Download IM+ Instant Messenger and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. IM+ is an all-in-one app for messaging and social networking. Chat on Telegram and Messenger while checking your Twitter feeds and Reddit. Messenger for Mac. Often when a program begins life as a Windows app, the Mac version is more of an afterthought. Messenger for Mac is an exception. It was designed from the ground up for the Mac, leveraging the common user interface elements of OS X. The Mac version compares well to the Windows version, with support for Yahoo! Trillian is a free fully featured, stand-alone and one of the most popular standalone instant. While on the Mac, only the Yahoo's Mac OS X program support video chat with other Yahoo users. Good luck if your friend is on other network and is not using a Mac. World-wide Market Share of all IM. In general, two chat networks cannot talk to each other. Disclaimer: Yahoo Messenger has been discontinued since July, 17 2018. Messenger is very popular, because it allows you to chat and call friends instantly and for free. You can spice up your conversations with various smiley emoticons.
Hillel Fuld authors a blog about technology and marketing at Technmarketing.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
Since the proliferation of the Internet, instant messaging (IMing from here on in) has become a very popular means of communicating on the Web. Even with the rapid growth of Twitter, many people still communicate using IM. Now, there is no shortage of IM protocols out there; these include ICQ, AIM, GTalk, Yahoo, and Facebook, to name a few. IM aggregators aim to solve the mess of having all these programs open at once.
Here is where it gets complicated. Depending on whether you're on the web, Windows, Mac, or a mobile device, there are a number of aggregators from which to choose. To help you figure things out, here are five great instant messenger aggregators for multiple platforms.
Have another aggregator you'd add to this list? Tell us about it in the comments.
1. Windows
When it comes to IMing in Windows, the possibilities are endless. With all the available options, there is one program that just offers more than the rest: Digsby. Digsby offers users a wide variety of protocols that include AIM, MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, Jabber, and Facebook chat. However, the innovative genius of Digsby does not stop there. Digsby recently included Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace feeds in the client as well. As if that wasn't enough to make it the ultimate application, you can get your multiple email accounts, including Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL/AIM Mail, IMAP, and POP in there too.
This all may sound a little overwhelming and complicated, but it's not; Digsby could not be more user-friendly. You have an icon in your taskbar for whatever network/IM/email account you configure, and you receive popup notifications for that account according to a predefined user preference. It's as simple as that.
Benefits: The popup notifications are a snapshot of your email, tweet, or IM, and you can respond from within the popup, as opposed to opening the entire application window. Additionally, there are IM aliases, tabbed IMing, the ability to send SMS messages directly from the IM window, and much more.
So, what are the downsides? Well, I can only think of one; no Mac version. The service is planning a Mac version, but there is no ETA on its release.
A good alternative to Digsby is:Pidgin, which supports AIM, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GTalk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MySpaceIM, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Yahoo, Zephy. Pidgin also has a Linux version.
2. Mac
Adium does a good job of giving you all your buddy lists in a nice and simple interface. The networks it supports include AIM, MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, ICQ, Jabber, MobileMe, Bonjour, MySpace IM, Facebook chat, Lotus Sametime, Novell Groupwise, QQ, and Gadu-Gadu. So, unless you are on some really small and unheard of network, Adium pretty much has you covered.
Aspects that could use tweaking: Adium could be a lot more user-friendly. There are endless preferences in the Adium menu and you can fully customize its look, yet somehow, the most basic options, like viewing all your contacts in separate lists by protocol, are difficult to find. All in all, unless you are a details junkie like me, Adium will serve you loyally.
Yahoo Messenger Install
A good alternative to Adium is: iChat, the built-in Mac OS client, which supports .Mac, AIM, Jabber, and GTalk.
3. Web
When it comes to IM on the Web, the concept is to be able to communicate with your various lists without the need to do any downloading. This is a great choice for those who are unable to download an aggregator at their workplace. When it comes to Web-based IM, Meebo is a simple, straightforward, and useful tool. The site offers you the ability to sign into your AIM, MSN, GTalk, ICQ, Yahoo, Facebook Chat, MySpace, Jabber, and Flixter accounts, without the need to download any software. You can log into each of these individually, or sign up for Meebo and log in to all automatically.
Benefits:It is a fairly simple design, that I am pretty sure anyone, no matter how computer illiterate, could use comfortably.
A good alternative to Meebo is:radiusIM, which supports AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and GTalk.
Yahoo Instant Messenger
4. Mobile
With all the highly advanced mobile devices being announced daily, there are still many users who have relatively older cell phones. There is no reason these users shouldn't have the capability to IM from their devices. Trutap is a powerful IM client that supports even the old J2ME phone infrastructure and enables users with older phones to access their IM accounts. It's a feature-packed, simple to use, pleasant on the eyes IM client for your phone. It supports multiple IM protocols, social networks, and blogging networks, such as Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, Facebook chat, Flickr, ICQ, Photobucket, Rediff Bol, Friendster, and Blogger.
Benefits: Trutap has a great design. Each list is separated with the ability to collapse or expand it. Then you have the ability to move to another tab, which has all your open conversations in a very simple to use window. All the standard IM options are available to you on your phone. You can add or remove a contact, edit a contact's details, as well as set your status. All in all, another product that proves to me that less is often more.
