f13.net

Okay, so I was liking using Trillian, because it gives me a lot of added functionality.

However, it does not like webcams and msn.

So really, what I need is some sort of pluging for MSN Messenger that will do just one of the things I love about Trillian:

It tells me the last time someone was online. Right there under their name.

I don't want some dorky events console. I want the real thing.

Any suggestions?

Gaim (http://gaim.sourceforge.net/faq.php) has alot of the features of trillian, not sure about the ones you are talking about but you can check it out.  They have a subgroup here (http://gaim-vv.sourceforge.net/) that adds webcam functions to gaim for yahoo and I think msn.  Haven't messed with it but there ya go.

It's very interesting. I am playing around with it right now.

But unfortunately, it seems to be extremely lacking in that whole webcam area as well.

And it's kinda ugly.

Thanks, though. Gives me a new software toy to play with that I didn't know about.

I'm slowly learning more and more on my vacation time.

I figure by the time I get back to work, I will be hopelessly geekified. As if I wasn't most of the way already.

Only MSN Messenger fully supports MSN Webcam. You can use video conferencing with an MSN Messenger user if you have Trillian Pro if what you want to do is video chat with MSN Messenger folks. If you want to chat in text while they use their webcam to er, show you something, you'll need MSN Messenger.

Skype?

My parents and sister have the hardest time with a decent sized picture going Mac <---> PC videoconferencing. I installed Trillian on their computer but it seems...tempermental on allowing a connection.

Try using iVisit or SquidCam at both ends. They're both relatively inexpensive cross-platform applications.