Gaim

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging (IM) client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM and ICQ (Oscar protocol), MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, SILC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, Lotus Sametime, and Zephyr networks.

Gaim users can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on AOL Instant Messenger, talking to a friend on Yahoo Messenger, and sitting in an IRC channel all at the same time.

Gaim supports many features of the various networks, such as file transfer, away messages, and typing notification. It also goes beyond that and provides many unique features. A few popular features are Buddy Pounces, which give the ability to notify you, send a message, play a sound, or run a program when a specific buddy goes away, signs online, or returns from idle; and plugins, consisting of text replacement, a buddy ticker, extended message notification, iconify on away, spell checking, tabbed conversations, and more.

KVIrc

KVIrc is a mature and full featured visual IRC client, an excellent companion for your daily IRC sessions. KVIrc is also a free portable IRC client based on the excellent Qt GUI toolkit.

mIRC

mIRC is a popular Windows based Internet chat relay client which allows users to communicate, share files, play games or work with other members from around the world on IRC networks via private one-to-one connections or multi-user groups through different servers. mIRC is user friendly, supports file transfers and is fully configurable.

mIRC was created in 1995 to improve on earlier types of IRC clients which developers felt lacked basic IRC features. These extra features included ability to share files, customizable UI and improved scripting to improve the way the client behaves. Over the years user input has contributed to improve the mIRC client with users wanting support for multiple server connections and a change to the way channels and notify lists are displayed, with a treebar format preferred over the default switchbar.

For compatibility - OldVersion.com advises mIRC 6.35 and earlier versions for Windows 95/NT 4.0/98/ME. Later than 6.35 are compatible with Windows 2000 OS and later.

General consensus says that from v6.2+ are most stable, secure and the fastest versions of the mIRC client, 6.xx works great with PCs running older Windows operating systems.

Old versions of mIRC are still functional but are no longer supported with technical or security updates.

Pros: Connect to multiple chat room servers, secure, fast, available for older operating systems.

Cons: Challenging to use for beginners, hard to find old subjects, long queues for servers.

Trillian

Trillian is an instant messaging application for Windows that can connect to multiple IM programs from one client.

Trillian can connect to the following:

• AIM
  
• ICQ
  
• MSN Messenger
  
• Yahoo! Messenger
  
• IRC
  

Virc

Extremely customisable IRC Client

X-Chat

X-Chat, commonly written XChat or xchat, is one of the most popular IRC clients for Unix-like systems. It is also available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X (via an offshoot of the project, called X-Chat Aqua, which keeps in sync with the main development branch and is much more popular than the official version maintained by the Fink project).

XChat has a choice of a tabbed or tree interface, support for multiple servers, and a high level of configurability. Both command line and graphical versions are available, although use of the graphical version far outweighs use of the command line version.

Azureus

Azureus is a Java based BitTorrent client, with support for I2P and Tor anonymous communication protocols. It currently supports Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix. Azureus was started at Sourceforge.net mostly to experiment with the Standard Widget Toolkit from Eclipse, in June 2003. It is possibly the most popular of all BitTorrent clients.

Azureus allows the user to download multiple files in a single graphical user interface (GUI). The program also features detailed statistics and a large number of user-configurable settings. While downloading a torrent, the user can view many different statistics.

Features include:

• Multiple torrent downloads
  
• Upload and download speed limiting, both globally and per torrent
  
• Advanced seeding rules
  
• Adjustable disk cache
  
• Only uses one port for all the torrents
  
• UPnP sets the forward on your router
  
• Can use a proxy, for both tracker and peer communications
  
• Fast resume
  
• Can set a default download directory and move completed files
  
• Can import torrents automatically from a set directory
  
• Highly customizable interface
  
• IRC plugin included for quick help
  
• Embedded tracker, host your own torrents, automate your shares
  
• Distributed Hash Table: host on it a completely decentralized torrent and/or benefit from it when the tracker is offline.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a free, fast and efficient cross-platform web browser and one of the most popular browsers in use. Firefox boasts speed and tabbed browsingIt features a built-in pop-up/ad blocker removing the annoyances when browsing. Firefox also offers customization features and plug-ins which allows users to completely change the look and feel of their web-browser.

Mozilla Firefox began as an experiment, led by three developers working for the Mozilla organization who believed the original Mozilla suite, a cross-platform internet suite which included a web browser, mail and an IRC client, would become too bloated in future due to the Mozilla web-browser Read More »

Fire

Fire was the first instant messaging client for Mac OS X. It supports all of the major IM protocols including AIM, Yahoo!, ICQ, MSN Messenger, IRC, Jabber, and Apple Rendezvous. Fire was a keystone application in early Mac OS X revisions, however it was announced that Fire 1.5.6 would be the last version of the client and it is no longer in active development.

Note that versions 1.0.X only work on Mac OS 10.1 while the 1.5 versions are for OS 10.2 and later.

Mozilla Suite

Mozilla is a cross platform suite of internet related applications. The core program of the suite is the Mozilla web browser. The browser forms the basis for the popular web browser Firefox. The suite also contains an email application, IRC client, and a website design utility.

Opera

Opera is a cross platform web browser and Internet suite. It includes a variety of programs to accomplish common Internet tasks such as web browsing, IRC, email, and more. Features of the browser include tabbed browsing, an integrated download manager, and built-in privacy and anti-phishing utilities.

Opera was originally trialware, but starting with version 5.0 became advertisement supported. Begining with version 8.5, the browser became free with revenue coming from Google advertising revenue, as it is the default search engine.

Kopete

Kopete is an instant messenger supporting AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, Jabber, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, Lotus SameTime, and more. Kopete is designed to be a flexible and extensible multi-protocol system suitable for personal and enterprise use.

The goal of Kopete is to provide users with a single easy-to-use way to access all of their instant messaging systems. The interface puts people first, and is integrated with the system address book to let you access your contacts from other KDE applications.

IM can be intrusive, but Kopete's notification system can be tuned so that only important contacts interrupt you. Kopete also features tools to enhance your IM, such as message encryption, archiving, and many other fun and useful effects.

Kopete supports all commonly used instant messaging protocols, and the Kopete team provides templates for developers to base new plugins on. Our API provides developers with many features to ease supporting a new protocol. All protocols are plugins and allow modular installation, configuration, and usage.

QutIM

QutIM - a free open-source multiprotocol instant messenger for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. It supports the following clients:

ICQ / Jabber / GTalk / FaceBook / Ya.Online / LiveJournal, Mail.Ru, IRC