Instant Messenger

zimfan

I'm running on Vista, and I was wondering which IM app people use the most.

I find that AIM is popular with 20 somethings MSN wth 30's and up and Yahoo with teens

but that's just with all the people I've met and known

I have all three, and comparing them, I think my favorite is Yahoo Messenger Beta (9?), very clean easy UI

I find AIM's Clunky (AIM also takes a big chunk of CPU) and MSN's Crowded

How About You

Dehumanized

i use pidgin

it is pretty good

zimfan

Dehumanized wrote: »

i use pidgin

it is pretty good

I just looked it up

wow

how does it run?

Cyvros

I personally prefer Google Talk, but I tend to have both it and the WLM beta up at the same time.

It might be something to do with where I am, but I don't know anyone who uses Yahoo Messenger and only one person with AIM - basically everyone uses WLM, but a fair few use Gtalk. I've heard that it's a different situation in other countries, where AIM and Yahoo are more popular.

maximumzero

Pidgin is what I use when I'm booted into XP. It's pretty much the closest I've found to Adium for OS X.

Centipede Damascus

pidgin is a pretty good IM program

clean interface and tabbed conversations are good

Fraz

I also use Pidgin on Vista and XP, but you should check out Digsby if you're into all the social networking stuff.

Cyvros

There's also Meebo, which is basically the web app equivalent of Pidgin - it even uses the same base (libpurple).

Improvolone

I'm a huge fan of Miranda, but it takes quite a bit of work.
Either way, it sounds like you have never heard of multi-client programs, which are awesome.

Centipede Damascus

oh wow, I had never heard of Digsby

I am trying it out now and I really like it, especially for the Twitter integration

zanetheinsane

I'm back to using Pidgin since the latest version fixed a problem where the program would start eating up RAM and lock up after running for a couple of days, since I always leave it on. Ever since the last version though, I haven't had too many problems.

It can be a tad bit slow to get control to the chat windows when alt tabbing, but not too often.

1ddqd

I prefer Pidgin to Digsby after about a month of use, but only just barely. I think it runs a little smoother and is just a *tad* bit more utilitarian than Digsby. Which is a win, in my book.

wunderbar

Fraz wrote: »

I also use Pidgin on Vista and XP, but you should check out Digsby if you're into all the social networking stuff.

Seriously. I think digsby is the best multi-client IM app for windows. they've been working hard to optimize the code, so it's got a pretty small footprint and has a much cleaner interface than most.

I tried the new WLM beta.....and oh my god do I hate it. I want to like it, but it's terrible. there is so much bloody UI waste. I'm running 2x 22" displays and I feel like having 3 conversations open with the new WLM beta takes up 50% of my screen real estate.

Also, in Canada, very few people I know use AIM, everyone here is on WLM. AIM is only really popular in the US.

Cyvros

wunderbar wrote: »

I tried the new WLM beta.....and oh my god do I hate it. I want to like it, but it's terrible. there is so much bloody UI waste. I'm running 2x 22" displays and I feel like having 3 conversations open with the new WLM beta takes up 50% of my screen real estate.

I understand what you mean if you're talking about the default settings. Who decided to make the DPs in conversation windows that insanely huge?

However, the beta's the first version of MSN/WLM I've actually liked using. Of course, I've hidden DPs, menus and toolbars wherever I can, so I don't really get that much screen wastage.

Hranj

Wow, I've never even heard of Digsby before but it looks pretty nice. I'm gonna have to try it. I've personally been using pidgin and can't complain at all. Three years and absolutely nothing but good experiences.

Daedalus

maximumzero wrote: »

Pidgin is what I use when I'm booted into XP. It's pretty much the closest I've found to Adium for OS X.

This is because Adium is basically Pidgin with a native OSX user interface instead of GTK.

wunderbar

Cyvros wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

I tried the new WLM beta.....and oh my god do I hate it. I want to like it, but it's terrible. there is so much bloody UI waste. I'm running 2x 22" displays and I feel like having 3 conversations open with the new WLM beta takes up 50% of my screen real estate.

