The Most Popular Chat Software

Instant Messaging (IM) has become a staple of daily personal communication and, increasingly, business communication.

People who have never experienced online chat or have never joined an online community they may seem meaningless, a waste of time or a simple irresponsibility.

Though, for those that have prolonged beyond the traditional means of communication such as, talking on the telephone or conversing face-to-face, online communities offer a new and exciting means of communication. They offer a chance to meet others, receive suggestions, voice and opinion, defend an argument, make new online friends or to simply relax and have a little fun. If you have not yet acknowledged all the good and bad sides of IM, you have all the chance to explore the world of online communities for yourself. In an online community you can enter chat rooms. Through Yahoo, for example, there were many diverse chat rooms you could enter ranging from sports to current events.

Well, let’s have a look at the programs you need to communicate online. There is a great number of chat software. We will consider mostly only those that are the most popular.

The most popular chat software is:

1. ICQ

2. mIRC

3. Pidgin

4. Skype

5. Trillian Astra

6. Windows Live Messenger

7. Yahoo Messenger

1. ICQ. Probably ICQ and email have become our primary methods of keeping in contact with our colleagues, friends and family, leaving messages for, and having discussions with them. When we meet a person, the first means for establishing a future contact is no longer "What is your phone number?" but rather, "What is your email address?" which is usually followed by "Do you have ICQ?"

ICQ - includes video, audio, and text chat modes in a strong push to make the app the most flexible chat client around.

In the latest version we come closer to our Facebook friends. Just add all your Facebook to your contact list, get updates from them and chat with them while they are online in Facebook directly from your ICQ. Update your status, share your favorite links and images of yourself and others through the new ICQ status box with the new ICQ picture sharing tool.

2.mIRC is not as well known as ICQ but it gained popularity because it is a complete featured Internet Relay Chat client for Windows and Vista that can be used to communicate, share, play or work with others on the same IRC networks all around the world, both in multi-user group conferences or in just in one to one private discussions. With mIRC, you can select from an limitless number of accessible chat rooms based on personal interests, or you can create your own channels with family and friends. mIRC is more advanced than simple IM, so it may take a while to get started. 

3.Pidgin - If you wish to use Yahoo, MSN, AIM, and Google at the same time from the same window, Pidgin is the perfect bird that will help you. The chat sofware features are perfect: smileys, file transfers, and chats between many users. Among the twenty-two plug-ins ( prepackaged with the installer) there is one that will provide you Facebook access. 

4.Skype is an amazing chat software that allows you to perform voice and video calls to anyone else on Skype; conference calls with three or more people; Instant messaging, file transfer and screen sharing, international calls, etc. 

4. Trillian Astra is a better looking alternative to Pidgin. Trillian includes long-overdue support for Google, MySpace IM, Skype, and Facebook, the same as AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and IRC. This chat software is a great help in managing your social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This chat software provides capabilities not possible with most original network clients, while supporting standard features such as audio and video chat, file transfers, group chats, buzzing, tabbed chats, tablet-based drawing, message history, plugins, avatars, multiple synchronized connections to the same network, typing notifications, proxy support, and encrypted messaging. 

6.Windows Live Messenger is accepted by most all other video chat software. This chat software is unique for letting you to share folders and files locally with fellow users. It also serves up the usual animated emoticons, winks, and buzzes, multiplayer gaming, free PC-to-PC calling, mobile phone messaging, and video chatting. Call your friends' PC (free), mobile or landline phones. Calls require a microphone and speakers and broadband connection. If you have a lot of friends who use other video IM services, this is the perfect service to use.

7. Yahoo! Messenger can be used with all other video IM services. This chat software is a great service for both to meet new people and to keep in touch with your friends, video chat, photo sharing, chat rooms, etc. It also can alert you to new e-mail in your Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Personals accounts, or about upcoming events recorded in your Yahoo Calendar. Yahoo Messenger offers firewall support, a standby mode that minimizes the program until an Internet connection is made, the ability to save and print your conversations.

So, lets point out some of the good things about chat software. They provide a simple, quick and direct way of communicating. They operates at a much quicker speed than that of e-mail, which has to wait on endless writing and replying. It is also a good way for people to communicate with their friends, family, work colleagues, etc. Just choose the right program that most suits you and all dear ones will be closer and the great time is guaranteed.