The messaging service provided by AOL also known as AIM, is widely used by users to communicate with each other. OSCAR is the standard protocol used by AIM clients. This messaging service can be used on several operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, MAC OS X, iPhone OS and Linux

History and Release versions of AIM

The history of AOL goes back to September 1995 when “Buddy List” was introduced only for the internal users of AOL with the standalone version being available only in May 1996. The “Online Messaging” in its true sense was born after a decade referred as QuantumLink and was available to subscribers. The main features of the revised version of this instant messenger, Version 2 comprised of - 

• Instant messaging between two people
• Messaging service for more than two people in a chat room
• Provision to share files

Version 4 included several features like adding contacts which could be increased up to 200 in addition to games on Windows Operating System. Version 5 heralded entirely new characteristics with the availability of video conferencing. User acceptance and feedback in the real time was considered important and was first launched in the home page of AIM under preliminary versions of Triton. Triton was later recognized as the 6^th version of AIM in September 2006. The final version was however release in December 2006 and came up with fabulous features. It could connect to the home page of AIM and provided its users with a provision to maintain an address book. It enabled the users to send messages to offline users as well. Gradually version 6.1 incorporated features like inserting images, ability to change the font and color of the user interface and an improved support on Windows Vistas. Communication on phone was integrated in the version 6.5.11.1 of AIM.

Various products of AIM can be downloaded from its official website depending on its usage on desktop, mobile or a website. Downloads are available for Windows, MAC, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, AIM Express and Toolbar.

The screenshot below shows a typical AIM user interface and its usage.

download aol instant messenger

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AOL INSTANT MESSENGER

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Chat Comes Alive with Google`s Lively

Lively isn’t exactly an online game, but it isn’t that far off. You will create your own character (avatar) and you can even design your own personal space. From there, you simply choose where to want to go. Maybe you’d like to virtually visit a quiet cabin in the woods, a mountainside retreat, or a quaint coffeehouse in Vienna. Lively, in its way, offers these treats. All you have to do is point and click.

Lively is available through a browser plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer. It is Windows only for now. Lively does not feature one coherent world like Second Life but splits worlds up into different rooms. Lively was originally developed as a 20% project by Niniane Wang.

Users can choose from a number of preset animations for their characters, ranging from shaking hands with others, to applauding, crying, etc. By double clicking on certain items in the virtual world, users can also often activate some preset animations such as sitting down on a chair or jumping off a dive board.

For now, the content in Lively is being created only by Google, though over time, they are planning to allow users to start creating their own content as well.

Rooms can be easily embedded into any webpage and worlds often launch with a basic skeleton of the room within just a few seconds.
 

• Download Lively

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IMVU is an online destination where young adults meet new people in 3D. In public beta, the company has already reached major milestones including 20 million registered users, 100,000 registered developers, and $1 million in revenue each month – highlighting the power of IMVU’s comprehensive social and creative experience.

Members of IMVU have fun meeting new people with similar interests and expressing themselves through personalized 3D avatars, themed rooms, one-to-one chats, and the creation of new and unique virtual products. With over 1.5 million user-generated virtual items, IMVU offers the world’s largest catalog of virtual goods. Revenue is derived from the direct sale of virtual credits, which are used to purchase virtual products such as room decorations, clothing items and hairstyles.

• Signup for IMVU

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In fact, that’s an interesting twist that Odigo introduces; the ability to flag your mood and your intent. Looking for romance? Odigo let’s you tell the world.

What makes Odigo particularly interesting? I can use Odigo to communicate with ICQ, AIM, Yahoo! and (of course) Odigo messenger users…all with one product! That simplifies my life, and allows me to keep in touch with my friends who are permanently attached to a particular IM software.

UPDATE: Odigo now has a plug-in that adds MSN Messenger compatibility.

Another cool feature that Odigo has over most other products is the ability to instantly communicate with other Odigo users visiting a web site, either person-to-person or in a community chat window. A very cool way to find and connect with like-minded people.

