MSN Messenger alternatives

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CC_Pirate

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Messages
463
Hi all,

I am from Europe and most my friends there use MSN Messenger, so I have to do so to.
I don't like the MSN Live messenger too much, I think its got too much stuff on it, not very efficient use of pixel space, and I HATE the fact that every new conversation opens in a new window.

I am looking for a client that works much like the new Skype, if you have tried that. Basically, the app is one window which holds the contact list and all open conversations.

Is there such a client?
Anyways, whatever you use that you like better than Microsofts client, I'd be glad to check out.

Thanks!
 
Pidgin? I use it for MSN, and AIM, and ICQ, and Yahoo, works well.

I've slowly gotten more and more friends and family to also install the encryption plugin as well.
 
Personally, I use MSN Messenger, but I mod it a bit.

Use A-Patch to get rid of the extra junk.

Use Messenger Plus Live! to use tabs and reconfigure the options to your liking. Works for me.

I have tried Digsby... but for some reason on Win7x64, none of the links were clickable. Other than that, it was an outstanding program.

EDIT: Just reinstalled and tried digsby again and everythings working fine. Win7x64 7100... looks like I'm back on Digsby again!
 
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I use Trillian Astra. There was a similar thread like this a few weeks ago, and a few people wanted to try the Astra beta, but it was invite only. It's kind of cool that this new thread was made, so I don't have to find the old one, because a friend of mine (who is also in the Astra beta) informed me that the beta is open to the public now. I just checked to confirm, and here it is.
 
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Mostly use Trillian, unless I'm booted up into *nix....

More recent downloads of Trillian try to sneak in some "me-too ware"....WeatherBug and AskJeeves toolbar....just proceed slowly and uncheck those as you install it.

Also have used Miranda, Pidgin, and some other one I can't remember now. Eh...all work about the same...it's just an IM program, no need to lose sleep over which one is really better than the other..they all do roughly the same.
 
msn 8 here and you can remove the tabs by default, the only thing you cant remove from it is the bottom advert space, but everything else can be customized.
 
I hated the new Windows Live Messenger ... the UI and forced viewing of other peoples themes, combined with appalling use of screen space killed that one for me.

So I looked at Trillian 3.1 and that was ugly and missing too much functionality.

I used Digsby for a while, and functionally it is probably the best of the multi-protocol options. Does everything the OP is asking and more. And other than presentation is just about perfect.

Right now I am using Trillian Astra, and really all that is missing is good handling of external email and good Linked In support. In Digsby you can specify an MSN account for email but not have that sign in to IM, and then have another MSN account that is just for IM and does not use IM ... which is nice for a variety of potentially non-obvious reasons ;)

Trillian Astra will insist on signing you into IM and Email on the same MSN account, which was problematic.
 
+1 for Pidgin.

It's perfect for messaging (I think it does IRC also). If you want features like the videochat that MSN has though, look elsewhere, but for plain old messaging, I don't think you can top it.
 
Get the addon to msn messenger called msn messenger plus. It allows you to add plugins to msn messenger and allows for single window mode, chat logging, and a lot more. I didn't like the new messenger version so i am at 8.5 right now. ;)

http://www.msgplus.net/
 
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