GENTLEMAN FARMER  FirstClass Client is not Shareware. It is freeware. It can only be used to connect to a FirstClass Server, which is a commercial product.  
(Version 9.126)

ANONYMOUS  Just updated to 8.047 and was hoping a miracle had occurred. Still the same appalling GUI, still like a Classic app' (a bad one), still unfriendly to use, still doesn't conform to Apple standards...should I go on?

If this wasn't free with my university course, I'd be asking for a refund.

I've got to use this software for the next 4 or 5 years; beginning to hate the FC Mac development team!  
(Version 8.047)

ANONYMOUS  It seems to me that this is just an OS 9 port to OS X. The interface looks extremely dated, the icons are far too small, which necessitates the need to use "suggestions", aka tooltips on almost all icons.

The GUI is very, VERY unintuitive and simple things are difficult or impossible to do, e.g. changing the font and size for ALL windows without having to use Change View Properties in each window.

There are some great features, such as résumés, messaging, conferencing, uploads/downloads. It seems to be a one-stop shop. But it is truly let down by the clunky, dated, muddled interface. This thing needs a major overhaul and fast!  
(Version 8.043)

PIZZACAKE  The iphone/itouch app store now has a free FirstClass app which is I think is better for general browsing.  
(Version 10.0)

PIZZACAKE  I use this to connect to open university servers. You have to create a settings file for each server you use by clicking advanced put the server name in the address box then click setup to put your user id and password, server ip address etc.

It works but the controls are clunky and setting the view settings is unintuitive and tiresome as they as per view rather than global settings. To change font sizes for the main window go to view>change view settings. You have to do this repeatedly for different containers though thankfully once. However to change the font sizes for messages you go to preferences>content>options>zoom!  
(Version 10.0)

FORAGING FERRET  This client needs some serious work on GUI behaviour. For my conferencing needs all its features seem to work but I don't use email or instant message. What annoys me the most is that it won't remember window sizes and positions once they've been closed or when the program is quit. Please fix this! I waste so much time resizing windows when I could be reading messages. The whole program is also a bit sluggish which it shouldn't be as its not exactly Final Cut Pro.  
(Version 9.106)

JPALME  First Class has a very nice user interface. In particular, the possibillity to arrange your conferences on a desktop is very useful.

The main drawbacks is the incompetent e-mail interface. It does a lot of things wrong: (1) Changes the message-id when incoming messages are sent out again (2) Conveys information about what is a quote from a previous message in incorrect ways (2) Cannot handle HTML-formatted messages correctly (4) In general munges the message header of incoming mail when sent out to e-mail again.  
(Version 9.022)

THINKPENGUIN  I'll be the first to make you guys smile: version 8.3 is out. And it is this version that the FC's developers have realized their application painfully needed an interface update, so they updated it (although it still looks really cheap in my opinion). I'm not sure where you can pick the new version up - probably the FC website, or if MacUpdate "updates" itself that would be great.  
(Version 8.101)

GERBER  It's better that the Windows client... That's about all I can say for it.  
(Version 8.101)

ANONYMOUS  The new OSX FirstClass Server 8 has lost the ability to connect via modem. After using the product for over a decade, Open Text Corp have lost me. There website is full of platitudes of supporting macs and yet they have fallen behind in this respect.  
(Version 8.005)