What is Digg?Sponsored by Travelzoo
$52 and Up—Airlines Slash Fares On Peak Holiday Flights. view!
travelzoo.com - This year, waiting until the last minute is NOT the best strategy. See why.
104 Comments
- corevette, on 10/11/2007, -17/+95a summary of the article:
desktop - use pidgin
online - use meebo
iq lower than 13.7 - use trillian - ldhotsoup, on 10/11/2007, -4/+41No Miranda IM? I call shenanigans. It's sleek and streamline, I've been using it for years. It supports everything including Jabber (GTalk) and IRC.
http://www.miranda-im.org/ - estvir, on 10/11/2007, -1/+36And I buried you for spelling 'because' as 'becoz.'
This isn't an AOL chat room from the 90s so keep spelling like that where it belongs. - Wailord, on 10/11/2007, -0/+19They say Adium doesn't have any plugins. Doesn't it have...a ton?
- mcm297, on 10/11/2007, -0/+18Pidgin is solid, especially the windows port. It's much faster than Gaim ever was, and has a cleaner interface (especially for inline edits of aliases for example.) I've noticed a few "unexpected" crashes, but other than that it's the best application out there for IM.
- fkr3, on 10/11/2007, -7/+25Marked as inaccurate.
Everybody knows Kevin Rose hasn't finished inventing IM yet, so how can there be 6 completed clients for something that doesn't exist yet? - igor2209, on 10/11/2007, -4/+22what about Miranda ? http://www.miranda-im.org/ Why it wasn't even mentioned in the article ? It supports all IM protocols , there are lots of plug-ins available and it is open source ,
- Iconwolf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+15"This isn't an AOL chat room from the 90s so keep spelling like that where it belongs."
I remember the AOL chat room "daze". That deserve a digg+ for being spot on.
[S wav-LOL - SirG3, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Pidgin/Gaim is pretty good compared to the rest of the Win32 clients... It lacks one major thing though: accessibility support.
Why don't developers understand accessibility? I have RSI which sometimes is bad enough I can't hold a mouse - Vista's speech recognition is a godsend. The problem is, a lot of applications just aren't accessible on Win32 (most GTK+ apps, Trillian, etc). - angelic13, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13GoogleTalk is listed in the comparison table on the last page.
- WiseWeasel, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13Another vote for Pidgin in Windows. It's the closest to the goodness that is Adium on the Mac (but obviously nowhere near as sweet)...
- Me1on, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11Where's Kopete? I've always preferred it over other IM clients.
- sishgupta, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8The comparison chart on the last page says pidgin is not available for windows, which is incorrect.
- spyrochaete, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7I vote for Miranda too. If you run Windows and love lean, highly moddable software you'll love it.
- antdude, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8First page: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2142647,00.asp
- nihility, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7My Pidgin "unexpectedly" crashes every time I exit. Besides that it is very solid, definitely better than Gaim.
- Kickersny, on 10/11/2007, -3/+9Miranda (and some others) were probably skipped because it's titled "6 Free Multi-Service IM Clients" rather than "Every Multi-Service IM Client"
- eezzzz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Don't worry, this will be back on Digg in a day or two unnoticed.
- xiojqwnko, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Pidgin!
- dukrous, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5The only problem with Miranda IM is a constant issue in OSS...it works great, installs quick, but will require a couple hours to get up and running the way you like. Miranda IM is simply too unwieldly for the vast majority of computer users out there. That would be reason enough not to put it on the list...it has a learning curve like a shuttle takeoff.
- Netrilix, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Trillian and I had some serious issues back in the early days. Since then, I've bounced between the main clients (excluding Triton/AIM6, because I can't stand it), and Gaim/Pidgin. Gaim used to give me a few issues, but Pidgin has run pretty flawlessly for me.
- ElCazador, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@ discman:
That all depends on your needs... Do you have friends that you want to instant message with? If so, do some of them use AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), others MSN, or Yahoo IM?
If all your friends use just one of those (say, for example, AIM), then you really wouldn't need "multi-protocol, cross-platform" features. In that case, I'd recommend just using whatever your friends are using. It would be much easier for someone just learning, such as yourself. No sense getting things more complicated than they need to be.
