, PowerMac G4 series, etc.). Pidgin is a wonderful IM program (and I believe that Adium is actually based off of Pidgin's code base, but I'm not sure) and is updated quite frequently for Linux.

Not to mention that you can also install the latest-and-greatest software -- no MHz limitations, no RAM limitations, no "age of computer" limitations.

Just a thought.
 
OK. I think I understand more. :)

My brother (older), who's into IT and lots of gadgets told me that the new upgrade to iTouch (etc.) should be free. Damn damn damn! Sorry for cursing again, but I REALLY need copy-and-paste for my iTouch and a few other features! :(

And I don't think you come across as a poophead (or partypooper or anything like that). I understand that the companies need their residuals and profits more (or as near as so) than individual acclaim. I am but one person but I can only afford what I can. *I* don't mean to be a poophead, etc. I am thrilled at how much technology has changed in the last 10—and even FIVE—years. I used to be an OS 9.2er and was stubborn to upgrade. I was using TONS of apps that are no longer made but were quite efficient.

Most of what I do involves Unicode and the like. 9.2 was meh with Unicode. 10.3.9 is outstanding, to say the least. You may snicker at a statement like that but I have modus operandi when it comes to working with text and its appearances. Indeed, with 10.3.9 I can do ALOT with Unicode. I currently have 66 keyboard layouts FULLY LOADED (not just installed, mind you) and I can do just about anything current Unicode standards require. Sorry, I got off track there, I just wanted to give you a little info on where I am coming from as a fellow Mac! Cheers.
 
If you have an iPod Touch, you already know that you can't sync with a Mac running OS X 10.3.9
You have to upgrade to at least 10.4.9, so you can upgrade your iTunes software.
 
It's such a shame... I upgraded the RAM in my iBook G4 a couple years ago (it now sports 1.25 GB of memory - and, frankly, that's all I need), and it runs like a charm. Not one problem in all the years I've had it, and I baby it and take such great care of it. In fact, when I took it to the Apple store to inquire about a battery, the guy at the Genius Bar said, "Wow, I can't believe the condition it's in!" Anyway, I said it's such a shame because I'm holding onto my iBook (and my OS 10.3.9) as long as I can, because eventually I'm going to get a newer Apple laptop (that comes with the latest OS, software, etc.), which is why I'm not bothering to upgrade my OS at the moment. I really don't want to let go of my little iBook G4. It's been the best (still is) computer I've ever owned. :(
 
I commend you and your perseverence in the face of dogheaded aristocracy which says, "We'll leave you no-goods in our wake. We don't need you. We just need money…"! I know how you feel and, quite frankly, you are dead on: if one enjoys his/her current technological status, then s/he is where s/he needs to be! Cheers. :)
 
@Strabismus

If technology companies catered to people like you that are so resistant to change, you'd being typing that post with a telegraph right now and would've never had the chance to enjoy the now outdated technology you've grown to love. A big part of the reason that computer makers like Apple keep things moving along technologically speaking is to keep costs down. How affordable would these products be if they had to be innovative and advanced, while at the same time having to be ridiculously backwards compatible? Apple could try to make you non-conformists happy, but they would soon go out of business catering to people like you who barely ever purchase anything from them anyway. Plus they'd be left in the dust by every other hi-tech company moving ahead with newer technologies. Then this raises the point that if these technologies have to stay backward compatible, where is the line drawn? Your crusade is pointless.
 
How the hell did you escape from your cage? Do they not come with secure locks any longer? That you know how to use a computer and have managed to secure an account here is beyond me. What you typed looks alot like English but I'm just guessing.

Let me get this straight: you are assuming that because I am not up to date in my OSage I am somehow a Luddite? Are you really that stupid or are you just pretending. BTW, who sent you? One of the Rockefellers? Maybe you're just a bored Troll looking for some human to torture. Well go elsewhere please. I do not need such empty and insipid unsolicited advise. Your attempt to persuade me to your Mammon-centered philosophy has failed utterly. You might want to consider 4chan if you wish to try out your skills in dogmatic jobation. Seriously. It appears you have missed my point altogether. You just wasted my time. And you have also just lost the game. Please an hero nao...
 
Well - Adium could still work, unless they change how the yahoo messenger protocol interacts. But even with Adium, you'd only be able to go certifiably to version 1.0.6.
 
I see. I just hope my current version can last until I upgrade. Either way, Diablo made the point that my contacts would not be lost which is important since I have accounts for AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber, dotmac and a couple of others. There are a couple of apps that still work on older OSes (ICQ, e.g.).
 
Just to throw my own few cents into the pot, I have had issue with (what seems to me anyway) Apple cutting off support for older hardware a little sooner than what most would be comfortable with. However, none of the PC manufacturers or Microsoft have had to deal with two processor transitions in their lifetime. While I'm not all that happy with Apple's decision to "obsolete" certain hardware (and I use that term VERY loosely since I believe that the only obsolete computer is an irreparable one), I do understand their position to move on. They are, after all, a company that needs to make money just like any other company.

That said, there are options available. Not everyone needs to run the latest and greatest in terms of software or hardware. Just take a look at the articles on Low End Mac and forums like the 68K Macintosh Liberation Army (and its PPC sister site). Most of these people get along fine running older G3 and G4 Macs running 10.4 or earlier, along with software that runs just fine on those operating systems. Then, there's the option of running GNU/Linux on your older computer (Mac or PC). I can say that the GNOME and KDE (and even XFCE) desktop environments are to the point of being friendly to users that are familiar with Windows and Mac OS. Granted, the installation on PowerPC Macs leaves a bit to be desired compared to the x86 versions, but it's definitely an option if you want to continue running currently available software on Macs that Apple considers to be obsolete. With the latest Ubuntu 9.04 that the community has made available for PowerPC Macs, the free alternative to Adobe Flash (called Gnash) actually isn't too bad. It's still nowhere near Adobe Flash in terms of speed and stability, but it's definitely gotten better since the version of Gnash that shipped before Ubuntu 9.04. On top of that, software like Pidgin for IM and OpenOffice 3.x for document creation provide you an environment where you can continue to use your older hardware productively until it no longer fits your needs....YOUR needs.

So there are many options available today, more so now with the availability of free and open source software at everyone's fingertips.
 
That is very helpful information. Thank you VERY much. And thank you for not getting on my back about my financial status. Cheers!
 
Thank you, everyone, for the informative replies. And thank you, Strabismus, for the support. :)

Another question, since I seem to have all the best of the Mac Forum members right here in this very thread! :D

What would you all recommend I buy ... when I'm ready? As I said, I currently have a older model iBook G4. Although it's five years old, it still runs as swift as it did the day I bought it, I kid you not. Actually, it runs even better than it did the day I bought it, since I upgraded the RAM. I want something similar to my iBook, nothing fancy. I mostly use my laptop for Internet, no major, complicated programs or anything like that. So would you recommend I buy a MacBook ... or something else?

All suggestions welcome!
 
Amie said:
What would you all recommend I buy ... when I'm ready? As I said, I currently have a older model iBook G4. Although it's five years old, it still runs as swift as it did the day I bought it, I kid you not. Actually, it runs even better than it did the day I bought it, since I upgraded the RAM. I want something similar to my iBook, nothing fancy. I mostly use my laptop for Internet, no major, complicated programs or anything like that. So would you recommend I buy a MacBook ... or something else?

All suggestions welcome! Except means ones. :p

Thanks again, gang!
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Sell that to someone that needs classic support but don't sell it for more than a new Mac mini. Get a new 13 Inch Mac Book Pro right now because it feels like it is the right time in Mac history.
 
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