What instant messenger client do you use?

[fatsheep]

I use and highly recommend Gaim/Pidgin: http://www.pidgin.im/

It can be used with many different IM protocols such as AIM, Yahoo, IRC, MSN, and Google Talk/Jabber and I find the interface to be quite nice. It is 100% free and open source, available on Windows and Linux. I also use xChat on occassion as an IRC client. What client(s) do you use?

P.S. Let me know if I missed any good clients, I will add them to the poll! :)

[Your Amish Daddy]

I have a big problem with Gaim/Pidgin. The MSN support is lackluster. Sure you can send text but little else. I originally thought it was a port forwarding issue, or had something to do with my router, but two routers and a switch later, I still have the same problem. Transfers through MSN take forever. I use a whole bunch of different messengers, depending on where I am and what I'm doing.

[leishi85]

iChat

[IndigoRed]

MSN Live, Yahoo, mIRC. Depends on who I'm wanting to talk to and what they use.

[CB]

I've use Trillian for years. It does everything, even IRC.

[BLuKnight]

I fell in love with Trillian at version 1. I even bought Pro. However, when the updates and product releases became stagnant, I started to loose faith. I could ignore the fact that I couldn't goof off playing MSN games with co-workers. But, the final nail in the coffin was the lack of MSN to Trillian webcam support.

So, now I use MSN Messenger. Look for apatch to remove ads and other bloatware. Then add MSN Messenger Live Plus for some added features. (Gotta love the boss key.) Finally, for added security, throw in SimpLite for MSN. This encrypts your messages if both persons are using SimpLite.

Hmmm... that was a bit longer than I intended. Happy messaging.

[QCH]

I fell in love with Trillian at version 1. I even bought Pro. However, when the updates and product releases became stagnant, I started to loose faith. I could ignore the fact that I couldn't goof off playing MSN games with co-workers. But, the final nail in the coffin was the lack of MSN to Trillian webcam support.Yep... me too. Trillian until recently now Pidgin!!!

[jared]

Pidgin does everything I need without all the bull****.

Do I care if people on MSN can't "bump" my screen? Do I care to if I can't have an a/s/l chat over webcam? Do I care if people can't send me a crappy paint-quality drawing? NO.

I use Pidgin to have conversations and transfer files. It does that very efficiently.

All default clients, notably AIM and MSN live, are absolutely wretched.

Long live Pidgin and mIRC.

[fatsheep]

Pidgin does everything I need without all the bull****.

Do I care if people on MSN can't "bump" my screen? Do I care to if I can't have an a/s/l chat over webcam? Do I care to have people can't send me a crappy paint-quality drawing? NO.

I use Pidgin to have conversations and transfer files. It does that very efficiently.

All default clients, notable AIM and MSN live, are absolutely wretched.

Long live Pidgin and mIRC.

My thoughts exactly. However, you do know you can use IRC on Pidgin right?

[GrayFox]

Pidgin here. MSN just keep getting worse and more bloated every release. By msn 6's release I had fully switched to gaim.

[RWB]

I was using GAIM but it kept giving me crap, probably because I get logged into 3 areas at times :P

Either way, no crap with Pidgin... simple, pretty, and just what I need for AIM, MSN, and now IRC.