What Instant Messaging Client(s) Do You Use?
 

Rather than posting this in a poll form, I'm just going to leave this open for discussion: What IM client(s) do you use (and why)?


Despite all the other "techie" software I use (Opera, foobar2000, etc.), I still stick with the official AIM client (whatever the absolute latest release (beta if available) is) (currently 5.9.3702). I'm a sucker for the latest and greatest functionality (an upgrade junkie?). I don't care for the "IM Expressions," (meh for frilly stuff), but it doesn't really get in my way, either. While some complain about the ads, the fact that they're taking up about 80 of my 1200 pixels of screen height doesn't bother me enough to switch to something else. Furthermore, I've yet to see another AIM replacement that actually supports direct IM or file transfers as well as AIM does. Lastly, AIM's support for SSL certificates (.p12) is quite fantastic for me, ever since I've gotten paranoid about various semi-public networks potentially listening to me.

I've also recently started using Nalsoft AIM Log Manager which is a non-invasive 3rd party add-on to AIM that does what it claims to do (logs conversations). Logging was really the only feature that I discredited AIM for not including, but this was able to remedy that complaint without sacrificing the features of the official AIM client onto which I've been so dearly holding.

I use the AIM protocol (rather than ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, etc.) mainly because it's what everyone I know has (which is kind of a circular argument). I live in Minneapolis, MN, USA, and virtually everyone around here seems to favor AIM. I've observed a lot of people from Wisconsin using MSN, but I don't claim my sample is representative or unbiased in anyway (just a casual observation). I used to hang on to ICQ, too (well, maybe around '97-'00), but pretty much everyone I knew on ICQ had AIM as well (and more people had AIM), so it lost the battle.

I tried Trillian for a few weeks (admittedly this was probably ~2.5-3 years ago), and wasn't tremendously pleased with its offerings. I didn't like the appearance (I'm very minimalistic, classic style), it didn't have good feature compatibility with the official clients, it lacked some features, and then it had other features I didn't want at all... I understand that quite a bit has changed in that time, and I should probably give it another try (maybe in a VM), but for the time being, official AIM it is...

I don't care for trillian at all.. too much work...

I use MSN most of the time... AIM when I have to. Never use YIM or ICQ...

Yeah I tried Trillian for a couple days like a few years ago also, and I didn't like it, but I'm sure it has changed, maybe its time to give it another try. Anyway, I used to use ICQ mainly for years but I moved to MSN a while ago because a lot more people use it, though I still log on to ICQ onc every few weeks just to see who may be online or if I have any messages. I use AIM also, but not very often, mainly just to communicate with people from this site :)

I use Aim Ad hack which gets rid of the ads and spyware in AIM....and I use MSN messenger as well

link?

:google:

I won't do it! :)

i use msn.... its prettier! :biggrin:


heh AIM/AOL is the devil :devil:

w0rd to that!

GAIM user myself. b/c it's in sid and nothing else is. apt-get install gaim is too easy. I don't trust AIM encryption, since it's not client to client but goes through the server (like a built in man in the middle attack). Unfortunately, no-one uses GAIM, so GAIM encryption is also worthless. *meh* GAIM's logging is pretty nice (nice log viewer, searchable and all) which is quite nice. I just wish there was a way to integrate the logs from my lappy to my desktop. I hate trying to remember where I had a conversation.

File transfers are crap in both trillian and gaim, but i'm not too worried about it. It would be nice if it worked better. I'm looking forward, though, to increased usability of iFolder sharing with GAIM. For now, I just throw a file up on a publicly accessible part of my server for a few minutes while the person uses their browser to download it.

I used to be a trilian user, but i got quite sick of the community and the program itself wasn't developing quickly enough for my money. not that gaim is developing quickly per se, but it's free (and OSS).

i use gaim

I use yahoo! i tried using aim and msn but they suck!!

nothing sucks quite like yahoo does...

I used yahoo cause i was dealing with some guy with a laptop.. bleh.. didn't like it, I use msn like 80% of the time and aim like 20%

ICQ then MSN
 

I used to use ICQ, then I started to use MSN. Now I just use MSN. In fact I don't even bother to open MSN messenger any more (I stopped it starting up at startup), unless I really need to talk to someone - due to the fact that I get to easily distracted when trying to work.

But I'll tell you one thing, It's really good to be able to videoconference with my old man - who's 12000 miles or so away. (So I can rub it in about all the nice sunshine in this part of the world) hehehe.

But I really need to try VOIP, not bothered with it yet.

I use the MSN Messenger, but not without getting rid of most of the ads using the miraculous CleanMessenger program; it's definitely worth searching for it.

I used to use MSN.. but I didn't want to install AIM, so I just use trillian.

In linux I use gaim, In windows I only use gaim to run yahoo IM.

Well I'm not so fancy as you folk.

Anyone try bitlbee? For IRC junkies mostly.

http://www.bitlbee.org/main.php/news.html

I've been a bigger fan of centericq for a linux console-based AIM (and other) client that I can save in a screen session, but you're the second person who has recommended bitlbee, so I gave it a shot today (in conjunction with irssi), and I think I'm still a bigger fan of centericq, but I'll give it a few more days. (And yes, I am an irc junkie.)

centericq is cool too, I used it on my 486 laptop for a few weeks :)

I can't stand AIM. it logs me off every half an hour. I use MSN. Will be checking out that CleanMessenger thign though. thanks for the heads up.

Too much work! How dare you... After using Trillian for the past few years, trying to go back to any native client, or using the lame gaim is just the worst.

I can't function without trillian. I love it. I have everything in one easy package. Googltalk, ICQ, MSNMessenger, Yahoo Messenger, IRC, all of it. Works well...

Besides... with ONLY 1 gig of ram... I need all the ram I can get!

What exactly is Trillian and what does it DO? I know a few people who use it....

ninikins: http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/learn/

links are worth a thousand words...

My friend went with a mac for his new laptop and apparently they don't have a mac version of trillian but he has some program now that quacks like a duck and he says he loves it. Best IM software he has used.

I like trillian because I can do all the IMs and IRC under one program. Of course yesterday I needed some DCC irc functionality and it was not working, and instead of spending 10 minutes figuring it out, I just downloaded MIRC real quick.

Thanks for the link. most helpful.

no problem.