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Comment by tim333 | Hacker News Reader

I recommend Franz (http://meetfranz.com/). Does Whatsapp, works on Linux, mac, pc. Supports Slack, WeChat, HipChat, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Google Hangouts, GroupMe and Skype.

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This is just a wrapper for web clients of the "protocols" they support. So WhatsApp is web.whatsapp.com in a tab, Skype is web.skype.com, etc.

Way to undermine the hard work of talented developers. Is that envy? You should see all the features its offer before calling it just a "wrapper".

It IS a wrapper around the web version. To be fair, the web version is very solid. It even warns you when your phone's battery is running low.

I think you're reading a bit too much into his comment. It's true that the phrasing can seem dismissive, but I don't think it's meant as such to that extreme of a degree.

It being a collection of wrappers is either true or not and is not necessarily a value judgment, but a technical detail.

It appears as though WhatsApp desktop is basically a wrapper on web.whatsapp.com as well.

I assumed as much, and yet still no Linux version. I don't use WhatsApp anyway but it's still disappointing.

...which, for what it's worth, is an Electron app. :)

Eh, I'll still take it.

Wow that's cool. This seems to be the spiritual successor to Adium (maybe Pidgin, not sure if that's still active).

Edit: Tried it out. It's visually pretty but it wouldn't even let me add my Slack account (we use SSO, maybe they haven't updated for that). And then when I clicked the Send Email to Franz, the email was prepopulated with some social "download franz!" message.

I really wish it supported Signal.

Edit:

Still pleased to use it, I don't like the Skype client for Linux.

Thanks for the recommendation. This looks fantastic. If only it could do iMessage (which I know is a whole different beast).

Thanks, this looks amazing!

No IRC?

Was super interested, until I realised no LINE nor KakaoChat :(

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