JFBChat

JFBChat is a Java-based chat application that works as a dedicated client for Facebook, the famous online social networking service.

This program emulates the well-known Facebook chat tool in a very minimalistic layout. It offers just a list of online friends and monitors changes of status. It lacks, however, all the other filters you can see in your browser-based chat. We also noted that the app displays a corrupt user ID string next to the avatar.

JFBChat connects remotely to your Facebook chat tool, without needing to be logged in to the social service via a browser. Users can change a minimal set of display options regarding your current status when online.

Basic notifications can be configured, and various avatars can be saved separately to a local directory. In case connecting to the chat manually proves to be a hurdle for some people, users can set the application to automatically log in.

Sound notifications can be enabled or disabled for received and sent messages. The notification frames that appear in the lower right corner of the screen can be disabled together with their afferent sounds. However, this feature is not a terribly comfortable option to keep enabled, since lots of your friends usually pop in and out of your chat, and the audio notifications will ultimately drive you crazy.

JFBChat is a useful application if you absolutely don't have any browsers installed. It logs into your Facebook chat account and renders your entire list of online friends in a simple and effective manner. This little Facebook companion also comes with a minimal set of display and notification options to make the overall chat session a pleasant experience.

However, it is not without faults. The user's name shows up as a corrupt string of code next to your avatar, and all the typical filters present in the integrated Facebook client are missing.