Simply choose the IM protocol that you'd like to connect to from a selection that includes SIP, Google Talk, XMPP/Jabber, MSN or Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Bonjour, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger and Facebook chat. In the main window, you'll find all your personal contacts.

In the Jitsi chat window, you can exchange IM messages or initiate video or audio chats, including group chats. There are a limited number of emoticons and Jitsi keeps a history of your chats. Although the interface isn't particularly intuitive, the fact that you can initiate audio and video chats gives it a serious advantage over many slicker IM clients.

Note that this download link takes you to the nightly build page because Jitsi is being updated so regularly, that you can choose the latest version more easily.

Jitsi might not be quite as slick as other IM clients but is a serious alternative to classics like Miranda.

Download Jitsi 1.0 Beta 1 in Softonic

Ambient World 1: White Noise features 65 sound textures crafted purely from white noise. Each 24-bit Wav is offered with variants for added flexibility.

High-end processes are used throughout. This library is ideal for adding ambience and tension to any electronic music, from dance through to ambient and IDM.

The pack will also finds fans among TV, film and foley producers. * All sounds supplied in 24bit 44Khz Wav files. * 65 High quality sound textures and drones* Over 700meg of 24bit samples.

Download Ambient Worlds 1 : White Noise 1 in Softonic

Let's face it: most of us have more online accounts than we can control. Email addresses, instant messaging clients, social networking sites… do you really have time to catch up with all of them?

If you don't, then you need Digsby, a revolutionary all-in-one IM client with which you can handle all your online contacts under the same interface, even if they belong to different networks. OK, this is probably not that revolutionary, but the real surprise comes when you realize you can also add your email accounts, no matter if they're online or POP3 based, and also your personal profiles in Facebook and MySpace. The result is that Digsby enables you to control pretty much every aspect of your online social life in a very easy way.

After installing the program, you can start adding as many accounts as you want in order to handle them from Digsby. This includes AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Facebook, MySpace and more. Despite the amount of supported services, they're presented in a very clear, uncluttered interface and organized in tabs. You'll be able to chat with your buddies via IM and also check and organize your email without even having to open your browser. Everything worked fine except for Facebook, which kept on showing a "Connecting…" message though the widget was up and working on my Facebook profile. My ICQ account didn't seem to respond either, but I guess it's got something to do with the fact that Digsby is still in beta stage.

Digsby saves chat history, supports file transfer and features an extended settings menu from which you can tweak the program's appearance and performance. The only drawback I found, besides the Facebook connectivity issue, was the lack of speed when starting the program and logging in. But then again, it's well worth it.

With Digsby you'll be able to manage all your online accounts for email, IM and social networks under a single interface, making it much easier and faster for you to stay in touch with your friends.

Download Digsby Beta Build 87 in Softonic

Limewire is a very popular peer to peer filesharing application. Users of the latest release will notice the radical redesign, bringing it aesthetically up to date.

Like Vuze before it, LimeWire appears to be encouraging legal downloads with the LimeWire Store. The library is so far a little limited compared to competitor download stores, but we expect this will expand.

Otherwise it's business as usual on LimeWire, but with a much simplified and cleaner interface. Because it's a new release, there are still some bugs, but the basic file sharing functions as well as ever. The new design makes scanning your search results much easier, and downloading files is totally intuitive.

The built-in player is still unintrusive and useful for checking audio and video files, but no more. LimeWire goes out of its way to check you are aware of the legal implications of illegal filesharing, on installation you have to agree not to infringe copyright, and if you download a file for which LimeWire can't find a license you will be warned and can stop or continue at your discretion.

The Friends function has been much improved. You can sign in with your Gmail, Jabber or LiveJournal accounts, and share files between any of your friends there who are also on LimeWire. This is much easier than tapping out IP addresses, and if enough of your friends use LimeWire, it could become great community sharing tool.