If you DO have friends using different IM clients, then the benefit of the programs in the article are that you can use ONE program to IM all your friends, regardless of what IM client THEY use. I personally use Pidgin, but I've used Trillian, too. For ease of use of use, I'd recommend trying the free version of Trillian. The only problem I had with it was that the free version does not support Jabber, with is the "client" that Google Talk uses (the $25.00 "Trillian Pro" version does), and I knew people who use GTalk.
That's just my "honest" opinion/suggestion. Hope that helps! - apache2, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5bitlbee with irssi..... hardcore :)
Bitlbee: http://www.bitlbee.org/main.php/news.html
(It's basically connects to a whole bunch of IM networks as a deamon, and then you can connect to it using an IRC client, connecting to localhost) - ElCazador, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4@ annoia:
The concluding comparison chart is incorrect, as there are versions of Pidgin for both Windows AND Linux. If you read the detailed section about Pidgin, it states that the version they tested was for Windows.
There are several other mistakes on that chart. It also states there are no plug-ins available for Adium, but the section about Adium clearly mentions that dozens are available (which is true).
On another note, I'm surprised they didn't mention that Pidgin is the default IM client for Ubuntu. For those of us that use both Windows and Ubuntu, it's nice to have the same client available for both. - cdmarcus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Pidgin should definitely have beat out Adium and Trillian. Adium has a nice UI and works on Macs, but that's pretty much all they've got going for them when compared to Pidgin. Also, why did they keep mentioning crappy Mac support on Pidgin's article while completely ignoring Adium only working on the Mac and Trillian only working on Windows? Anyway, Pidgin and Adium aren't competing, the Pidgin guys actually recommend Adium when using a Mac. They also use the same protocol library, developed by Pidgin.
- WalkerBurgin, on 10/11/2007, -6/+10@corvette:
"Trillian has long been the alternative IM client to beat, and it remains so"
RTFA before you give a "summary" - Flanker, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I used to be a pretty big Trillian fan, but Cerulean Studios is a pathetic company (and also I switched to Linux). When a new version of Trillian comes out, most of the features will work . . . if you're lucky. Then slowly as the individual protocols are updated, things will begin to break until you're left with essentially no functionality except simple text chatting. That's fine if that's all you want (but in that case, you don't buy Pro).
Customer service consists of some guy named ameoba on the forums on a power trip telling you that you suck for questioning Trillian's superiority. And Ceruleans Studios' turnaround time sucks. I believe v3.1 was released in early 2005---over 2 years with no major updates, and apparently the explanation for this is, "Give them a break; it's only two guys. You'll get the next version when it's ready."
No thanks. I've got a better client which is free, works great, and if any portion of it ever breaks, it gets fixed in days, not years. - theonlyvlad, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3@corvette and others
Can someone tell me what's wrong with Trillian? Besides the fact it's not open source? - veracon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3@antdude (#7093182)
Meebo's coup de grâce is that you don't have to install any software? How is that a "death blow"? Or do these people just think using French words will make the article somehow better? - Atomic1fire, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Meebo is one of the best web based ones
why
1.they didnt just start serving advertisements they waited till they had a nice userbase and hid the advertisements in the logout screen so its unobtrusive
2. they have function and listen to users
3. they have do web2.0 well without annoying people - crazybrit, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Seriously, why did my first comment get dugg down? Because I jokingly used the word "Mactard?" I like Apple as much as the next guy, but the Apple fanaticism on Digg is kind of ridiculous sometimes.
- AirRaven, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Ditto.
It's the only really feasible choice for Linux IM if you want a reasonably complete feature set on the MSN protocol and don't want to use Mercury and be bogged down with Java.
Looks nice, performs well, and has the largest feature set. Gaim/Pidgin can't compete. - stalefries, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7Hint: $.
- aserer511, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I have used meebo and am a pidgin/ex-GAIM user normally. Both are excellent. AIM was not stable for me so went to pidgin and ironically lost what was giving me instability, full format, color profiles. i can live without that. GAIM is excellent, with no loss in functionality yet. unlike ebuddy the GUI is very aim-esque. Meebo is an EXCELLENT aimexpress alternative, and if it had tab-functionality would render it better than AIM. the interface is sooo fluid, and it runs well on meh computers.
