It sure would be nice if we could all decide on just one.
Currently I load three because I like to keep in touch.
It would be extra sweet if everyone used the same. But we all have different preferences.
I just wanted to know why you use the ones you do.

I prefer ICQ, more features.

I just had to vote for Yahoo.
With the new features they've added it's much nicer.
If AIM would get on the ball and include message archiving, it would rock.
I think it's probably the message archive thing that is the biggest attraction with ICQ.

Maybe I should have included in my first post, "Your favorite instant messaging program; and why":rolleyes:

Yes thats one of the reasons, especially when chatting with clients, its useful to archieve important info.

I think I voted for the wrong client...

I prefer ICQ (or did before v98 or v99) but moved to AIM for personal reasons...

And I quote downtownhost: "We do this to meet women"

I like MSN.

Some people might hate the thing but I think its the best.

I like MSN and AOL, they are ok, but I prefer ICQ, it's a monster I know, but I have been using it for a very long time, and so the other 70 million users :)

but soon Microsoft will release XP and then MSN will be implemented in outlook, so you coukld actually chat with the person you are emailing to if he is online...

hmm...

AIM is most likley the best.
Its the fastest and doesn't have those popups like others IMs do.

heheh, the new AIM has pop ups :)

I would say ICQ, but the MSN feature to see when the person you are chatting with is typing is a must!!!! I hate not knowing if the other person is waiting for me to say something else or they are just typing a long response. Just my 2 cents

Originally posted by FindSP.Com
heheh, the new AIM has pop ups :)

Ah, well ye this version is not that good.
I try to never upgrade my IM systems cause the new versions have more ads and more useless features.

Originally posted by Palm
Ah, well ye this version is not that good.
I try to never upgrade my IM systems cause the new versions have more ads and more useless features. I try to not update anything that's working properly.;)

I like AIM best for personal use. ICQ is annoying when you have to click "Send" every few seconds ...in AIM you can just press "Enter". :stickout :D

I prefer AIM. The only pop-up I know of is in the beginning and can be turned off in preferences. ICQ is great, but I'm sorry, that flower just clashes with everything and has been annoying me from day 1 of using it. If I need to ICQ, I use trillian. Odigo was fun, but I found I just liked looking at all the neat icons, after which it wasn't that great to use.

And I HATE msn. It's nifty for use with hotmail, but when I close the thing I want it to stay closed. It seems to turn itself back on whenever I open anything microsoft related.

Yahoo I just don't like for personal reasons such as them not replying to a single e-mail or adding my site to any of their sections (including the bottom of the line ones when I got desperate) after years of attempting to do so. Plus they ruin everything they touch somewhat like AOL. Can we say "Branding Freaks"?

i've been using nothing but ICQ for so long i'd never be able to use anything else :look:

I prefer ICQ, but it's hell on my Win2k. So I downloaded Trillian (http://www.trillian.cc) , which allows me to connect to ICQ, AIM, MSN and Y! with one program. It also allows multiple instances of each. The best part is that it no longer uses up 75% of my system's resources.

Almost forgot...Trillian also lets you connect to IRC...but I don't use that anyway.

Trillian is definately a good ting to use

Never heard of Trillion before.
I just downloaded it though and will give it a go.
It'll be worth it if it saves me from needing to load three chat programs at once ;)
But, I have to go back to, "I like the messaging archive on Yahoo; even better than the ICQ."

Guess we should have had an "Other" button on the poll . . . . huh?

I just downloaded it though and will give it a go.
Give it a couple of days. It's a little hard to get used to...or it was for me, anyway. :)
But it sure beats the hell out of using 3 different programs!

I would have to agree with Stephen, Trillian is definatley good software that takes up small resource on your machine