ICQ used to be the most popular IM application... until Microsoft launched MSN Messenger and thousands of ICQ users switched to it. In the meantime ICQ continued to be upgraded until finally reaching version 7.

ICQ 7 has a quick, painless installation process that hardly takes a couple of minutes and enables you to import contacts from other online services such as Facebook, Gmail and Windows Live, among others. Once installed on your system, the program plays its characteristic siren and launches, displaying a colorful, customizable interface – with the omnipresent banner at the bottom, of course.

Text chats are still the main function in ICQ. You can spice them up with smileys and tzers (the equivalent to Live Messenger's winks), customize the text font and color, save the conversation to message history and play games with your friends. ICQ 7 also enables you to transfer files and send short text messages via phone.

Video chats have also been integrated in the latest version of ICQ. The program features an excellent video image quality, but the video chat is displayed on a separate window from the text chat and makes it a bit uncomfortable to use.

The most outstanding characteristic in this new ICQ is undoubtedly its integration with social networks. You'll find a tab devoted to notifications from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, which enable you to track your friend's activities at all times. Oddly enough, you'll have to set these services up from the ICQ website.

ICQ keeps working on new versions to measure up to its main competitors but fails to really offer any new functions.

Download ICQ 8.0 in Softonic

The content in Iminent is almost endless: besides the classic emoticons, you’ll also get avatars, winks, short videos and all sorts of animations. These are all for free, provided you put up with having banners all over the program’s interface.

Another interesting feature in Iminent is the ability to create your own animated avatars and emoticons, and also create a list with your favorite animations.

Iminent is nicely built-in to your IM client. Bear in mind though that your friends will also need to have this plug-in installed in order to see some of the animations included.

Bring more emoticons, winks, avatars and animations to Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger with Iminent.

Download Iminent 5.43.11 in Softonic

To bring Yahoo! Messenger up to date, Facebook chat has been integrated into the latest version, along with social games like Mafia Wars. You can now use video chat in full-screen mode, and the 'Always On' feature means you'll stay connected whether on mobile, at home or at work.

You can of course update your Facebook status from Yahoo! Messenger, and also on Yahoo! What hasn't changed from the previous version is the amount of bloat in the app. Some people may appreciate the shared videos, social games (as shown in the video here), radio stations, emoticons, search bar and so on. However, all this stuff adds a lot of weight to the Yahoo! Messenger, and it feels unsophisticated today. The video call quality in Yahoo! Messenger is pretty good, however, and in fact if it stuck to being a chat app, we would recommend it more highly!

The amplification of social aspects in Yahoo! Messenger isn't a revolution. If you love all the bells and whistles, you'll love this app, but many people will find it annoying and intrusive.

Download Yahoo! Messenger 11.5.0.228 in Softonic

Windows Live Messenger previously known as MSN Messenger, was renamed as part of Microsoft's move away from Hotmail, towards the Live online community. Now the most popular IM app in the world has finally reached version 2009.

Features

Windows Live Messenger offers plenty of emoticons and winks to cheer up your conversations. You can expand both collections easily by adding new sets which you'll find by the hundred on the Internet. Customization possibilities include changing the chat window background or even adding a personal message to your nickname, but not creating custom status messages. Also, Windows Live Messenger status messages have now been reduced to "online", "away" or "busy" – so no more "on the phone" or "out to lunch", for example.

Chat conversations are not the only thing you can do with Windows Live Messenger. There is also the possibility of having video chats using your webcam, and also make VoIP calls. Another great feature in Windows Live Messenger is the possibility to view and share pictures within the chat window, without having to send files over to your contact.

Regarding contact lists, the new Windows Live Messenger lets you create specific groups of users, different from the ones previously known as "groups" and which have now been renamed to Categories. These groups allow you to have multiple simultaneous chats with several contacts. Another new feature in the contact management system in Windows Live Messenger is Favorites, a special category that enables you to have the people you talk to most always to hand.

Usability

Windows Live Messenger 2009 includes many interesting new features, all conveniently built into a nice interface. I'm not sure that this handful of new functions is the reason why the program weighs in at almost 70 MB.

Quality

The most striking feature in the new Windows Live Messenger is an all-new interface with a colorful design, far from the traditional Windows application structure. You can customize it by choosing your own theme and color scheme.

In order to maintain the neatness of this design, the menu bar in Windows Live Messenger has been hidden under a few buttons on the top-right corner – though you can temporarily make the standard menu bar visible by pressing the Alt key. While I understand the reason why they did this, it makes menu options a bit uncomfortable to browse.

Conclusion

Windows Live Messenger reaches version 2009 with a renewed interface, loads of new features and a bit of extra weight.

Context

Windows Live Messenger will be discontinued on April 8. 2013.

Users will have to use Skype with imported contacts to continue messaging Windows Live Messenger contacts.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 Build 14.0.8117.416 in Softonic

How it works

Google Voice and Video Chat enables you to hold video-conferences with family and friends right on Gmail's interface, just like regular text chats. Google Voice and Video Chat's video window appears on the right side and although you can't move it, there's always the option to pop it out and place it anywhere you like.

Sound and image quality

Google Voice and Video Chat has an astounding quality both in image and sound. Video streaming runs very smoothly and sound is just crisp and clear. Besides there are no complicated configuration settings required, so you'll probably be able to have it set up and running in two minutes.

Requirements

Being a Google Talk plug-in, you obviously need a Gmail account in order to use Google Voice and Video Chat. Also, your contacts need the plug-in in order to be able to use video chats with them. Besides those two basic requirements, we can't honestly think of any other con about it! Also bear in mind that if you want to start a Google + hangout, this is the plug-in you'll need.

Google Talk has finally added the one featured it lacked: high-quality, responsive video chats!

Download Google Voice and Video Chat 1.0.2.0 in Softonic

NJStar Communicator adds Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) read/write functions to your English or any western Windows. This means that there is no need to install a separate Chinese (Japanese/Korean) Windows any more.

The application boasts a number of mighty features, including:

Chat

Send Email

No need for any extra installation or plug-ins.

View Audio/Video Title

Not any more, thanks to NJStar Communicator

Search and Browse the web

You can now search with CJK native language characters on Yahoo and Google.

Read & write CJK anywhere

Download NJStar Communicator 2.60 in Softonic