Digital messaging used to be so simple. Once the modems screeches, clucks and beeps ended and I was connected to AOLs servers, all my friends would be right there, ready to chat. When cellphones untethered us from our computers, texting was all we needed. Sure, it turned our thumbs into gymnasts, but it was manageable.发送信息曾多次再行非常简单不过了。一旦调制解调器收到刺耳的哔哔声，我就连到了美国在线(AOL)的服务器，我所有的朋友都会在那儿，作好了聊天的打算。当手机将我们从电脑上和平下来后，短信需要符合我们所有的市场需求。当然，这也使我们的大拇指变为了上下飞舞的体操运动员，但是一切都在掌控之中。

Now I feel like taking cover behind the couch to dodge the messages flying at me from every which way -- text messages, iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts and Twitter direct messages.而现在，我的感觉就看起来躲藏在沙发后面，逃离着从各个渠道扑向我的信息―文本短信、iMessage、Facebook Messenger、谷歌的环闲谈(Google Hangouts)和推特(Twitter)私信。Having more options doesnt feel like a good thing. Everyones on different services, which makes group conversations hard. Most popular services are also missing features like voice memos and read receipts.自由选择过多并未必是件好事儿。每个人都在用于有所不同的服务平台，这令其群聊无法展开。

大多数热门的服务平台都不具备语音备忘录和已读书回执等功能。Plenty of upstart apps offer more powerful messaging plus lots of fun features, including sketch pads and meme generators. You havent fully expressed yourself until youve used animated stickers.很多新的晋应用程序都不具备更加强劲的信息发送和其他许多有意思的功能，还包括素描板和无厘头图片制作工具等。只有你在用过卡通图形之后，你才能淋漓尽致地传达自己。

I set out on a journey with friends and family to test four services: WhatsApp, which gained fame for Facebooks $19 billion acquisition of it, along with Kik, WeChat and Viber. I even called on my parents, who usually stick to texting and emailing, and have no patience for complicated apps and social networks.我发动我的朋友和家人对以下四种应用服务展开了测试：WhatsApp、Kik、微信(WeChat)和Viber，其中WhatsApp以Facebook对其耗资190亿美元的并购取得了外界的注目。我甚至还邀了我的父母，他们一般来说只是发短信和邮件，对于简单的应用程序和社交媒体，他们仅有无冷静。

All of these apps work similarly. You download it (most are available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and even BlackBerry) and enter your phone number. Then you watch as the app scans your phones address book for contacts who use the service.上述四种应用程序用于一起大体完全相同。你把它们iTunes下来（大多数应用程序都反对iPhone、安卓(Android)手机、Windows手机、甚至黑莓(BlackBerry)手机），然后输出自己的手机号码。接着等候应用程序扫瞄你手机通讯录上该应用程序的现有用户。

You can send a text to those not yet on the service, requesting the favor of their presence. Once your people start turning up, you can chat with them privately or form groups.你可以向仍未落成该应用程序的联系人发送到消息，邀他们重新加入。当你的联系人拒绝接受邀后，你就可以同他私信或群聊了。I began with WhatsApp, the easiest for getting started and creating chat groups. When I enlisted my mom, she asked why these were different than text messaging, but quickly answered her own question.我年所测试的是WhatsApp，这款应用程序最更容易上手，也最更容易创立群聊。

当我向我母亲收到邀后，她回答我，这款应用程序与短信到底有什么区别，但是她自己迅速就寻找了答案。She said chatting felt speedier than texts and iMessage. She loved sending short recorded voice messages to my sister and me. The app makes it easy to throw in photos and video, and to set your status so people know if youre available.她说道，相比于短信和iMessage，她实在WhatsApp更加极快。我母亲很讨厌给我姐姐和我发送到语音信息。这款应用程序令其照片和视频共享显得很简单，另外，设置自己的状态也很更容易，这样别人就告诉你否有空了。

WhatsApp was the only one my parents didnt need help figuring out. But the app lacks features, digital stickers and other multimedia gimmicks.在这四款测试应用于中，WhatsApp是唯一一款我父母不必须指导就能掌控的。但是，WhatsApp的功能受限，不具备数字图形和其他多媒体工具。It also doesnt have functional tools such as desktop chat, which lets you keep up with your mobile buddies while chained to your computer.WhatsApp还缺少一些功能工具，比如桌面聊天等。

当手机和电脑相连后，桌面聊天功能可以使你在电脑上和朋友之后聊天。Kik, incredibly popular with teens because of the crazy multimedia features, allows you to search the Web for fun stuff such as GIFs and YouTube videos and drop them into your chat. You can doodle, insert stickers (yes, I paid $2 for a South Park pack), even add your own words to popular meme photos. Theres a Snapchat-like feature to transmit self-destructing images.Kik在青少年中极为风行，原因是它具备十分强劲的多媒体功能，该应用程序容许用户在网络上搜寻GIF和YouTube视频等有意思的内容并在聊天中展开共享。

