>Trillian is great, not only because it handles multiple IM clients but because it doesn't drag in all the spyware and adware the "free" IM programs do. I let my daughters IM their friends from my computer but I insist they use Trillian.
>
>I am still using the free version of Trillian. (And no, it doesn't support GoogleTalk). When I looked at the Pro edition it didn't seem to offer much that I needed. Are there features I am overlooking?


There are some other freatures I know about that Pro has that the Basic version doesn't - but nothing major. You can create "meta" contacts in the pro version - so if you have a friend that uses ICQ, AOL, and MSN you can group them all together in one little contact icon so yer list doesnt get a mile long.
The Miranda one is cool too, it supports googletalk and has no adware or spyware in it either. It's been around a long time, open source, and there are a zillion plug-ins for it. Personally, I don't use any plugins to speak of other than some weather gizmo. The only reason I have the Pro version of Trillian is because they gave me a lifetime of pro versions for free a long time ago because I did a lot of beta testing for them when they were just getting going....otherwise I'd probably be using Miranda.


>
>>Yep - I've seen that before too. If he wants to chat with his AIM buddies, you can always install something like trillian (www.trillian.cc) or Miranda (http://www.miranda-im.org/). I don't use any of the regular clients anymore, I just use trillian pro because I can have my ICQ, MSN, YAHOO, AIM, and GoogleTalk stuff in one nice, adware free, spyware free, AOL b.s. free client. The Pro version of Trillian costs a coupla bucks, but the Miranda one is free and it now supports googletalk as well. If I remember right, the free version of Trillian doesnt support the google one.
>>
>>>I had once had to disable my son's login on the family PC when he continued to install AOHell IM after I told him several times not to do it. There is no way to simply uninstall. It intertwines itself too much into everything.
>>>
>>>>hahaha... yeah me too. About the only thing usefull I've ever seen from AOL is when they started sending out all those damn CD's in the little tin trays. I was like "wow, AOL sent me something I can actually use now" (after I toss out the CD of course..ha)