Get AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) and plug in to what matters to you. Along with IM, Video Chat, email and the features you’ve come to love, take your AIM Buddy List to the next level. Choose what you want to see at the bottom of your Buddy List, from games to making phone calls from AIM, you decide what you see.

Customize your AIM experience.
* What is a plugin? Simply put, a plugin is an add-on to your software to expand its functionality. Our new AIM plugins allow you to add features to your Buddy List® window so it does more! You can watch videos, track your stocks, listen to your favorite music. Add as many as you like, just look for access at the bottom of your Buddy List.

Text your friends through IM.
* Don’t waste your text messages. Send IMs directly to your friends’ cell phones using AIM! That way, you’ll never miss an IM. Forward messages to your cell phone when you go offline. Staying in touch just got sweeter.

Get your game on with QQ Games.
* QQ Games are free multi-player games you can play with other AIM users. Your moves directly affect the competition, giving you a true multi-player gaming experience. Choose to add this plugin during installation or browse our plugin gallery for more cool add-ons.

Show off your true self.
* Create your own Buddy Icon, change your moods and choose a custom buddy sound to alert your friends that it’s you IMing! We’ve got thousands to choose from, so go ahead and browse our Expressions library now. Plus, you can now customize your Buddy List window with your favorite color.

Picture Share, Video Chat and much more!
* Sharing and keeping in touch have never been easier. With Voice and Video Chat, make your conversations come alive by going face-to-face with important contacts. Share your memories and important files with Picture Share. Save all of your online conversations with IM Logging. Keep in touch with your buddies when you or they are offline with Offline IM. Plus so much more!

Developer: America Online
License: Freeware
OS: Windows All
Size: 13.6 MB
Download AOL Instant Messenger for Windows 6.8.8.4 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