Gaim (multi-protocol instant messaging client)

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging (IM) client.

I mainly use Gaim for AIM and Yahoo! messaging. It beats having two instances of the bloated standard AIM and Yahoo! clients running and it is just better than them for the reasons listed below.

Gaim is totally free (unlike DeadAIM) and is better than other Windows AIM clients because Gaim doesn't have ads, spyware, and let's you use multiple protocols such as Yahoo!, IRC, MSN, ICQ, Jabber and others (unlike AIM Triton); it has a very simple interface that supports themes; it has tabbed messaging windows that actually work right (unlike Trillian); and Gaim has many other great features that other clients like Miranda don't have, plus Gaim runs on more than just Windows so you don't have to learn and use a different IM client when you're using other operating systems.

To enable certain features in Gaim you need to go to "Tools->Preferences->Plugins" and check "Load" next to any plugin you want to use. Gaim comes with some standard plugins so you don't have to download them, just load them and you're good to go. Once you've loaded the plugin click its name in the preferences panel and then you can adjust its options.

Gaim's Features

---

Multiple Protocol Support
To use other protocols with Gaim such as MSN, Yahoo!, Jabber, ICQ, etc, just go to "Tools->Accounts" and add the account of the appropriate messaging service. Use the checkbox in the account editor to sign online. You will now see yourself logged onto multiple protocols in the buddylist.

Buddy Pounce
Gaim has a feature called Buddy Pounce whch is a like an event alert you can set on indidivual buddies and assign certain actions to take when these events occur. For example, you can make Gaim play a certain sound everytime your friend John signs on (kinda like ring tones). Buddy pounces can do more than play sounds though; read the manual for more info.

Finding
You can search for text in your conversations easily by clicking 'Conversation->Find' (or typing Ctrl+F) and entering a search string. Now you don't have to scroll up looking all over for things that were said in a conversation!

Spell Checking
Gaim has an optional spell checker.

Buddy Icons
To set your buddy icon go to the Account Editor (Tools->Accounts from the buddy list), and click to "Modify" the AIM/ICQ account you wish to have an icon. Enter the full path to the image you wish to use in the box labeled "Buddy Icon File." The file must be smaller than 4KB. It can have any dimensions, and can be in any format. However, if you wish Windows users to see it, it must be in a format Windows understands, such as .bmp, .gif, and .jpg.

Privacy
Gaim has many privacy settings, including invisibility. To go invisible click "Tools->Away->account->Invisible."

Transparent Buddylist and IM Windows
If you load the transparency plugin that comes with Gaim you can adjust the alpha (transparency/opacity) of both your buddylist and your IM window. You can also choose whether you want to show others that you've been idle based on your IM activity or your Operating System activity.

Plugin and Scripting Support
If you're a programmer you can write your own plugins and scripts for Gaim. Plus, since Gaim is open source you can even modify gaim itself. If you're not a programmer you can still download and use other peoples' plugins and scripts.

There are many more features but listing them would take forever but they're all in the gaim documentation.

So to summarize, Gaim is in my opinion the best IM client, not because it's perfect (file transfers don't work most of the time), but because it has more pros for me than any other IM client--mainly because it meets all the qualifications of being free, open-source, cross-platform, programmable, multi-protocol, has tabbed IM windows, is ad and spyware free, easy to use, is customizable and has good privacy settings. If you care about these things then you can't beat Gaim.

Oh yeah, there's also an IRC channel where you can talk to other users of gaim and the developers of it to ask questions about how to use it and make feature requests.

http://gaim.sourceforge.net/