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6 multiclient IM apps to chat
about |
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A variety of multiclient instant-messaging
services have cropped up that allow users to communicate with each
other over the Web. Some can be downloaded onto your desktop, while
others can be accessed on the Internet. In either case, they're
worth trying out, if you want to enjoy a fine experience
communicating with your friends. |
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Multiclient IM resources |
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Adium
Adium is my favorite multiclient instant-messaging tool for a
few reasons. It supports practically any IM platform around,
including AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook, MySpace, Google Talk
(via Jabber), and more. It even has a plug-in for Skype.
You'll rarely have any trouble communicating with friends in
the service. But its most redeeming quality is that it's open
source. So, if you want to modify the code to fit your own IM
desires, that's possible. And those in the open-source community
are constantly improving the product, whose updates typically
install with ease.
When you download Adium (it's available for
Mac
OS X), you'll have the option of choosing
your IM service. By default, Adium takes on the same design
as Mac OS X. But with the help of
some plug-ins from Adium's site, called "Xtras," you can
customize it as you see fit. Those add-ons include emoticons,
dock icons, scripts, and more. I could go on about Adium, but
I think that you get the point: if you're a Mac OS X user,
it's worth trying out |
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Adium takes on the
look of Mac OS X by default. |
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After installing Digsby on my
Windows PC (Mac and Linux versions are reportedly on the way), I
was able to log in to my accounts on AIM, Yahoo Mail, Facebook, and
others. Digsby's app is designed well, with a more attractive
interface than Adium's default skin. Digsby also gives you the
option of sending an SMS text message from the application.
Overall, I liked Digsby. |
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Digsby lets you chat
with anyone at any time. |
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eBuddy
eBuddy is a Web-based multiclient instant-messaging
app through which you can connect to AIM, Yahoo IM, MSN, Facebook,
ICQ, and MySpace. Although it provides a bunch of options, eBuddy
doesn't quite stand up to the competition. It's not as responsive
as some of the other apps in this roundup, and I was unimpressed by
its design. That said, I did like that I could view my Facebook
friends' profiles by clicking on a link in the client. I also liked
that the app opens in a separate window--I find it more convenient
than switching to a tab. Plus, it's available for Android-based
phones, as well as the Nintendo DS and Sony
PSP. |
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eBuddy isn't
the best-looking service, but it still works
well. |
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Meebo
Like eBuddy, Meebo is a Web-based
instant-messaging tool that lets you communicate with friends
on AIM, MySpace, Yahoo, and MSN. You can also chat with
Facebook and Google Talk friends. |
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When you go to the Meebo home
page, you have the option of inputting your credentials for any of
those services. The instant messaging on Meebo is outstanding. It's
the same interface for all the sites, but you can get buddies'
contact information, see their Facebook status, and even check out
their entire Facebook profile by clicking on the appropriate link,
which opens the profile in another tab. Meebo is one of the more
popular multiclient IM tools on the Web for good reason--it's
simple, responsive, and boasts support for a variety of clients.
Even better,
you can use it on your iPhone. |
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Meebo lets you
chat with your Facebook friends. |
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Pidgin Similar to Adium, Pidgin
is an open-source IM client that allows you to modify it as you
wish. If you don't want to do that, you'll still be satisfied with
the software. |
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Once installed, Pidgin gives you
the option of signing into your various IM accounts. You can chat
with friends on AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, MySpace, and others at the
same time. It's not as good-looking as some of its competitors, but
it's designed more for the power user who wants to be able to chat
with as many people at a time as possible. Pidgin is ideally suited
for Windows machines, so that may be a problem for some. If you
want to use an open-source instant-messaging platform on a Mac,
Adium is your best bet. |
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Pidgin asks
you to create accounts when you first start it
up. |
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Trillian Trillian is a desktop
IM client that supports instant messaging on AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo
Messenger, and Internet Relay Chat. Unfortunately, it's available
only to Windows users at this time. The company is promising Mac
and iPhone support in its follow-up
version of the software, called Trillian
Astra. |
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Overall, I was really impressed by
Trillian. It supports the standard features like group chat, audio
chat, and the option to view profiles. But having the ability to
change skins was quite appealing. I was able to customize the
experience to match my tastes. From dark to bright, there's at
least one skin for everyone. Trillian is, quite simply, the most
beautiful multiclient IM service in this roundup. If you want more
functionality (such as bringing in your Google Talk contacts), you
can also buy Trillian Pro, which costs
$25. |
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Trillian Astra
is coming to Trillian. |
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