Existing users, 
I installed this, and while I didn't have anyone to try this out with, here are some observations.
1 Why does this hack need -2- Preference Panes? Prefpane #1 (The on-off switch) is simply that. This should not be in PrefPanes, but in iChat itself.
2 The 'Net Update' Pref Pane does more of a service for Intego than the user. There are -2- checkboxes for 'Opt-in Spam' from Intego. And -why- do they need an email address -and- password for the updater?
All in all, this comes across as some marketing flunkys idea of what's good for Windows is good for MacOSX. It's obvious that Intego doesn't know how to integrate with MacOSX. So, to recap;
1/ Put Settings and functionality for the app you are enhancing IN THE APP ITSELF -- NOT IN THE OS. If you need a primer on how to do this, look at the FREE sofware PithHelmet with its Safari integration.
2/ If you expect to receive $40 for your hack, don't add insult to injury by bloating our systems with extra flotsam like 'Opt-in Spam' in the Net Update. That is just plain insulting. Shareware authors have version checking down to one menu item. Why do you need such a convoluted updater, Intego?
To top off what others have been saying about how Apple may just have this functionality in the next version of iChat anyway (it's SSL, and Windows folks already have it), Bitwise and Fire have encryption capabilities for FREE. Also, if you really NEED crypto, PGP also has an Encryption service built into the service menu. You can encrypt text to your chat partner's public key and -know- that its meant only for them (and is not just some SSL stream). Concieveable you could mix 'chatty' cleartext with PGP's 2048-bit encryption, which blows Intego's away.
In short, if you're willing to do some homework, there are alternatives out there that smoke this hack. Don't fall for this Windows vendor's price taking, learn about Crypto. At the very least, pick up PGP Freeware. Or personal desktop, which costs the same, is applicable to a number of applications, and DOES NOT EXPIRE after one year (I read Intego's license).
That being said, at least it comes with a de-installer.
Intego ChatBarrier X4
encryption for iChat instant messaging
Version: 10.4.1
Vendor without a clue
Feedback Type: Review
Contributed by: leoofborg Tuesday, July 06 2004 @ 06:18 PM PDT
Product Platform: MacOSX
Used Product For: Less than a month
Recommend Product: NO
Overall Rating:
Ease of Use:
Support:
Features:
Quality / Stability:
Price:
Comments
Vendor without a clue - lmiba
You are mistaken. Intego is NOT a Windows vendor. Intego makes software for Mac OS X only. Intego did make a few Windows products but the Mac OS has always been Intego's main focus...Monday, July 19 2004 @ 10:00 AM PDT
re: Vendor without a clue - tombovo
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----Hash: SHA1
You are being a bit aggressive here. First, Intego has been pretty
good with their update/upgrade policy, and NetBarrier work pretty
well--I use it, along with a router firewall, and the built in
firewall. As for using PGP instead--encrypting and decrypting a chat
would be very difficult, and as a user of PGP, I wouldn't be able to
chat in real time if I had to stop and run to the services menu for
every incoming or outgoing IM.
As for the use of the preferences panels, NetUpdate serves as an
automated system to check and update all of Intego's products, not
just this one. Its a modular software design. I agree that it would
be nice to have the on-off switch in the iChat app itself, but this
may not be a practical solution--I suspect that in order to maintain
the product, it must be installed as a stand alone for NetUpdate to
scan and update, or it could be checking the incoming ip stream
header for encryption in order to decrypt the message (and in
reverse, encrypting the outgoing ip stream as necessary), which is
being done outside of the iChat app itself at the system level. If it
is being done at the system level, that is why it is a preference
pane.
It would be nice to have more information on the type of encryption,
but since Intego is, I think, a European company, you can infer that
it is not using export restricted level encryption like a US version
of PGP, but that doesn't mean this product won't work well.
Will iChat have encryption built in someday? You can only guess as to
what tomorrow will bring, and this product is here today. I am not
recommending ChatBarrier, but for the price, and with my experience
with NetBarrier, I already bought it.
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Version: PGP 8.1
iQA/AwUBQO8T50aXuPtV+cmQEQK6TgCfU3735/JDUqye2geVBZDnUIxCk94AoJi1
uWwsNiiqsb/vTiCS6oDuQike
=sd5e
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Friday, July 09 2004 @ 02:57 PM PDT