Pidgin

Once upon a time, I used AOL. I used it for email, and I used it for chat, and found it cool(ish...when it worked). I had one email address (not strictly true, actually, but work with me here) and one Instant Message (IM) handle. If people wanted to talk to me via the computer, they found me on AOL. I graduated from AOL as soon as I could, and discovered the joys of msn, live.co.uk, Googlemail and Googletalk, Yahoo, and Jabber - more chat clients than you can shake a stick at. For a while, each time I turned on the computer, I'd open msn messenger (twice), Googletalk, AOL (two addresses) and Yahoo just so that people could find me by IM, depending on how ...  Read the complete review

Pidgin is a multi protocol instant messaging gadget that allows you to use multiple instant messaging accounts at the same time. This for me is a really handy gadget. I work from home and find instant messaging to be a good inexpensive easy way to communicate, the problem of course if there are many different types of IM (instant messengers). If you stick with the software from your IM provider chances are it will only communicate within the same system, this is where pidgin comes in. Pidgin is a software based IM system that will run on Windows, Linux and Unix operating systems. It is compatible with pretty much all IM services, all ...  Read the complete review

So, you now know so many people, and they selfishly refuse to use the same instant messaging protocol, and now you have MSN, Googletalk, ICQ, Aim, IRC, so on open at the same time? Having all those open must hog a lot of CPU time, and RAM, and this is where Pidgin comes in. It can connect to multiple different protocols, all in one window. I've been using it for over a year now, and personally find the program very useful, and nice to use. The interface is nice and clean, and the window small. for those of you who have read my other IM reviews, you know I prefer, like many other people, a window that does not take up half the screen, but stays nicely, ...  Read the complete review

Well what can be said about Pidgin? Well it is a multi-platform instant messaging client that allows you to manage protocols such as your msn, aol and other instant messaging protocols in one place. Although this sound impressive, I can't help but feel that this program is very naff. I have used it for a week or two and have never used a client that crashes so much. Furthermore, the design is very basic and can be very confusing if you are used to the designs of the usual program a specific protocol uses. Many people are now going out to improve clients such as Msn and Aol in an attempt to make more customisable offerings however, most of these ...  Read the complete review

When I upgraded Ubuntu to version 8.10, I thought that Pidgin is some PC game like Ping-Pong. When I launched the application, I realised that it is renamed Gaim messenger. It is nice little program, which allows you to connect to various IM networks without making lot of fuss and without using lot of CPU AND Memory. All you need to do is add all your different account information on first time startup, and you are connected to the world in no time. There are lot of "I want this" features missing from Pidgin. Here is the list of most obvious ones : - Webcam - Voice Chat - Photo Sharing - File Transfer - Better look ...  Read the complete review