You’ve downloaded Skype, and so has your friend. Now you can get started on the really cool stuff – such as making completely free and great quality calls from your computer. That’s the great thing about Skype, you can use your internet connection and turn your computer into an internet phone and make free Skype-to-Skype calls.

You and your friend will need to have a headset (or use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers) to talk to each other. You can really improve the sound quality of your calls with a headset, or take your calls to the next level with free video calls.

Using Skype to make free Skype-to-Skype calls is great but you can also make local, long distance and international calls to phones and cell phones at great rates too. But there’s a load more you can do as well.

For starters you can send cheap text messages directly from Skype; forward calls from Skype to your cell phone; or set up a personal online number so friends, family and co-workers can call you on Skype at local rates from their old-fashioned phone, no matter where you are in the world.

Developer: Skype Limited
License: Freeware
OS: Windows All
Size: 21,3 MB
Download Skype 3.8.0.144 link

ICQ 6 introduces a whole new world of communication, a world where it’s all about the user. It has a new look, it’s easy to use and let’s the user create his or her own communication experience. ICQ 6 is not just an upgrade but rather a total reinvention of the entire IM communication experience. It’s an innovative version with an entirely new software and a completely redesigned UI. ICQ 6 lets the user communicate in various ways - all in a single message window. All within a fresh, new design and a friendly interface which creates a seamless interactive experience supported by a new and original soundtrack composed by Infected Mushroom exclusively for ICQ.

New, improved and innovative features in ICQ 6 include:

• Quick IM - letting the user send messages to contacts without opening a message window.
• Easy message access - simple navigation between incoming messages.
• Tabbed conversations - easy switch between ongoing conversations.
• History - new design to search history of messages, files, calls etc.
• Search - easy-to-use search through the Contact List, on the ICQ site, and on the web.
• File sharing - quicker, safer and with auto accept of files from contacts plus option to close window while transferring files.
• ICQ 6 now support up to 1000 friends in your Contact List.
• Soundtrack - an all new soundtrack composed exclusively for ICQ by the progressive psy-trance duo Infected Mushroom.

Let the show begin! ICQ’s sleek new interface is just the beginning of the new features we’ve added for ICQ 6. We hope you enjoy the following features as much as we’ve enjoyed creating them!

Developer: Mirabilis
License: Freeware
OS: Windows All
Size: 13.9 MB
Download ICQ 6.0 Build 6059 link

Miranda IM is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Windows. Very light on system resources and extremely fast, Miranda IM requires no installation and can be made to fit on a single floppy disk or USB drive. Featuring a powerful plugin-based framework and boasting over 350 plugins, Miranda IM is one of the most flexible and customisable messaging clients on the planet.

Protocol Support:
* AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)
* Gadu-Gadu
* IAX (Inter-Asterisk Exchange)
* ICQ
* IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
* Jabber
* MSN
* Netsend
* Tlen
* Yahoo
* And more…

Developer: Miranda
License: Freeware
OS: Windows All
Size: 2.4 MB
Download Miranda Miranda IM 0.7.6 Preview Release #1 link