I used to care about CPU/mem usage so I used Trillian. But it misses lotsa eyecandy so now I mostly use Live Messenger, and ICQ lightly for ICQ+AIM users, and for backup (once a month or so MS servers are down). In a year or two all IM proggies will be rock solid, and all new PC's will be quad-core 5GHz's. People will just run 3 stable IM clients with no worries.

Probably Skype will be a big "uniting" force, meaning folks who are on AIM and folks on WLM will both use Skype to maximize functionality (text, file transfer, video conference). This is why whoever fully interoperates with Skype (incl video and file transfer!) is gonna win this "IM war". But both AOL and Skype are "snobby" - they think they can rule "their markets" by themselves. Hence what I really think will happen is that Microsoft will win the war the usual way - by copying best features of Skype+Yahoo, making them EVEN BETTER, and then shoving it down our throats in future vers of Windows.

I use a thirdparty client (centericq) so none of the bothersome client flaws bother me anyway. I suggest windows users try something like miranda or trillian :)

Trillian and Miranda are simply shells that consolidate the user interface! they do NOTHING to insulate you from the IM progams underneath!

And as far as folks whining about exposure in chat sites...if you insist on hanging around the Net equivalent of the Greyhound bus station bathroom, you deserve what you get.

If you are simply using the services for IM, VOIP voice and Webcam you can minimize your exposure by encrypting the tunnel with a program such as Zone's IM Secure - or using Skype's encrypted service - essentially the same as employing an IPSec tunnel. At that point, the only potential problem is that your traffic is going through someone else's server.

But the SAME charge can be made regarding any Net traffic - as it is broadcast in the clear via outside servers! - and hence the desireability to use an IPSec or SSL tunnel.

Ok, If I am reading the comments right, Yahoo, MSN, and AOL all have huge security risks. I know no one that uses Google Talk, so what should I do about IM. If I want to be on a network that has people I know, I will be in danger of hacking, or I can be on a network with no one else I know. I am confused. What do you recommend? I have used both Live messenger and AIM Triton, and had good luck with both. I usually have both running on the right side of the screen next to my firefox. If Yahoo works with msn, and if AOL and google get off their butts, This sounds like a good way to do it.

first of all, all of these numbers are seriously slanted. None of this takes into account for the "bots" that do have legitimate names listed as users. This is the case for all IM programs and chat clients as part of the system as a whole.

Secondly, MSN messenger (Live or whatever) is simply windows messanger reincarnated. We all should remember how dangerous windows messenger was. The combination of MSN with Yahoo will end up creating the easiest means for the most people to hack into practically any machine.

Yahoo is the only one worth using but it's going to become absolutely worthless from a security standpoint. Anyone that has spent time in Yahoo's chatrooms over the course of the last couple of years knows how much worse things have become. It's easier than ever for people in those chats to get in through the messenger software. Add something like windows messenger to the mix and you have something explosive. This is a bad move. Things like SP2 will not stop what the user willing brings in. We all know how bad MS is on security and how global this all is.....

I seriously recommend a user spend some time in some chatrooms (AOL, Yahoo, MS, and them all) before doing this. Take a look at what's going on out there before you turn your pc into swiss cheese. Even if you bever go into chatrooms, that wont take away what these programs can do.

Have you even tried Windows Live Messenger? It's a great piece of software. Not perfect, but great.

My friends and I use it as our primary IM client. Noone has ever been compromised through it.

In fact, I have received a few phishing attempts through Yahoo Messenger, not MSN Messenger. Although it's not entirely Yahoo's fault.

i like it, its decent and a hell of a lot better then the older ones (Windows Mess/MSN)

And with CleanMessenger, it really rocks!

Bad idea of google to trying to get involved with AOL... AOL is one of the worst internet companies that I know of

and Microsoft getting involved with Yahoo isn't a bad idea?

I am not in a mood to look it up right now but wasn't this supposed to happen years ago? I think this is probably a case of too little too late.

With all due respect, who cares...

Yahoo Messenger has become so unstable over the past several months that when it does not suddenly send CPU usage to 100% and then not release resources before it crashes only to then repeat the cycle as it attempts to re-establish connectivity multiple times until the cycle repeats in another 3-5 minutes - or until we exit the program.

And thats saying nothing about Yahoos non-existent support.

Yahoo used to be the most robust of the IM tools, but now Skype is definately the best - if they would only improve their user non-configurable interface!

That's NOT Yahoo....
CPU usage going to 100% is from other users. Although Yahoo does know this is happening and does nothing to stop it.

Skype? Well, you can misplace your trust where ever you like. Skype is like myspace in that they both get people to focus on nothing but what's on the surface. These things are security risks.

That's not Yahoo????
BS!
I can shut down ALL other programs and it happens! I can restrict all messages from users and it happens. Killing Yahoo stops the problem!

It conflicts with seemingly everything!
Words words words with innuendo and no substance.

Your emotional/political bias is fascinating.
I am well aware of the fundamental limitations of IM, and that is not a concern here as I run everything encrypted with friends who utilize Zone Alarm IMSecure.

But even that is a moot point if the application won't remain up long enough to use it without it freezing everything else out and then repeatedly crashing!

How is it not Yahoo when the program is only running in the system tray. No messges being sent, no file transfers and the CPU usage suddenly spikes to 100%.

Nice, let's see if they can take on AIM. :P