Digsby (Windows, Free)
Digsby's widespread popularity has recently taken a few lumps after they began including crap ware.
in their installer and offering affiliate money to users who help them
spread said crap. Despite these two moves, which have left quite a few
users grumbling, Digsby is still a chat client with quite a lot to offer
(and you can skip the bloat with the right download). Digsby supports multiple chat networks and
allows you to merge your friends' multiple usernames into one unified
entry on your contact list. When you have Digsby minimized to the system
tray, you'll receive notification-style pop-up bubbles when messaged
that you can reply right in. Digsby also supports email notifications
for popular web-based email services through IMAP and POP3. Social
networking isn't left out, either, as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and
LinkedIn can all be viewed and updated via Digsby.Adium (Mac, Free)
Adium is an open-source chat client for Mac OS X. Adium supports multiple chat and social networking services like AIM, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, MySpace, and Facebook, among others. Thanks to integration with the Mac OS, Adium can pull from your address book to populate your contacts list, use system themes, and issue system notifications including Growl notifications. Adium also has support for all kinds of plug-ins and the hundreds of "Xtras"—Adium's label for customization packages. If you'd like to keep things private, Adium also supports encrypted chat via Off The Record Messaging and is the only client in the Hive to have native support for it—though Pidgin and Trillian can take advantage of it via plug-in.
Pidgin (Windows/Linux, Free)
Pidgin
is another open-source offering with a great feature set and support
for popular chat networks such as AIM, ICW, Google Talk, and MSN
Messenger, among others. You can download a variety plug-ins to enhance your chat experience by keeping spam away, encrypting your
conversations, connecting to social networks, and more. Pidgin doesn't
have the most bells and whistles of the clients represented in this
Hive, but its open-source code, cross-platform availability, and
portable version keep many people coming back to use the streamlined
tool. If Pidgin is the apple of your IM eye, be sure to check out our ten must-have plug-ins to power up Pidgin.Meebo (Web-Based, Free)
Meebo
is a web-based instant messaging solution. Rather than requiring you to
install a client on your computer, you handle all of your instant
messaging affairs through the Meebo web site (although they do have a
lightweight system tray notifier available for Windows users).
Registration is optional if you're using a single service like AIM,
Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, or MSN Messenger; you can simply use your
credentials for that service to log into it through Meebo. If you want
to build a more fleshed out profile that logs into multiple services at
once, you'll need to sign up for a free Meebo account. One bonus for
people behind a corporate firewall, assuming that your firewall isn't
blocking the actual Meebo site, is that as long as you can use secure
web sites (those with the https:// designation), you can connect to all
your favorite chat services.Trillian Astra (Windows, Basic: Free, Pro: $25)
Trillian
seemed to all but disappear from the instant messaging scene for a
while there, but it's come back in full force with the beta-release of
Trillian Astra (which most were suspecting may have been vaporware). Trillian Astra has an extensive feature list,
although some of the juicier features are disabled after 30 days if you
don't upgrade to the Pro edition. Trillian supports the regular
customers like AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, and MSN Messenger, as well as
Facebook, MySpace, Skype, IRC, and Twitter. While video and audio
support are notably lacking from most of the entries in the Hive,
Trillian circumvents the problem of trying to play nice with 3rd party
protocols by sporting its own video and chat service that is run through
the Astra network.5 Online Instant Messaging Services to Chat with Buddys...
Meebo
Meebo also offers group chat, a great mobile version (for iPhones and the like), and even access in your Firefox sidebar. There’s support for file-sharing, video chat, and much more – it’s as fully-featured, if not more so, than most desktop IM clients.
My experience with Meebo was that it works best with Facebook chat, and is definitely one of the simplest to use. It’s also incredibly well-funded, which means it’s likely to stick around for a while.
**Nimbuzz
Instead of logging in each time to every one of your networks, you can put them all into an account with Nimbuzz instead. Then, every time you log in, just enter one username and password, and log in to all your IM networks. You can put your buddies into groups, view them by network, or just lump them all into one list.
Though Nimbuzz only has a couple of unique features – like the friend locator, to see where people are – its simplicity of use and gorgeous interface make it my IM application of choice (on every platform – but let’s stick with the Web for now.)
The feature that really sold me, though, was Skype integration – nothing else has it, and Nimbuzz does it very well. It’s a great VOIP client, a great Instant Messenger, and the application to start with in my opinion.
imo.im
There’s support for voice and video chat (fingers crossed for Skype soon), some great keyboard shortcuts, and a simple-to-use interface.
If their project list is any indication, there’s some spectacular stuff coming soon from this already-great client, so keep this one bookmarked.
KoolIM
KoolIM offers two options for chat – an embedded client, available right from within the browser window, or a popup client, which looks and feels a bit more like a desktop application, acting outside of your browser (but still as a browser window).
You can log in to one account at a time, or all of them by creating a KoolIM account. KoolIM also claims fame as functioning behind a firewall, which some other applications can have trouble with.
KoolIM’s simple, not particularly feature-rich, but is uniquely network-friendly among IM clients.
eBuddy
When you load eBuddy, it opens a new window for you to chat in. Your chats and contacts are tabbed, and there’s even a chat history for your recent conversations.
eBuddy offers a bunch of client versions, including great ones for your cell phone. Much like Meebo, you can also embed eBuddy directly into your own website. eBuddy’s feature list really explodes when you create a free “eBuddy ID,” which gives you tons of fun and useful features – faster login, more emoticons, saved settings, and access to other premium features.
All of these applications and others do the basics well – they send and receive messages, notify you of new ones, and generally remove the need for a desktop application. If all you want to do is chat, any of these five will do – pick the prettiest one. Each one though, has a few unique features that make it the winner for specific people.
More About Messengers:
Pidgin
Gizmo's Freeware award as the best product in its class!
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Easy to use, cleanly designed and very functional. Non-commercial, open-source software and available for multi-platform.
Nobody's going to be blown away by its styling.
2.10.3
8.96 MB
Unrestricted freeware
There is no portable version of this product available.
Windows, Linux, Mac OS X
Supports AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr IM networks.
Miranda IM
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
The application is very extensible through plug-ins.
Native User interface is minimalist, Complicated Preferences
0.9.50
3.11 MB
32 and 64 bit versions available
Unrestricted freeware
A portable version of this product is available from the developer.
Windows 2000 to 7
Supports Gadu-Gadu and
Jabber in addition to the networks supported by Trillian. Also connects
to the Google Talk network with a little plug-in tweaking.
i mo
Is a web service or web application
Log in to various different protocols with the capabilities of using those protocols on mobile devices.
Unrestricted freeware
Web Application, no installation required.
Supports MSN, Yahoo, AIM, G-talk, Facebook, ICQ, MySpace, Steam, skype, Jabber, VKontakte, and Hyves.
Trillian
Runs as a stand-alone program on a user's computer
Flashy interface and designed to be very user-friendly, light on resources.
Installer includes toolbar and third party software, advertisements pop up in conversation windows
5.1.0.18
20.3 MB
Unrestricted freeware
There is no portable version of this product available.
Windows 2000 to 7, Mac, iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Web
Supports AIM, ICQ, IRC, MSN and Yahoo networks.
Ebuddy
Is a web service or web application
Log in to various different protocols with the capabilities of using those protocols on mobile devices.
Only supports a few protocols.
Unrestricted freeware
Web Application, no installation required.
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