Best Windows IM Client

[tobefirst ⚽️]

didn't know where else to put this...

I'm looking for an IM client to recommend to some users on a website I run. The rules are:

1. It must be free
2. It must work with jabber
3. Emphasis on ease of use

Easy, right? Which one's the best?

Oh...sorry...it should also work with AIM, yahoo, and MSN, too. Sorry...

 

[vniow]

http://gaim.sourceforge.net/

 

[dreamsINdigital]

Miranda IM

 

[kainjow]

Normal AIM + DeadAIM

 

[dreamsINdigital]

Normal AIM + DeadAIM

Since when did AIM work with Jabber?

 

[kainjow]

Since when did AIM work with Jabber?

Oh, I missed that part. Heh, well I don't know. All Windows IM clients suck from what I've seen.

 

[diego2k7]

Trillian is a good option. Not sure if jabber support is available in the free version tho.

 

[waremaster]

Trillian is a good option. Not sure if jabber support is available in the free version tho.

I will second Trillian.

 

[htdefiant]

Meebo.com is a good website for web-based IM's with MSN, GTalk, Jabber, AIM, and Yahoo. I suggest making a Meebo account so you can sign in wiht all your screennames at meebo.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Meebo.com is a good website for web-based IM's with MSN, GTalk, Jabber, AIM, and Yahoo. I suggest making a Meebo account so you can sign in wiht all your screennames at meebo.

Haha...thanks. I LOVE meebo. What I'm actually looking for is a desktop app that will work with the meebome widget. That's what I'm looking for, as I do the same now with adium. Ironic that you would suggest it.

I will second Trillian.

that's nice, except it doesn't satisfy either the free or the jabber requirement, depending on whether you're talking about the basic or pro version.


vniow, is gaim really that good? what's it like?

 

[vniow]

vniow, is gaim really that good? what's it like?

I wouldn't use anything else. Its free, open-source, no ads, simple but easily configurable and suppors almost every protocol out there. It looks like a no-frills app but its got a lot underneath.

 

[Lixivial]

Seconded, thirded, or whatever'd the Gaim mention. I'm a pretty big fan of Gaim -- it's a consistent UI across almost any platform, be it Linux, be it Windows or be it OS X.

To give perspective of Gaim; Adium is based off Gaim's library. So any and all client limitations of Adium are usually due to the Gaim library. That said, in terms of UI the two have nearly nothing in common. In a nutshell, think of Adium as a Aqua front end to Gaim -- though I don't think Adium supports all the protocols/features that Gaim does.

 

[Mav451]

Both my friend and I have had major problems with GAIM. It keeps telling us that we are over the "rate limit".

As a long time AIM user, normal (old version) AIM + DeadAIM is the best bet.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

I wouldn't use anything else. Its free, open-source, no ads, simple but easily configurable and suppors almost every protocol out there. It looks like a no-frills app but its got a lot underneath.

Sounds good to me. Thanks!

 

[apfhex]

Trillian (free version) is what I use. It just works. Assume it supports Jabber.

GAIM I tried because I'm a fan of Adium, but it crashes when I try to connect to my MSN account (100% reproducible).

Miranda IM I've seen nice skins for, but as it turns out it doesn't actually have support for any, to do it you have to do some messy things and it just didn't sound fun.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Trillian (free version) is what I use. It just works. Assume it supports Jabber.

Stop assuming.

 

[greatdevourer]

vniow, is gaim really that good? what's it like?

It's what Adium's based off, so there must be some good code somewhere in there, but it doesn't show it off all too well. Little things like crashing the instant you log into MSN Personally, I use meebo.com (how crap is that - the entire lot beaten to a pulp by summat in my pre-windows-post-mac times deemed as an "if I must")