你可以随便涂鸦、放入图形（我就花费2美元出售了一套南方公园的图形），你甚至可以在风行的无厘头图片上写上自己的话。Kik还附带类似于Snapchat “阅后即焚毁”的功能。

Kik, though, doesnt offer easy access to basic video and audio messaging that my family loved in WhatsApp. And for all the fun I had using Kik with friends and colleagues, my parents couldnt have been less interested. Kiks interface is cluttered and confusing, like a teenagers bedroom.我们全家都十分注目WhatsApp上精彩发送视频及语音信息的基本功能，但Kik并不具备这一功能。并且，我和朋友、同事在用于Kik时所获得的那种体验对我父母没产生丝毫吸引力。另外，Kik的用户界面恐慌致使，就如同青少年的卧室。Huge in China, WeChat falls between Kik and WhatsApp, with a handy Web chat mode and a large selection of stickers -- including animated ones from Pixar movies.在中国近于不受欢迎的微信介于Kik和WhatsApp之间，微信享有便于用于的在线聊天模式，并且附带大量的图形―其中还包括皮克斯(Pixar)电影中的卡通图形。

Initially I scoffed at the chat sticker trend, but the cartoons are a fun way to respond to messages without having to say much.最初，我曾对图形的风行嗤之以鼻，但是卡通图形显然一种是勿需多言并且有意思的信息恢复方式。WeChats standout feature is an amusing walkie-talkie mode. Hold down the large circular button to talk, release it to hear your friends. Fun for a few minutes? Yes. Practical for everyday use? Probably not.微信的出众之处还在于其有意思的边走边闲谈模式。按钮大圆键才可讲话，用力才可征询好友的facebook。

用个几分钟否有意思呢？是的。日常用于否实际呢？答案有可能是驳斥的。

WeChat is short on some basics. The overall interface is dull and certain expected features, like showing a message has been received, are missing. Also, my mom and my sister found it the hardest to set up.微信在某些基本方面展现出严重不足。微信的整体界面更为无趣，并且缺少一些理应的功能，比如显示信息已被对方提供的功能。

此外，我母亲和姐姐都指出微信是最好设置的。I looked at other popular apps -- Line, Telegram and KakaoTalk among them -- but they were so similar to WhatsApp and WeChat, I felt underwhelmed.我还注目了其他一些风行的应用程序―其中有Line、Telegram和KakaoTalk―但是，这些应用程序和WhatsApp与微信极为相近，没什么新意。Until I found Viber.直到我找到了Viber。

Viber has many of the same text options as the others, but focuses on audio calling. Like Skype, if both users are on Viber, you can make audio calls over Wi-Fi or a data connection. Sound quality was good, though there was an echo on some calls.Viber享有与其他应用程序完全相同的很多文本信息发送到选项，但更加侧重于视频通话功能。和Skype完全相同，如果双方用户都指定了Viber，你就能通过Wi-Fi或者其他数据相连方式展开视频通话了。While the app doesnt pack as many tricks as Kik, it puts a good chunk of them into a tidier control panel. It also has Mac and Windows desktop applications.尽管Viber并没附带Kik那么多的花样儿，但是它把不少有意思的功能都设置在了一个更加简练的操作界面中。并且这款应用程序还有Mac和Windows的桌面客户端。

As smart as Viber is, it needs a user-interface makeover before it can compete with WhatsApp.即便享有强劲的功能，但Viber也必须重塑其用户界面才能与WhatsApp互为抗衡。(The company says it is working on an update to its outdated iOS app.)（该公司回应，正在研发iOS旧版客户端的改版版本。）So my journey ended with an edict that my family and close friends have group chats over WhatsApp, even though Ill miss stickers and could benefit from Web chat. (WhatsApp declined to comment on its road map.)鉴于我的家人和好友都重新加入了WhatsApp上的群聊，我的测试也宣告收场。

尽管，我将缅怀微信图形，并且本可以获益颇多。（WhatsApp并未就自身的路线图置评。）I may never get everyone on the same chat service, but Ive already got some of my favorite people gathered on WhatsApp.也许，我总有一天不有可能让每个人都齐集在同一个服务平台上，但是我早已把我最喜欢的一些人挤满在了WhatsApp上。

Besides, the Facebook acquisition has piqued enough curiosity that more are starting to turn up everyday. Its almost like those simpler AOL days, but without the melodious modem sounds.除此之外，Facebook对WhatsApp的并购也唤起了反感的奇怪，更加多的人开始用于这款应用程序了。以前那种用于美国在线的非常简单日子或许回去了，只是较少了调制解调器清脆的声音。

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