LimeWire searches remain within the P2P network, but you can open torrent files with it, and it functions very well as a torrent download client. This is not the most advertised feature of LimeWire, which may a way of keeping legal challenges at bay, but it's a shame that you can't search for torrents within the program.

The official release of LimeWire 5.0 makes for a much improved P2P experience.

Download LimeWire Basic 5.5.14 in Softonic

This is where Nimbuzz comes in really handy as it's a multi-platform instant messaging client. This enables you to chat with your contacts and keep track of your friends's updates on more than a dozen different social networks and IM protocols, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber, among others.

Nimbuzz is already quite popular among mobile platforms, where it has been around for a while. This port to PC has gone a bit unnoticed, I guess partly because Nimbuzz doesn't feature as many tools and options as other similar programs. The tool in itself is quite simple, very light on resources and does what it says on the tin. There are no custom backgrounds, animation effects or any other bells and whistles.

Besides basic text chat, Nimbuzz includes other interesting options such as the ability to organize contacts by groups and the possibility to share files with them, even if they're not online, thanks a to a temporary storage system. Being primarily a mobile IM app, Nimbuzz also allows you to keep contacts synced with your mobile phone.

Despite being simpler than other similar tools, Nimbuzz is still a great app to keep in touch with friends across many different social networks and IM platforms.

Download Nimbuzz 1.1.1 Beta in Softonic

Pandion is an instant messaging client for XMPP and Jabber networks. Pandion is designed for usability and standards compliance. Because we think security is not a feature but a necessity, Pandion automatically encrypts your connection to XMPP servers.

Pandion makes it simple to use cool features like custom emoticons, avatars, and text markup. You can easily extend the functionality of Pandion by installing plug-ins.

Download Pandion 2.6.90 in Softonic

Exodus is a new Jabber ™ client being developed to be a "successor" to the very popular client Winjab. It's smaller, faster, easier to use, and looks better.

Download Exodus 0.10.0.0 in Softonic

Coccinella is an open source jabber client with a nice set of features.

Coupled with a whiteboard, Coccinella becomes a useful tool to chat and work on projects with other people on a network. Although it won't let you use multiple accounts, the client is highly flexible, and will allow you to connect to any Jabber/XMPP server, including popular IM clients like MSN Messenger, ICQ and even Google Talk. However you won't be able to make use of the VoIP capabilities and webcam support of these IM services, as Coccinella does not handle them.

The client's interface is simple and uncluttered and you can keep all your messages in an inbox, making them easy to browse by subject, sender or date. Coccinella also offers file transfers, and you can choose your own avatars. Apart from the decent collection of emoticons, you can also import new ones if you have them in jisp format.

The whiteboard is really fun to use and easy to share with as many other users as you want. Coccinella also offers up connections to chatrooms, something we've never really been convinced of, but at least, for people interested, it's there.

Coccinella is a good open source jabber client with a whiteboard and loads of emoticons that can connect to any server. A recommended IM tool.

Download Coccinella 0.96.16 in Softonic

People tend to stick to the more known messaging clients when there are so many excellent open source alternatives out there like Psi.

This client was built to connect to multiple Jabber accounts and more known IM accounts like Yahoo or MSN. It's simple to set up, thanks to startup tips and guides found in the forum and wiki.

This last point is one of the main strengths of Psi. The open source project benefits from a strong community which has really helped make it a solid messaging client over the years. One of the examples of that is all the localized version of Psi that are available.

Psi is easy to use, yet discreet and features lots of iconsets and emoticons. You can also fully customize the interface and add your own icons. You can work with hotkeys and create command lines to insert in your chats, however more technical users will probably feel more comfortable working with these.

Users worried about their security or working with Psi in a public environment will be glad to know that it features SSL encryption and lets you use OpenPGP to send encrypted messages.

Psi is a real pleasure to use and is loaded with features, from security to customization and not forgetting multiple IM and Jabber compatibility. If you're looking for a good alternative messaging client, this is the one to choose.