- BodhiGeek, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Indeed, Adium does have many plugins.
One of my favorites is the OTR encryption plugin that ships with Adium. Kopete on Linux is a great IM client, but Pidgin's support for OTR make it my client of choice on Linux and Windows. Between Adium on Mac and Pidgin on Linux and Windows, you can have cross-platform compatible, multi-protocol IM support no matter what system you have to work on.
There are a fair number of mistakes in the article re: protocols supported, plugin support, etc. And, it never touches on encryption. :-( - stalefries, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@Wailord: http://adiumxtras.com
I haven't counted, but I imagine a ton is a fair estimate. :) - cdmarcus, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2hakz: Yep, you are. Besides being ass-ugly and not using your OS's native GUI widgets, they have HUGE ADS and generally have too many options for any of them to be useful. I don't quite mind ads in unobtrusive places like, say, the options menu or the login screen (if there are ads, that's where they should be) but at least with Windows Live, AIM, and Yahoo, they're right in the buddy list, which I keep on top, turning my computer into a HUGE ***** BILLBOARD.
- Gobd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I like Pidgin but it is just so resource heavy and has minimal features and options. Trillian is by far the best client but it costs money as the free version is not that good. Miranda is the best if you know what you're doing, it takes a LOT of configuring but is the lightest on resources with the most features. I really hope the Miranda development team can bring Miranda to the top over the next few years.
- cootetom, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I use pidgin in windows and linux. Does exactly what I want it to and doesn't come with any baggage. Plus it's nice to have the same app in what ever OS i'm currently using.
- Roger, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4@brasso
It supports receiving offline messages though.
@Kickersny
Why mention eBuddy and Meetro then? I've never heard of those before (and I'm sure few have).
Miranda >> GAIM/Pidgin IMHO - RpgActioN, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3"stalefries: Hint: $"
Hint: Piracy. - brasso, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Just my thought. Unfortunately Mirandas MSN-plugin does not yet support offline messages but besides from that its really nice.
- digitalarcanum, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2chances are office communicator is jabber protocol. so more than likely almost all of these programs support it. For instance, my old workplace used oracle instant messenger, Gaim/Pidgin worked flawlessly with it, since Oracle IM was jabber.
- Wireddd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I use Kopete
- Roger, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2@dukrous (#7102755)
Can't disagree with you, but check this out: http://www.miranda-pack.com/#screens - renegadeafk, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I agree, ever since I started using KDE I have started to love Kopote. It's fast has a lot of features and is stable.
- Xeccos, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I second the BitlBee thing, only I use it with X-Chat (on Windows). Also, Adium isn't much more than gaim (Pidgin now) with the mac interface. If you want something outside of irc on a mac, Adium is the way to go. However on Windows, Pidgin works great. (I don't use features other than text).
- JonLatane, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2My one annoyance with Pidgin (and it's been in all WinGaim versions I can remember) is the chat window cursors. In chat windows, if you move the cursor over the conversation, it becomes a black, old-school X11 style cursor, regardless of what cursor you pick in Windows. And clickable links in chat windows have a really weird "hand" cursor when you hover over them. Another inconsistency that's much less annoying is the "typing" cursor - it's always the old X11-style one, black with a white outline, whereas the Windows one is black with no outline. Since it still hasn't been fixed, I'll assume the problem is with Windows GTK rather than Pidgin itself. But man, is it annoying.
In spite of this, though, Pidgin is by far my favorite. Trillian is good, but the free version has lots of crippled features that are in Pidgin (plugins, advanced logging, icons in the freaking contact list...) - WhereAmI, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Everyone keeps knocking Trillian but if you look in Kevin Rose's archives he suggests improvements on IM clients (long ago, before his next venture was announced) and he used Trillian as the client that he photoshopped improvements for. Meaning he uses it.
I don't know what he uses now, probably his own alpha. - generalloy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I agree. Plus it does video chat...(which aMSN does too, admittedly but I couldn't get that to work with it)
-
Show 51 - 100 of 104 discussions
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is