I understand what you mean if you're talking about the default settings. Who decided to make the DPs in conversation windows that insanely huge?

However, the beta's the first version of MSN/WLM I've actually liked using. Of course, I've hidden DPs, menus and toolbars wherever I can, so I don't really get that much screen wastage.

I'd consider using it after hiding all the crap if they had tabbed conversatoins. Seriously, it's 2008, IM apps need tabs.

Cyvros

wunderbar wrote: »

Cyvros wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

I tried the new WLM beta.....and oh my god do I hate it. I want to like it, but it's terrible. there is so much bloody UI waste. I'm running 2x 22" displays and I feel like having 3 conversations open with the new WLM beta takes up 50% of my screen real estate.

I understand what you mean if you're talking about the default settings. Who decided to make the DPs in conversation windows that insanely huge?

However, the beta's the first version of MSN/WLM I've actually liked using. Of course, I've hidden DPs, menus and toolbars wherever I can, so I don't really get that much screen wastage.

I'd consider using it after hiding all the crap if they had tabbed conversatoins. Seriously, it's 2008, IM apps need tabs.

Tabs would be great, but I personally don't need them since I rarely chat with more than one person at once using WLM.

I like how tabs were implemented in Google Talk Labs Edition (and the Gtalk Gadget) - everything's contained in one window and the keyboard shortcuts are Tab and Shift+Tab (as opposed to Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab).

ArcSyn

How many people here really use IM on a daily basis, and for what?
Socially through the day, or perhaps evening?
For business with coworkers/clients?

It seems that now, having graduated and all my friends having jobs, of which only I sit at a computer most of the day, we don't ever get on IM anymore. I haven't loaded an IM application in at least 2 years, if not 3 or 4. We all just text instead. We always have our cell phones, and since we are all on the same network we do it for free.

Ego

I still IM, but for a long time all I used it for was communicating with people I knew from the net. These days my personal friends are also on it. We likewise text / talk on cells a lot as we're (similarly) mostly with one provider, but IM fills a gap I've noticed in cell phones --text messages are a bit inconvenient if you're doing more than sending a couple quick messages back and forth, and using them for actual voice conversations is kind of weird when someone is doing something and you're just having a mostly silly meaningless chat. ie, some of my friends are married ... weird to call their house and chat, but fairly convenient to back-and-forth a bit over IM.

Then again, my friends are also on their computers at least a few hours a day like I am.

taliosfalcon

ArcSyn wrote: »

How many people here really use IM on a daily basis, and for what?
Socially through the day, or perhaps evening?
For business with coworkers/clients?

It seems that now, having graduated and all my friends having jobs, of which only I sit at a computer most of the day, we don't ever get on IM anymore. I haven't loaded an IM application in at least 2 years, if not 3 or 4. We all just text instead. We always have our cell phones, and since we are all on the same network we do it for free.

I actually use IM way more now that i'm finished school/college. Most of my friends also work at computers all day so we spend a lot of time socializing over it...er...while also doing work of course ;-)

Ayulin

Yeah, I use IM here. A lot faster to type than to fiddle with my phone, and most people I know don't check their email (resulted in many many "what's the point of having an account, then?" conversations when I first met them.)

I was using the new WLM beta up until I found this thread, and gave Digsby a shot. Really love the social network integration, and it's email-checking abilities.

I didn't really see an issue with the display pictures and other things which were mentioned here, but I'm probably just used to it.

Cyvros

IM's pretty much the only way I talk to friends these days because I've been studying off-campus since the start of the year. Most of my friends are online fairly often, so I'm online most of the time.

Ayulin wrote: »

I didn't really see an issue with the display pictures and other things which were mentioned here, but I'm probably just used to it.

By default in the WLM beta, they took up almost a quarter of the window width. I'm used to Gtalk, where they're small and out-of-the-way.

ArcSyn

So you guys piqued my interest in Digsby and now I'm all set up. I used to use Trillian, but this is just crazy now. IM, Email, Social.. wow.