Yahoo Instant Messenger App
A good alternative to Trutap is: Ebuddy, which supports MSN, Yahoo!, AIM, Gtalk, ICQ and Facebook. Ebuddy also has a web-based IM aggregator similar to Meebo and radiusIM.
5. iPhone
There are so many IM apps available for the iPhone, although there is one that really stands out from the rest, in my mind. Nimbuzz is an industry leading IM and VOIP app for mobile in general, and iPhone specifically.
Nimbuzz offers a very wide variety of networks. The iPhone Nimbuzz client supports Skype, Yahoo! IM, AIM, GTalk, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, Facebook, MySpace, StudiVZ, Gadu Gadu, and Hyves. It has a very simplistic interface that is pure fun to use. Nimbuzz also offers a wide landscape keyboard for the iPhone, making the IMing experience so much more enjoyable.
Benefits: The interface has 5 tabs: Contacts, Chats, Communities, Messages, and Settings. Could it be any more straightforward? Another thing that's great about Nimbuzz is their will to stay above their competition. They are always improving their software, which is why they have accomplished so much as a company. Nimbuzz recently signed a deal with Toshiba to have their software preinstalled on all of Toshiba's new TG01 devices, which is the company's flagship handset.
A good alternative to Nimbuzz is:Fring, which supports Skype, MSN, Facebook, Gmail, GTalk, ICQ, SIP, Last.fm, Twitter, Yahoo, and AIM.
What's your IM aggregator of choice?
It does not matter if you are a 'Mac or PC,' iPhone user or Symbian fan, you should have no problem combining your various IM networks into one user-friendly and feature-rich IM aggregator. Tell us about your IM aggregator of choice and why it's your favorite.
More instant messaging resources:
- 70+ Free iPhone Apps for Social Media Mavens - Instant Messaging Toolbox: 90+ IM Tools - 9 Cool Instant Messaging Tools
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Ayzek
Share photos instantly, send GIFs and even unsend messages. It’s the fastest way to keep in touch with friends.Instant, high resolution photo sharing lets you share your entire weekend at once in a photo carousel.
Chat Yahoo Messenger
Screenshots of Yahoo Messenger
Yahoo Messenger Editor's Review
Yahoo! Messenger is a fully featured online communication tool. Its setup integrates the Yahoo! Toolbar which provides anti-spy, pop-up blocker, and quick access to other Yahoo! services (mail, photos, search, etc). With Yahoo! Messenger you can send instant messages, call computers, call a phone number, send a mobile message, or sign in to Yahoo! Mail.
You can edit your current status or change your picture. It's also possible to create your own avatar, which is displayed next to your name in your friends' contact list. Sharing your webcam or seeing other people who enable their webcam is easy. If you don't want anyone to see when you are online you should log on using the 'Invisible' status. Nobody, except the people you select, would notice you are around. Messages are sent to your friends regardless of their online/offline status. Depending on your network configuration, you should also be able to use this instant messenger for sending files.
During instant messages you have the possibility to customize fonts, send emoticons and audibles, and select IMVironments. Everything is provided for you to have a great time while chatting with your friends. The Inside Yahoo! window provides quick links to news, finance, personals, movies, horoscopes, etc. You also get notifications of new emails and voice messages in this window. If you don't like this feature, you can turn it off from the program's preferences.
In version 8, the 'Content Tabs' in the 'Preferences' window has been removed. Now 'Yahoo! Plug-ins' are available. So far you can install about 15 plug-ins like Music LAUNCHcast, Answers, 360, eBay, iTunes, Amazon.com, Finance, Calendar, Weather, and others. It's easy to stay up to date with new music, movies, sports results, and other stuff that may be of interest to you.
Pluses: On first run, Yahoo! Messenger will look in your Yahoo! Address Book and Microsoft Outlook for new contacts or for people who are using Messenger but are not in your list of contacts. This is done in order to complete your contact list.
The good news is that you can now add any Windows Live Messenger user to your contact list. After installing Yahoo! Messenger, simply click on the link 'IM with Windows Live (MSN) Messenger', follow the instructions, and you'll be able to chat with Windows Live Messenger users.
Several extra plugins and features are provided. LAUNCHcast radio comes with lots of online radio stations to choose from. You can select a favourite radio station as 'My Station'. Yahoo! Games enables you to play Chess, Pool, Backgammon, Word Racer, or other games with your friends, while at the same time talking to them. Yahoo 360 blogging community is a way to keep connected with friends and family using blogs, pictures, and more.
All menu buttons and the skins are customizable, subject to change according to your preferences. The default skin in this version is Maverick Blue. If want to change this skin, you should access the 'Change skin' submenu of the 'Messenger' menu.
Drawbacks / flaws: In some network environments you may discover that you are not able to send or receive files.
In conclusion: One of the best online communication tools. I have used Yahoo! Messenger for a long time and I almost always was satisfied with it. Download now and explore its full potential!
version reviewed: 8.1.0.402
Yahoo Messenger Publisher's Description
Yahoo Messenger is a free service that allows you to see when friends come online and send them instant messages. It can also alert you to new e-mail in your Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Personals account, or when you have upcoming events recorded in Yahoo Calendar.Here are some key features of 'Yahoo Messenger':· LAUNCHcast Radio· Yahoo! Games · IMVironments·
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