AOL Instant Messenger Alternatives?
 

Does anyone know of any good AIM alternative programs out there? I have yet to find one that I have liked. I tried Trillian, GAIM, and am giving Miranda a shot, but have yet to find anything I like more than AIM+DeadAIM. Unfortunately, I am using a very old version of AIM, and dont want to pay to buy a version of DeadAIM.

Any suggestions of good ones out there? I need logging capabilities, and would like some way to enable secure messenging, but that last one is optional.

unless you want all the other stuff the alternatives give you. i would still go with aim + deadaim. just download the newest version of aim and 'acquire' deadaim.

although it is now required to purchase it, i believe some people out there have downloaded the install file from when you didn't have to pay for it yet.

so with this in mind, and not to be thread-jacking you, but say you have the file from pre-registration required days. is that wrong to distribute since it was free when you downloaded it? and essentially the file then was free?

only if the EULA says you can distribute it.

http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=deadaim

Has version 3.2.8 of deadaim for download.

Oldversion.com should be considered the savior of all humanity

Yeah, I have an old version of DeadAIM, but it doesnt seem to want to work with the newest versions of AIM.

Bah, why does something seemingly so simple always have to be such a pain?

Because AOL is involved.

have you thought at all about using trillian? works really well and offers a freeware version that actually works!

Don't see what would be wrong with Trillian.
Try different skins, some change the way Trillian works.
I also use Gaim for linux.

I don't like how trillian moves the list around, is there a way to prevent that?

I know tihs isn't an option for you, but i just wanted to comment on how much i love ichat for mac. The buddy icons are like little faces with talk bubbles. Rock and Roll.

I agree with Krycheck, I use & like trillian quite a bit, how come you didn't?

hm, I've been using Miranda for a while now, for aim and msn...no complaints, but I've never tried anything else for aim...

logging, i used to use a plugin that made txt logs (which i prefer) but now what i use is just more of a 'history' plugin that still records it all, just not in txt...I've just been to lazy to see if they still have a txt log plugin.

:)

just to play devil's advocate here, what's wrong with MSN Messenger?

trilllian is very cool. have been using it at work ( as it has some nice options to make it harder to find. no registry entries...systray for incomin messages if required. Its not ideal, but its a good alternative.

I have been using gaim, as i saw it on the sourceforge homepage and decided to give it a go. Pretty good program, I like it a little more than trillian.

Um, the thread is about AIM..MSN is really not a replacement for AIM ... when the people you need to talk to only have AIM...

AIM 4.8 + AIM+ I have been using it forever and I can't complain. It does the job and doesn't have all the random crap in AIM 5.0+ versions... www.big-o-software.com for AIM+. AIM+ only works on AIM previous to 5.0

ok i get it. i hate aol, but it is true, there are some people who only use it (though i can't figure why).

the only reason I got an aim account was to convince my brother to use msn messenger, and it worked. lol

Yeah. I used Miranda, but couldnt get it to let me change the fonts. I also didnt like the plugins system, especially the logging. It is still the best alternative I have found, and if it comes down to it, Ill go back to it.

As for Trillian, I just didnt like anything about it. It seemed overly complex, difficult to use, and a general PITA. I just didnt get the right 'feeling' from it. Take it as you will.

The problem with that is that SecureAIM only works with versions later than 5.2. Thats why I moved in the first place :(

Hmm...I have all my fonts changed (I'm very particular about using my favourite font in *everything*..)

Get @ me in chat sometime if you want help with how-to :)

Yeah, I figured its got to let you do it, but I sure as shit couldnt figure it out.

Ill grab you sometime in IRC.

Well, I use proteus. It's for Mac and I love it. I have tried Fire, didn't care for it much. On the PC though Trillian is my choice.