Years ago, before Facebook, before the term social media….if you were online, you were probably using AOL’s Instant Messenger service, AIM. AIM was the starting point for chat for many people, and we have seen instant messaging grow in recent years to include social IMs on Facebook, Gtalk in Google’s Gmail, video chat on Skype, even to sites like Chat Roulette.

 

MSNIn addition to our social media accounts, many people have multiple instant messaging accounts as well. The three big webmail providers (Gmail, Yahoo!, and/Hotmail/Live) all have chat integrated into their services. So with all of this together, you may have an IM account through your Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Facebook, Skype and more.

 

Surely it doesn’t make sense to have all of these services/ programs open at once, so using an all in one

instant messaging client is the way to go. Below are the two of the top instant messaging clients, sure to either make your online life easier to manage or turn it into a smorgasboard of nonstop IMs.

Digsby

 

 

 

 

Not just an instant messenger, Digsby credits itself as IM + Email + Social Media. The program connects you to your IM accounts, Facebook chat, Facebook updates, Twitter, even your webmail accounts too.

 

So all of this (email, social updates and your IM list) is found within one familiar AIM style interface. Digsby is currently only available for the PC, with a Mac beta apparently on its way soon. Digsby is also free to download, give it a try here.

Trillian

 

 

Trillian, dubbed “The Ultimate Instant Messenger: Now available for Windows, iPhone and the Web.” Other than AIM, Trillian is probably the multi-IM client that has been around for the longest time (since 2000) and is currently promoting version 4 of its software, known as Astra.

 

Trillian integrates many of the sames services as Digsby does: email, instant messaging, and social media. It boasts a whopping 450+ features list on it’s website, and also boasts an impressive lineup of OS and platform options that Digsby does not have: multiple versions forWindows, a Mac version, and apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices.

 

Some of these (such as the v5 Windows version, Mac and Android) are in beta, so expect updates to each prior to a formal release. Trillian also offers a Trillian for Web browser based option that can be seen here. Trillian is free to download and use, and a Pro version for Windows is available.

 

Okay, So Which One’s Better?

With the Mac and Android versions currently in beta, it looks like Trillian and Cerulean Studios are poised to take the top spot in the battle for instant message supremacy.

 

I personally enjoy using Digsby more than Trillian, due mostly to the fact that it’s quicker and has an easier to manage UI than Trillian in my opinion. Yet there’s no denying the fact that Trillian has all it’s device, OS and browser bases covered, and Digsby is far from reaching that point.

 

This article was originally posted here: http://www.reencoded.com/2010/12/28/two-of-the-most-beneficial-multi-im-clients-for-designers/