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Should I get AIM, MS Chat, or ICQ?

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Seneca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 09:21 PM
Original message
Should I get AIM, MS Chat, or ICQ?
I had ICQ a few years ago, but found the interface clunky and rather annoying. Hard to specify, but I wasn't knocked out. I am loathe to give AOL or MSN my business, even for free.

Any other chat programs I could use, or should I bite the bullet and go with one of the established carriers for free chat?

Thanks in advance. :-)
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ComerPerro Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 09:22 PM
Response to Original message
1. I would reccomend AIM
Just because it is very widely used.

There is one program called Trillian that can interface with AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ. I have used it and personally didn't like it. I have a friend who has it and loves it though.
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Seneca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 09:23 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Thanks
I forgot Yahoo had a chat feature. I usually use Google so much as my search engine, I rarely venture into Yahoo anymore.
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TSIAS Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 09:24 PM
Response to Original message
3. I use AIM
That's where most of my friends are at.
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RushIsRot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 09:35 PM
Response to Original message
4. I began with AOL-IM and it has worked well for me.
I tried ICQ early on and couldn't connect. I finally did, but never found ICQ to be as good as AOL-IM (AIM).

If you can, get an earlier version of AIM and do not upgrade. The early versions didn't have lots of pop-up ads and opening screens. The only advantage of the later versions was that they let you know onscreen when your correspondent was typing a reply.
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roughsatori Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 10:16 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. You can turn the opening screens of AIM off
I have upgraded to the newest, just set it so AIM today does not open in the preferences. Also, popupstopper (free download) stops all the AIM ads that were popping up.
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SOteric Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 10:12 PM
Response to Original message
5. AIM and ICQ are owned by the same company
and as of 2 days ago, they interrelate. You got one, you can visit folks on the other.
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TreasonousBastard Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 10:13 PM
Response to Original message
6. Depends who your friends are...
and what they're using.

AIM seems to be the biggie-- even Earthlink encourages people to use it.

I have both ICQ and AIM, and end up using AIM most of the time.
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dolo amber Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 10:17 PM
Response to Original message
8. I'm a MSN gal myself
Edited on Thu Aug-21-03 10:18 PM by dolo amber
Due in no small part to the aforementioned "it's what all my friend's use" theory. I find AIM to be rather dry and ICQ is rather a pain in my arse with the 'having to click on enter rather than just hitting the enter key" thing, unless it's changed.

Besides, if your friends have the mentality of children with a new toy like mine do, MSN has loads of cool add-ons to play with. :)

edit: I use MSN messenger, not MS chat, just to clarify.
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leftist_rebel1569 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 11:08 PM
Response to Original message
9. If you ever get AIM...
Edited on Thu Aug-21-03 11:08 PM by leftist_rebel1569
put me on your buddy list! :)
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ornotna Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 11:11 PM
Response to Original message
10. download Trillian
and you can use them all. http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/trillian/index.html
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Nomad559 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-21-03 11:49 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. MSN 6
Trillian Is good If you need access to more than one messenger service.

I currently use MSN 6 ... http://messenger.msn.com/
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BritishHuman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-22-03 05:04 PM
Response to Reply #10
14. I just got that
Edited on Fri Aug-22-03 05:05 PM by BritishHuman
It's really pretty good. One application with your MSN Messenger, AOL messenger, Yahoo Messenger and ICQ friends on one panel.

And IRC too, but I don't know how that would work.

EDIT: Oh, and you can change that annoying 'Enter' thing with ICQ, too.
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-22-03 12:07 AM
Response to Original message
12. ICQ is a security nightmare
and it's a virus target
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SOteric Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-22-03 12:18 AM
Response to Reply #12
13. I've had it for 7 years
and never had an ICQ-related virus. In fact, I've only had two in all the time I've had a computer. And I've never had a single solitary security issue. Neither have the several dozen folks I regularly communicate with on ICQ.

I hear the rumours a lot that someone heard from someone, or someone read somewhere, etc... yada yada...
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EOTE Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-22-03 05:26 PM
Response to Reply #13
15. Yeah, ICQ rules...
Especially ICQ Lite. Not system intensive at all, allows all sorts of formatting options, and IMO has the best interface and the most features.
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