AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista) 6.5

Publisher's description of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

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You don't have to be an America Online member to experience the immediate cross-Internet communication made possible by AOL Instant Messenger. This program allows Internet users to communicate via private, personalized text messages, and indicates when friends, family members, and business colleagues are online. AOL Instant Messenger combines AOL's Buddy List and Instant Message features, enabling users to send and respond to messages immediately. Other features include a user directory and buddy chat capabilities, personalized news, and a Neighborhood Watch feature so you can disconnect when crank chatters contact you. You also can send personalized greetings from your Buddy List, forward a copy of your Buddy List to a friend, and add your own comments to an entry on your Buddy List. You can also create and share digital photo albums with your friends.

Version 6.5 includes the AOL Tunes Plugin to stream music, expanded social networking-style features, and other minor updates.

Note: After downloading AIM, be sure to register a screen name.

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Editor's review of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

AOL continues its push to stay relevant with the latest upgrade to its chat program. In version 6, we saw the incorporation of tools that were mostly old hat to other chatware. This time around we get two built-in plug-ins, expanded mobile messaging, an easier way to switch skins, and a new Status message feature.

The two plug-ins are the biggest upgrades, with mixed results. Neither the QQ Games nor the AIM Tunes plug-ins worked in Vista, although they were fine on an XP machine. They both allow full control from the Buddy window, which is especially useful for AIM Tunes and the integrated streaming XM Radio. The TXT Message mode was far more stable, functioning well regardless of OS. As of this writing, though, the AIM Short Code for accessing your Buddy list and other AIM chat features via SMS has not yet been rolled out.

The other features--Plaxo address book, telephony, and a free local "dummy" number with free voice mail--are nice touches, but nothing that blasts AIM ahead of the pack. The Buddy window has been largely unchanged, managing links to other services, extra features, and of course, ads. Whether these services can entice new users as well as those who have drifted to multichatware supporting applications remains to be seen.

User reviews of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

• Average user rating: out of 409 votes
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  AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

  i didn't download this

  by: alice_b0wie on 06-Jan-2008 06:13:02 PM

  Cons: RULE #1, NEVER INSTALL ANYTHING FROM AOL ONTO YOUR COMPUTER!

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  AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

  More ads and more bull.

  by: shockwavesn1per on 07-May-2008 08:39:42 PM

  Cons: Basically, the sound system has not improved since I have last used Triton in 2005. I switched to Trillian. Generally, everything sucks in this version and nothing has improved, which the exception of more ads, banners, unsecure streaming, and optional changing to aol homepage and search engine during installation. Trillian works much better, as it enables multi-clients and optional use of AV.

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  AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

  VERY BAD!

  by: JoyceNgo on 04-Nov-2007 06:41:26 PM

  Pros: Nothing! It's AIM so it's really a necessity for a lot of people.

  Cons: I've ALWAYS been disappointed with AIM's clients because they clearly attempt to do what they cannot do. AOL needs to understand that if they want a product to work, they cannot be installing all sorts of unknown softwares and spyware onto peoples' computers.

  This AIM version was installed at an internet cafe I go to often and it was the only AIM they had and it has bugs, lack of speed, and in other words, it's slow, buggy and bloated. I decided to download classic AIM 5.9 afterwards because this version caused me so much trouble, even at my friend's house. An d it's strange how AIM Express is similiar to this version of AIM and doesn't even work for me either.

  If I were you, I'd stay away from this resource hogging chat client because it's truly horrible! I'd recommend classic AIM, Pidgin, Trillian or MirandaIM...

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  AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

  To damn slow

  by: mikethedj4 on 26-Mar-2008 09:18:06 PM

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  AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) (2000/XP/Vista)

  Don't like the Jump out Ads - Too Many Aggresive Bundles

  by: mikasartarian on 16-May-2008 02:44:23 PM

  Cons: I use this for work and the ads get in the way when mousing over certain elements. I find myself clicking them at least twice per month on accident. Also, the updates are loaded with bundles, which is ok (I understand the need to monetize it), but there are a LOT of them and the disclosure is poor to say the least.

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