Download Psi 0.14 in Softonic

Multiple protocols and devices

Known variously as Gtalk, Google Talk, Gchat and Gmail Messenger, this compact, functional app is all you need when it comes to staying in contact with your Gmail friends. Not only does Google Talk support Google accounts, it also supports a variety of other protocols and apps. In other words, you can log in with accounts from Jabber, Pidgin, Miranda, Psi and Trillian.

As well as supporting lots of protocols, Google Talk is also available for lots of devices, so even if you are chatting on your desktop, you'll be able to keep in touch with your friends on Android, iPhone and Blackberry. Even though not explicitly supported, you'll also be able to use Google Talk on Mac and Linux, as long as you use the browser version.

Nice layout, easy to use

Google Talk is an attractive app and very easy to use, although its bright, almost childlike appearance is looking a bit old-fashioned these days. There are various themes available from the Settings options, although they have more impact on the window layout and are not strictly "skins". You'll also be able to choose your status, picking from Available, Busy, and Idle, as well as custom messages and the option to show your current music track. Google Talk also notifies you when you receive new emails.

Adding and chatting with contacts with Google Talk couldn't be easier. Double click a name to start a conversation, and a new chat window will appear. If you see a little telephone or video camera icon beside the contact's name, they are also available for phone or video chats, but you'll need the Video and voice plug-in to do this.

Google Talk has many of the features that you'd expect from an IM client. You can add, block, rename and remove contacts, send smileys, and customize the way you see your friends online. If you look under the more technical settings, you'll also be able modify notifications and connect to the service using a proxy. It's not overrun with options, but most people seem to appreciate the resulting simplicity and light resource use.

The downside

Even though Google Talk is the go-to IM app for thousands of people, long term users can't help feeling that Google Talk is pretty low on Google's list of priorities. It works perfectly and is a great app, but that's because it was well made and ahead of its time when it first came out.

Google Talk hasn't been updated in what seems like years and, with the exception of the VoiP features added in recent times, the program feels a little bit forgotten. This has no impact on usability for Gmail users, but it does feel like Google Talk could do with a little more loving care.

If you're a Google User who wants to IM, you'd be mad to use anything but Google Talk.

Download Google Talk 1.0.0.105 in Softonic

Unless you're an expert with Dreamweaver or Adobe Flash, you won't be able to produce Flash animations very easily.

Luckily there are programs out there like Astro which do the hard work for you although you have to bear in mind that such programs are inevitably extremely limited compared to authoring the real thing yourself. Astro helps you to create real-time Flash text effects which you then export and import directly onto a website.

Everything is divided into different categories so first you change the background, then the foreground, then the text, then the animation and finally the font. Bizarrely throughout this demo however, you're accompanied by a rather annoying soundtrack which sounds like some kind of countdown to lift off. In terms of effects, it's also rather strange - you get a choice of George W Bush and The Queen for example so unless you're planning to put a jabbering Queen or Bush on your website, Astro won't be much use to you.

If you upgrade to the full version however, apparently you can have access to over 1250 effects so presumably there's some more useful ones in there. The animations aren't great and the graphics are a little substandard but it does make it ridiculously easy to make Flash animations.

Astro is no Picaso in the Flash world but it does allow you to at least create basic animations if you've got not Flash skills whatsoever.

Download Astro 2.02 in Softonic

If you have all your online friends scattered across different IM networks, you need an IM client like Meebone.

With Meebone you can connect to multiple IM networks simultaneously, giving you the chance then to chat with your friends from Jabber, Meebo, MSN, AIM, Yahoo!, ICQ and Google Talk at the same time.

When you run Meebone you'll be asked to login to any of the supported networks. Then, if you want to join another network at the same time, click on the "Sign on" button at the bottom of the program's interface.

Meebone is actually an Adobe AIR desktop port of an online cross-platform IM client named Meebo. Maybe this is why its interface is not perfect yet and has some glitches, but we have to bear in mind that the program is still at a beta stage.

