| 28 Nov 2007 |
Choose the Instant Messaging client that fits you the most |
It is quite a dilemma among internet users which Instant Messaging to choose and which to use the most/to be the primary IM client.
99% of my online time i use Yahoo Messenger. Why? Because all the people i know use it and i like it because its flexible and i’ve been using it.
a) Check out some of Yahoo Messenger’s features:
Make Cheap PC-to-Phone Calls
Make free worldwide PC-to-PC calls. Plus call regular or mobile phones in the U.S. and worldwide for as low as 1¢/min.
Make FREE PC-to-PC Calls
All you need is a headset, or a microphone and speakers. It’s that easy – just click the Call button.
IM with friends using MSN LIVE messenger
Yahoo messenger gives you the possibility to IM with LIVE messenger users, but it is only limited to chatting, you can’t send files,watch webcam,play games,etc
File sharing
You have the possibility to send files to users who use yahoo messenger, transfer progress can be viewved on the progress bar
LaunchCast radio
Listen to your favorite music by choosing from hundreds of online radio stations!
Personalize and interact
YM! gives you the possibility to personalize your messenger and interact using animated avatars(which can be created online) and by using custom avatars/emoticons/audibles. Connect with many friends at once by making conferences.
Most probably the biggest battle among the IM clients is between Yahoo Messenger and MSN messenger, they are the most used messengers around the world.
Feature List:
Connect with friends
Connect with your friends, using your Hotmail or live account, or setup a personalized @yourdomain.com screen name.
Share files
Live Messenger also gives you the possibility to share files in a very convenient and easy way
Use the IM for a social cause
Every time you start a conversation using i’m, Microsoft shares a portion of the program’s advertising revenue with some of the world’s most effective organizations dedicated to social causes.
Interact
Share your webcam, play games, choose your avatar, IM only with those who you want to, block the users you disslike.
Ah…i remember the good old days back 3 years ago when i really played Ouwtar and played it like 13 hours a day. Back then all our crew as using AIM messenger…i remember i never learned how to make a conference, anyway lets get to the Feature List:
Set your status:
Share your current feelings by setting your status. You can choose from predefined status messages or create custom ones.
Create your Buddy list:
Add and organize your friends in categories.
Send TEXT messages to Cell phones
You can send in real time messages to your friends who are using Mobile AIM messenger.
Play Games, share Videos, Webcam and Files
Aim has a cool list of QQ games which are multiplayer games that you can play with other AIM messenger users and enjoy a true multiplayer experience.
Share your files,videos and webcam with your friends.
Personalize
Personalize your AIM messenger by setting the color of the client, create your custom BUDDY icon or choose from a predefined one.
If you use Gmail you most probably seen/used it but with limited features. In your email account you have a widget which you can use to IM with anyone who is using GMAIL
Well Gtalk does the same only in a more advanced mode. Lets have a look at the features:
Usability
GTalk is an extremely lightweight Application, you can chat with all your GTalk contacts and Gmail contacts at once. Get GMAIL Notifications on your desktop.
File transfers
Share as much files as you like with your friends or other GTalk, Gmail users.
Voicemail, PC to PC calls
Make FREE PC to PC calls, and in case the desired contact isn’t available leave him a voicemail.
As i noticed ICQ is mostly used by companies and by people who work in the business area. In my opinion a BIG “problem” of icq is that they don’t use screen names,buddy names, email addresses, at sign-up you get a number(for example 21523627234 ). That number is really hard to keep in mind and it will surely take you a while till you learn it, and the digits are going up day by day since many people sign up at ICQ
Feature List:
Extra Quick Instant Messaging
You have the option of sending and viewing instant messages directly from within your Contact List or from the message notification.
Grouped Conversations
Manage all of your conversations in a single message window.
With ICQ 6 you can switch back and forth from conversation to conversation simply by clicking on the tabs at the top of the window.
2 Way SMS
Send your friends an SMS from your PC with ICQ. Your friends can SMS back from their mobile directly to your ICQ message window.
Advanced Search Options
You can search for contacts or on the web directly from your contact list.
History Miner
ICQ automatically saves your conversation history, so you can sort and search for important messages.
IRC comes from INTERNET RELAY CHAT and its a real-time form of instant messaging. Getting to know people on mIRC is unlimited ans you may IM with anyone on the channel you are in. mIRC has advanced a lot and lots and lots of plugins appeared that made the user’s life easier and more fun, so if you have a bored day or need some speciality help FAST using mirc is one of your best options as there are lots and lots of channels where users can help you out. In fact there are some channels like #vh on quakenet that can help you disinfect your PC.
Many people don’t prefer mirc because they say that they don’t have any privacy there and the contact list isn’t private. In a way its true but in other way its not because almost all servers(quakenet/undernet/chanserv) provide registrations and hotmasks that help you protect your privacy.
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You may have noticed that all the Instant messaging clients mentioned above have almost the same features(file/video sharing, confereces,status,emoticons,etc) but each one of them have some unique elements.
Its just like at cars, you may have noticed that car models made by different brands look almost the same. Why? because they all tend to assure the driver the best comfort and the best features and usability. You probably say that they steal ideas from each other. In a slight way that is true, but to achieve the mentioned above they all ran tests and they all got to the same shape and conclusions.
Do you want to use multiple Instant Messengers?
Various browser based clients and applications provide usage of instant messaging services.
The most important Browser-based messaging service is Meebo. On mebo you have the possibility to log-in to Yahoo messenger, LIVE messenger, ICQ, Jabber, GTalk and AIM. If you create an account you can group all your accounts on IM services together.
Windows users who prefer MULTI IM service usage mostly use Trillian Although it doesn’t support file sending and some other features it is widely used around the world, it even provides extra security. It supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC but you can configure it so you can use other IM services as GTalk.
Trillian has both FREE and Paid versions. The extra in paid version is Identities and your support for the project.
In the World of Linux the most popular Multi-IM application is GAIM which is now known as PIDGIN which is newly available for Both Linux and Windows
Pidgin is a multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once.
It is the most flexible and OPTION-FULL application of its type as it supports 16 IM services.
I really hope you enjoyed this post, i spent quite a lot of time on testing stuff and writing my own taughts(i admit at some IM services i COPY/PASTED some of the features but most of the reviews are my own words)
Last but not least: remember that there are zillions of ways to interact on the internet 
Did you find this information helpful? Buy me a coffee.
