Aim.

douchebagatron

well i dislike the cartoony look of xp also, especially the colorscheme. thats why i use themexp. and without the cartoonyness of xp, i think msn just looks a lot more smooth.

Caboose

<!--QuoteBegin-MedHead+May 4 2005, 08:38 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MedHead @ May 4 2005, 08:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I think it's the cartooniness of XP that does it for me. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
And the fact that Luna is butt ugly. Aqua is attractive, simple, smooth, and sexy. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

DaJMasta

Aim is just what alot of people think of when they think of instant message. I have alot of computer-impaired friends who dont really know any better, and a semi-working version of deadAIM that gets rid of those crappy movie ads. AIM used to alt-tab from my games to download some hugeungus movie ad, which i would only disable, and return to my game <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

lagging skulks do not get you points very quickly.... <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Ratonetwothreetwoone

eh.. i use an old version of aim.. works fine for my needs.. and its not adware... >_>

could use.. hamachi.. or a phone.. or irc.. or steam (ok not steam).. but really

it all comes down to opinions... i imagine most people use their instant messaging clients because of the convenience of said client... not because its "omgl8rbabe cool"...

then again i dont know most people...

theclam

With Gaim and Trillian, who cares what services you're using? Do Yahoo, MSN, and AIM actually have different features, apart from their clients?

Drfuzzy

IRC>all

Should come stock with any dell/default computer. Period.

GhostSweeperSol

<!--QuoteBegin-Ratonetwothreetwoone+May 4 2005, 09:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Ratonetwothreetwoone @ May 4 2005, 09:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> eh.. i use an old version of aim.. works fine for my needs.. and its not adware... >_>
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, if you use the older version alot of the adwear and other useless stuff is not there making it much nicer.

arctica

<!--QuoteBegin-GhostSweeperSol+May 4 2005, 10:09 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GhostSweeperSol @ May 4 2005, 10:09 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Ratonetwothreetwoone+May 4 2005, 09:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Ratonetwothreetwoone @ May 4 2005, 09:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> eh.. i use an old version of aim.. works fine for my needs.. and its not adware... >_>
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, if you use the older version alot of the adwear and other useless stuff is not there making it much nicer. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Or one can use Trillian. And get the pleasure of more clients without the ads <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Everwatchful

i use trillian, i dont complain

and yah, aim 's a piece of .....

i think its popular cuz a lot of ppl fell for AOL...

also, for those ppl who like take time customizing, consider Miranda

funbags

It's simple, and not flashy. All my friends have it too, so yeah. The direct connect feature is so much easier.

NeonSpyder

All my friends have MSN, i think it's geographical thing considering i live in Vancouver, (canada for the yokels among us) no one i know has ever, EVER mentioned AOL or AIM, i think it's either that vancouver wasn't carpet bombed with those free Aol Cd's (though i seem to remember glueing them together to make shiny reflective outside ornaments) OR Canadians are smarter <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Cold_NiTe

I've seen that sort of division before. All my relatives use MSN and all my friends use AIM.

<_<
>_>

I chose AIM.

Mullet

I've used aim for like 4 years, it works fine for me.

DiscoZombie

whoops, wrong thread =P

while I'm here, I must say I use AIM out of lack of need for anything more...

though I think I'll try out this GAIM... regular AIM is a little bloated...

im_lost

The only thing I wish was included in Trillian is the ability to view html in people's profiles, which they intentionally only include in the premium version. On the rare occasion where I care enough, I open up AIM, view the profile, then close AIM.

Private_Coleman

ratio of people on msn to aim = 93:2

Hellbilly

Funny how almost everyone uses MSN over here in euroland and no one uses AIM.

douchebagatron

in my area everyone uses msn. i had never even seen aim before until my cousin from out of town was using it at my house, to which i exclaimed, "Good gravy! what is that horrid thing!?"

Ratonetwothreetwoone

i NEVER get bothered by ads from aim... are you people actually leaving the buddy list window open?!

and its not bothersome or anything.. it has all the tools handy... i dont get imed by anyone i dont know... i really only talk to one person... its not ugly.. it conforms to your windows skin..

so with all those issues aside what makes a good im program? everyone using courier 10 point font with 2 different colors and no other options? (dont go screaming about how what i just wrote doesnt apply to your specific program)

overall irc has the most options and goodness imo... but not many people i regularly talk to use it and its more hassle than its worth.. i dont feel like getting anymore in depth into this conversation so im leaving.

R_A_C

I use GAIM, i don't care about the individual features of each messenger program. All I need is simple IMing.

Caboose

<!--QuoteBegin-R A C+May 5 2005, 03:28 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (R A C @ May 5 2005, 03:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I use GAIM, i don't care about the individual features of each messenger program. All I need is simple IMing. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yea, I guess that's my mentality. I use it, have it logged into AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ.

That way, my buddies from each of the various IM clients can contact me.

Byeka

No one here uses AIM. None at all.

I use it because when I need to talk to someone from a forum, it's a lot more convienient than adding them to my MSN list. I also use it for file transfers. None of my real life friends use AIM, all MSN thank god.

Walkabout

Nearly everyone I know uses msn. And besides, most people I know don't even know about aim.

Private_Coleman

<!--QuoteBegin-Walkabout+May 5 2005, 05:11 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Walkabout @ May 5 2005, 05:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Nearly everyone I know uses msn. And besides, most people I know don't even know about aim. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
same here.

JediYoshi

AIM + middle_man =

<a href='http://middleman.krunchsoftware.com/screenshots/images/ss1.jpg' target='_blank'>http://middleman.krunchsoftware.com/screen.../images/ss1.jpg</a>

to

<a href='http://middleman.krunchsoftware.com/screenshots/images/ss4.jpg' target='_blank'>http://middleman.krunchsoftware.com/screen.../images/ss4.jpg</a>

Huzzah!

Cxwf

I'm pretty happy with AIM. All of my friends up until recently used AIM, so it worked fine. And I like its features.

I've tried MSN, and I can't stand the interface.

Eventually I had to get YIM, when I met a bunch of new friends that used that instead of AIM. YIM works pretty well too, and I don't think its even been mentioned in this thread. So now I tend to turn on AIM and YIM at the same time, and when I'm done I turn them both off at the same time. Why bother with something complex like Trillian? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Caboose

Complex?

Meh, Gaim > trillian <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

NeonSpyder

yeah, YIM is actually ok, the interface is about as simple as AIM, but much less... sinister and evil looking... not at all like MSN's childish little interface, Yahoo is like, the intermediary between AIM's AOL sinister nature and general evil, and MSN's infantile approach.

StormLiong

I miss ICQ. I had to be converted to M$'s MSN because all my friends were on it now.

What I miss most was sending messages offline. Stupid MSN forces you to use Hotmail to send offline messages (send an email basically).

NeonSpyder

yeah, the only IM program that i know that allows offline messages is YIM, i'm not so sure about AIM. and believe me, i use that feature a LOT