Tesla.IM - A clean and beautiful desktop IM app
At the heart of technology entrepreneurship, we get to see some really innovative products. While the experience is amazing, lesser and lesser things surprise you. But there are exceptions. An IM messenger with Tesla for a name is something you're going to look at with a certain level of scepticism. (Elon Musk much?)
But no. Tesla.IM was named after what this app's makers call the greatest engineer ever, Nikola Tesla. And if he were alive today, (and understood internet applications, that is), he wouldn't be too unhappy with what these guys have put out. Tesla.IM is an instant messenger - as simple as that. So simple, that it's simplicity is it's USP.
What makes Tesla.IM so great?
Tesla.IM is an instant messaging app, in which you can create private chatrooms and chat with people. The people, you have to invite using their email. Once you're done, and the others have accepted your invite they're presented with a clean and intuitive chat interface.
The functions presented to the user on each screen is kept at a bare minimum, but it is adequate. Along with the simple and clean interface, Tesla.IM has used very pretty typography. Some of the graphics used on the contacts screen is also interesting. While keeping things minimal is one thing, the clever uses of white spaces also clearly shows on Tesla.IM.
What all this does for a user, is that a minute or two of logging in, you're using the product as through you've known it for ever. These is almost a zero learning curve with Tesla.IM and it wasn't too long before a colleague of mine had to help me get back to work.
Long story short, Tesla.IM is clean, intuitive and useful. Over and above, a huge win.
But...
There is one small problem on the platform. Being a browser based product, users a probably going to have other sites open across several other tabs. Tesla.IM lacks a notification feature. So when I get a message on Tesla, I'm not notified of it. Tesla.IM could definitely do with a Gmail like notification pop up.
Also, sending files on Tesla.IM requires you to be a Dropbox user. So sending a file would require you to upload it Dropbox and then share the link. I think this is to cut down on server costs and I also think this is a clever work around the problem. So more integration with other file sharing systems like Google Drive etc would give the users more options.
Our take
Tesla.IM has a lot of plans in the near future to add paid features on the platform, but the site has made it very clear that chatting will always be free. Tesla.IM is one of those applications that makes you think, "why hasn't anyone else built this yet?", and the truth is, there are similar applications of this sort. But none that have been designed so beautifully.
Tesla.IM has also handled permissions very well. For example, it doesn't set a default profile picture for you, even if you log in via Facebook. It requires you to go to your profile and manually give it permission to use your Facebook profile pictures (very Steve Jobs-esqe).
There are some key issues that need to addressed, but nothing that this team can't solve. The app is targeted at teams, but I think that it can be much more. Also, if Tesla.IM was on mobile, I'd use it extensively. Try it, use it and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Take Tesla.IM for a spin and tell us what you think.