I've got my AIM, MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, ICQ, Jabber, and Facebook IM clients running. Then my Gmail, Yahoo, and POP mail going. And finally, my Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts logged in. Crazy..

wunderbar

I use IM to talk to a bunch of my friends, it's a great way to keep in touch with old school friends you don't see anymore. We're also in the process of testing Microsoft's corporate IM server/client at work, and will likely be rolling it out early next year company wide, letting employees from coast to coast in Canada communicate via IM.

ArcSyn

wunderbar wrote: »

I use IM to talk to a bunch of my friends, it's a great way to keep in touch with old school friends you don't see anymore. We're also in the process of testing Microsoft's corporate IM server/client at work, and will likely be rolling it out early next year company wide, letting employees from coast to coast in Canada communicate via IM.

MS Corporate IM huh?

That would be interesting, but I don't ever see it coming to my workplace. It's hard enough getting some people to e-mail you.

wunderbar

ArcSyn wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

I use IM to talk to a bunch of my friends, it's a great way to keep in touch with old school friends you don't see anymore. We're also in the process of testing Microsoft's corporate IM server/client at work, and will likely be rolling it out early next year company wide, letting employees from coast to coast in Canada communicate via IM.

MS Corporate IM huh?

That would be interesting, but I don't ever see it coming to my workplace. It's hard enough getting some people to e-mail you.

yea, the reason why we haven't pushed it out yet is because we're still trying to find out if we'll get a good ROI on it. the IT department is using it, and we have some people in other locations trying it out. The problem is is that 90% of the employees in the company I work for are 35+ and not very computer literate. It's basically a big fight between my boss(IT manager) and executives that goes something like this:

executive: we won't use it right now, no one will understand it
boss: you want to start hiring younger people right? this is something that will attract people
executive: but the benefit for the next 5 years is minimal
boss: but the benefit for the next 10 years is substansial.
executive: I don't want to spend money on something our current employees won't use
boss: but when those employees leave and we have no good 21st century IT systems, what will we do?

This has been going on for 3 months.

zimfan

wow Digsby is neat

taliosfalcon

wunderbar wrote: »

ArcSyn wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

I use IM to talk to a bunch of my friends, it's a great way to keep in touch with old school friends you don't see anymore. We're also in the process of testing Microsoft's corporate IM server/client at work, and will likely be rolling it out early next year company wide, letting employees from coast to coast in Canada communicate via IM.

MS Corporate IM huh?

That would be interesting, but I don't ever see it coming to my workplace. It's hard enough getting some people to e-mail you.

yea, the reason why we haven't pushed it out yet is because we're still trying to find out if we'll get a good ROI on it. the IT department is using it, and we have some people in other locations trying it out. The problem is is that 90% of the employees in the company I work for are 35+ and not very computer literate. It's basically a big fight between my boss(IT manager) and executives that goes something like this:

executive: we won't use it right now, no one will understand it
boss: you want to start hiring younger people right? this is something that will attract people
executive: but the benefit for the next 5 years is minimal
boss: but the benefit for the next 10 years is substansial.
executive: I don't want to spend money on something our current employees won't use
boss: but when those employees leave and we have no good 21st century IT systems, what will we do?

This has been going on for 3 months.

With how good Open Source corporate IMs have gotten it's kinda silly to pay for Microsofts. At the last place I worked at we just slapped Openfire onto a virtual server and away we went, no cost whatsoever. Well, outside of the setup time, which took one guy a couple of hours.

Dehumanized

My employer uses MS's Office Communicator. It's a pretty decent client, the outlook/live meeting integration is nice.

Seeks

I used to use it pretty frequently with friends, but barely at all these days. Most of the time, my IM use is dictated by women.

I used it a lot at work, though, back when I had a computer job. Constantly. Strictly co-workers. Luckily my coworkers tended to be pretty cool, so it wasn't all bad.

Edit: And yeah, Digsby's pretty cool so far. I might have to grab it for nix, too, when it comes out.

LoneIgadzra

ArcSyn wrote: »

How many people here really use IM on a daily basis, and for what?
Socially through the day, or perhaps evening?
For business with coworkers/clients?