No Download – Not Anymore Odigo

Odigo Messenger was an instant messaging service. For a short time in 2004 Odigo Messenger allowed users to use the service to talk to users in other IM networks, but the feature was discontinued at the beginning of 2005.

Odigo was purchased for $20 million by Comverse Technology in 2002. Comverse planned to leverage the Odigo server software for instant messaging solutions in cell phones. Since Comverse had no interest in maintaining a general IM service, it was shutdown in 2004.[citation needed]

The service first became available in 1998 and has also been branded as Bravenet Messenger during a spell of affiliation with the web services provider. Although originally made available by Odigo, Inc. the service was supplied by Comverse, who hope to use it to help innovate and forward their wireless products.

source Wikipedia

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3. AOL Instant Messenger – Know your AIM and Get Connected to your Friends

Looking for an instant messenger software that saves you the pain of switching between different instant messengers? Get MECA and integrate your AIM, MSN, Yahoo! and ICQ programs into one instant messenger program.

“connect to all of your friends on AIM, MSN, Yahoo! and ICQ from just one list!”
Are you tired of switching back and forth between all of your buddy lists?

Use MECA to connect to all of your friends on AIM, MSN, Yahoo! and ICQ from just one list!
MECA is the only interoperable instant messenger software with exclusive IM skins, offline messages and translation.

Top Features:

InterOp
InterOp, or Interoperability, allows our members to communicate with the other popular instant messaging programs, AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, and ICQ. With InterOp, you can now access your other messenger accounts and consolidate all your Buddie Lists™ into one simple messenger interface. One download, one Buddie List™ – MECA is the only messenger you’ll ever need to message with your friends and family.

MECA-Translator
Don’t let the language barrier stop you from making new friends in your own backyard or around the globe. With the Translator you can meet and message with friends from all over the world. As you type, the messenger does the work, translating each message in real-time. For information on how to use the Translator, please see our Translations page or check out the FAQ.

MECA-Alert!
Keep on top of your messaging, email, mobile messages and more. MECA-lert! will notify you when you have incoming messages on any messenger, email or mobile carrier. Never miss an important communication again!

Offline-Messages
Tired of missing important messages when you are away from your computer? Our Offline Messages feature allows you to see who tried to message you while you were offline and what they said.

Skin-Sharing
SkinSharing allows your skin to be seen by the MECA Buddies™ you message and allows you to see their skins in return. You can also share your skin with all your InterOp Buddies by clicking the SkinShare button on your Message Window. That way all your Buddies can get a taste of your messaging experience.

Skin-Fader
The SkinFader allows you to select the amount of transparency (see through amount) of the text and conversation areas of your Message Window, so you can see more of your skin. You can show all of your skin, none of your skin, or anything in between.
 

Register & Download Now

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Brosix is a secure, powerful and easy to use Instant Messenger suitable for enterprises and individuals that seek to improve communications, business productivity and relationships with partners and customers.

Brosix Instant Messenger is a free public network hosted by Brosix Corporate Instant Messenger. It has all the features of the Corporate version, but is free.

Main features:
Text Chat with rich text formatting
Text Conference
Offline messages
Voice Chat
Video Chat
Voice Conference
Voice Mail
File Transfer
Co-Browse
Whiteboard
Firewall friendly and true P2P communication
Screen sharing
Secure communication through encrypted channels
 

If you do not need to build your own Instant Messaging system, you still can benefit from Brosix advantages. Brosix has a full featured free version at www.brosix.net

Why Brosix?
No advertisements are ever displayed by Brosix
Highly secure communication – very strong encryption applied to all the data
Collaboration features
High speed servers nearby you – Brosix operates a global server infrastructure with servers located in different countries all around the globe. This way the users get connected to the closest (fastest for them) server
Advanced Peer-to-Peer technology for file sharing and collaboration. Most of the communication between the users is Peer-to-Peer. This optimizes the communication for high speed and security.
Growing number of users .
 