Meebone lets you chat with your online friends at any moment, no matter what IM network they use. The program is still in development though.

Download Meebone 0.1 Beta5 in Softonic

Collanos Phone is three tools in one - a multi-protocol instant messaging client, VoIP app and a
video conference suite.

The program supports a multitude of IM clients and protocols including Jabber, MSN, ICQ, AOL, and Yahoo! The VoIP phone function is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standard while the Instant Messenger is based on the popular Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) standard. As far as conference calls are concerned, it doesn't support more than three callers at a time which is a definite drawback for large meetings. It is very well organised though in the way it shows useful information about contacts in the profiles. The program is based on existing Collanos user profiles so if you use any other Collanos products, the profile is instantly imported and shared in Collanos Phone. The other thing that makes life easier is that you make calls from the Windows taskbar - simply right click on the Collanos Phone symbol and you are given options to call or start conference calls.

A very basic but professional VoIP and IM client that's suitable for businesses although general users won't find all the fun features you find in most similar communication suites such as MSN Live Messenger.

Download Collanos Phone 1.0 Beta in Softonic

Spark is an IM client that you can use in organizations such as schools or companies to allow people communicate with each other in a quick, efficient way. Of course, there's the possibility to use one of the big IM programs like Live or Yahoo! Messenger, but Spark is faster and far more secure. It uses the Jabber protocol which can be configured to use either private or public networks, depending on the plug-ins you install on your server.

Spark displays a nicely designed interface that makes it really pleasant to use. I especially like the emoticons sets included in the program, as well as the usage of a color code to distinguish between different statuses (online, away, busy and so on). Spark also has some extra details that are hardly found in LAN clients, such as avatar support, conference rooms, voice chat, spellcheck and even a special tool to capture anything on your screen and send it directly to any contact. What's more, the program includes some other useful tools like a basic note editor and a task list.

Of course, no software app is perfect and neither Spark is. I had some problems when trying to organize my contacts into groups, with groups completely disappearing from my screen (but easily recovered by restarting the program). Also, I feel configuration settings fall too short: I'd like to be able to change the font and color of my text or hide offline contacts, just to mention two missing options.

Spark is an attractive, secure and fast IM client for local network communication, with extra tools that make it a great companion for your daily work at office.

Download Spark 2.5.8 in Softonic

ChatStat is what every company needs if it wants to get closer to theur customers. It allows you to be there 24/7 if visitors to your website have any questions they need answering immediately with no need to pick up a phone or write an e-mail. ChatStat basically promises that through it's Live Chat function, you'll sell more products.

ChatStat is a complete communication tool that allows you to enter into direct contact with visitors to your site, in addition to capturing data and generate statistics on the popularity of various pages. The program includes support for connecting to multiple IM networks including MSN, ICQ, Jabber, Yahoo! and AIM as well as Voice over IP services such as Skype.

Although it's a bit unnecessary, since most business will have a powerful web analysis program installed, ChatStat also includes a swanky visitor analytical program to track customer behaviour which includes zoom, scroll, pan, extrapolate, and explore modes.

This is a highly professional business tool that will make your customers feel closer as well as cutdown on work answering phones and e-mails.

Download ChatStat 3.1.1.0 in Softonic

IM applications are a great way to stay in touch with your friends. But what happens if they all use different networks? Either you choose one single network (therefore losing contact with all friends left outside) or you use a multi-network IM client like SIM.

This tool enables you to connect to multiple IM networks at the same time, displaying all your contacts on the same window. This is great when you have friends and family spread over different IM systems, as SIM offers support for the most popular ones: ICQ, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo! and more.

During our tests, however, the program seemed a bit unstable and it even crashed once. The interface and general design lines look very basic, as well as the functionality offered by the program.

Download SIM Instant Messenger 0.9.4.4 in Softonic