It seems that now, having graduated and all my friends having jobs, of which only I sit at a computer most of the day, we don't ever get on IM anymore. I haven't loaded an IM application in at least 2 years, if not 3 or 4. We all just text instead. We always have our cell phones, and since we are all on the same network we do it for free.

o/ can't afford cell phone, IM is a cheap way to have a long distance conversation every now and then.

JustinSane07

I'm still using AIM 5.4 with DeadAIM. Yeah, I'm old school like that.

I started with ICQ.

I used MSN Messenger occasionally and I find Yahoo! Messenger completely useless.

wunderbar

taliosfalcon wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

ArcSyn wrote: »

wunderbar wrote: »

I use IM to talk to a bunch of my friends, it's a great way to keep in touch with old school friends you don't see anymore. We're also in the process of testing Microsoft's corporate IM server/client at work, and will likely be rolling it out early next year company wide, letting employees from coast to coast in Canada communicate via IM.

MS Corporate IM huh?

That would be interesting, but I don't ever see it coming to my workplace. It's hard enough getting some people to e-mail you.

yea, the reason why we haven't pushed it out yet is because we're still trying to find out if we'll get a good ROI on it. the IT department is using it, and we have some people in other locations trying it out. The problem is is that 90% of the employees in the company I work for are 35+ and not very computer literate. It's basically a big fight between my boss(IT manager) and executives that goes something like this:

executive: we won't use it right now, no one will understand it
boss: you want to start hiring younger people right? this is something that will attract people
executive: but the benefit for the next 5 years is minimal
boss: but the benefit for the next 10 years is substansial.
executive: I don't want to spend money on something our current employees won't use
boss: but when those employees leave and we have no good 21st century IT systems, what will we do?

This has been going on for 3 months.

With how good Open Source corporate IMs have gotten it's kinda silly to pay for Microsofts. At the last place I worked at we just slapped Openfire onto a virtual server and away we went, no cost whatsoever. Well, outside of the setup time, which took one guy a couple of hours.

And what happened to the last company you worked for?

We're using office communicator because it's a Microsoft solution and we're a microsoft shop. it ties in 100% seamlessly with outlook, Sharepoint, AD, everything.

Dark Shroud

For fellow AIM users let me recommend this one as well, AIM Ad Hack. AIM does a lot of good things I've been using it for over a decade, I just can't stand the ads.

ArcSyn

Since I discovered there were other clients that would connect to AIM, I have NEVER installed it since. No amount of hacks or mods will convince me to use it above a third party app.

Plus, I've fallen in love with Digsby.

wunderbar

ArcSyn wrote: »

Since I discovered there were other clients that would connect to AIM, I have NEVER installed it since. No amount of hacks or mods will convince me to use it above a third party app.

Plus, I've fallen in love with Digsby.

seriously. if they made the linux and OS X versions i'd never use another IM client.

Cyvros

This is my favourite part about Digsby:

Digsby offers complete synchronization between computers and installations. Everything from the skin you chose to your pre-defined status messages follows you from place to place.

I've finally found a skin I like and I can only see myself switching from it if more of my friends started using Gtalk (most of them do, but a couple still only use WLM).

Ronen

Re: Corporate IM. My company runs our own internal Jabber server for communications simply due to how many of our users are comfortable with it.

To that end, I've taken to using Digsby when I'm at my PC. Handles my personal accounts, work accounts and Twitter great. On a Mac I stick to Adium which I used to consider the end-all-be-all of IM clients until I started Twittering. Here's hoping they add it.

Ayulin

Speaking of Digsby, has anyone else had issues with MSN file transfers over it? I've had 2 instances where someone tried to send me a file, and got the "Waiting for response" on their end, but nothing came up for me.

wunderbar

Ayulin wrote: »

Speaking of Digsby, has anyone else had issues with MSN file transfers over it? I've had 2 instances where someone tried to send me a file, and got the "Waiting for response" on their end, but nothing came up for me.

yea, file transfers aren't perfect on it, but honestly, I can't remember the last time I ever did a file transfer over IM, other than to test it in Digsby.