• Download Brosix Instant Messenger
• Also checkout Brosix Corporate Instant Messenger – Secure Instant Messaging for your company.

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Qnext Unifies Communication, Broadcasting and Media Sharing

ALL IN ONE SOLUTION for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Qnext is the world’s most advanced Universal Instant Messenger, allowing you to send and receive messages with buddies on any of the following networks:
MSN, Yahoo!, AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk, IRC, iChat coming soon. Qnext messaging window display prominent icons for actions such as setting time stamps, changing the display background color and sending a message to multiple Qnext contacts simultaneously. It also maintains unobtrusive buttons for changing text formats and for adding emoticons. Qnext’s spelling checker is amazing and fast, underlining possible misspellings as we typed. Unlike Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger and other popular messengers like skype, aol, miva, meebo and many more, Qnext has no ads, toolbars, or other commercial junk. (this feature should be enable in all instant messengers

Any messenger, any operating system. Use Qnext to keep in touch with everyone, no matter what they’re on.

• Free Download Qnext
• Qnext support Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista
• Qnext support Mac Tiger and Leopard (Intel and PPC)
• Qnext for Linux

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iChat is the chatting service that comes exclusively with an Apple computer. iChat uses the latest H.264 video technology to bring you a sharp picture full of natural color. A unique 3D view for video chatting makes you feel as if you were sitting around a conference table with your buddies. You can also audio conference with up to ten people and sound-level meters will let you see as well as hear who is speaking. iChat AV also has instant messaging capability, emoticons, text effects, and more to make Apple a quality chatting experience.

Apple does not have pc-to-phone calling, chat rooms, or a customizable interface and runs only on Apple computers.

IM Me
Of course, iChat is also a versatile instant text messaging application, supporting AIM and Jabber Instant Messenger clients. Icons and thought bubbles make it fun to see who’s saying what, and you can transmit any kind of file — from a web address to a photo — by simply dragging it into your chat. Pictures display right in the message window, web links open with a click. In short, iChat is still the best way to IM.

• Watch IChat AV Quick Demo
• Download ICHAT AV from APPLE Website

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mIRC is the most popular piece of software used to access IRC. IRC, which stands for Internet Relay Chat, is even older than the World Wide Web.

IRC contains many networks with many channels in each of them. For example, connecting to the network irc.LCIRC.net and joining the channel #aboutmessengers will bring you to a chatroom full of visitors from this site. They can chat, private message and direct connect to send files. Check out the Chat directory of this site for instructions on how to join us.

I must point out that mIRC is not the only IRC client. There are many other programs, including IRC programs built into browsers like Mozilla Suite and instant messengers like Trillian.

mIRC is ideal for accessing the old part of the Internet, IRC.

• Download mIRC

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I downloaded Eyeball Chat 3.1 when I wanted to test out my camera’s webcam feature and Yahoo! Messenger didn’t recognize my video drivers anymore.

If you want to primarily broadcast your webcam or view from other webcams, this is an ideal program. I don’t think you can view more than one webcam at a time though, and only one person at a time can see your broadcast. Yahoo! Messenger does not have these limitations, but the quality of the stream is lower with Yahoo!.

• Stream-lined graphical user interface (GUI)
• Integrated phone book in contact list
• Drag-n-drop file, music and picture share
• Search buddies
• Picture-in-picture video display
• Multi-party video conferencing
• Chat and call history
• Video snapshot
• PC-to-phone calls using PSTN gateways
• Comprehensive NAT traversal using Eyeball AnyFirewall solutions
• Chat with your Google Talk buddies
• Based on open standard SIP, XMPP, STUN, TURN, and ICE

Eyeball Chat also lets you connect to AIM, MSN and Yahoo! for messaging.

• Download Eyeball Chat

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