AOL Instant Messenger

Screen Shots

• AOL Instant Messenger Buddy List

• AOL Instant Messenger Options

Description

This is a full-featured IM software. Create an AOL account (really fast and easy) and then you can use their AIM instant messenger. AIM uses OSCAR for presence information protocol; used for two messaging systems ICQ and AIM. OSCAR stands for Open System for Communication in Real time.

Features

First you can import, invite buddies from services you already use like: Yahoo, Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express. After that you have to enter your data from that service and AIM will import your buddies.

They have already made groups for your buddies named: buddies, family, co-workers, recent buddies and offline. Of course you can add more. The offline group has the buddies you have in your list but they are not online. You can choose to not view the buddies’ offline or just show them in the groups where they belong. Also you have the option to view your buddies ordered alphabetically.

You can easily add your buddies and you have the option too see them in your list standard, with their email address or friendly by their nicknames.

As it’s so complex you can not only txt a person, you can call the online, send emails, start a video conference, share pictures and even send files or folders.

If the person you want to IM is not online you can send them a message on their mobile phone. Also you can redirect all IM from AIM to your cell.

You can group all your IM windows in a portfolio and in the left you can choose the chat you want to answer. Also you can stick to old fashion windows, all popping on your desktop.

As any other type of IM you can set up a status if you are busy, not at your desk or whatever special message you want to leave. The new part is that you can write standard messages for when you are away so you don’t have to rewrite them, just select them from the list.

If you missed messages as you were offline when you get on you can see them because now they are saved, so like this you can be sure you don’t miss anything.

They have AIM plugins and dashboard

On their dashboard you can rock on with AIM Tunes, Stylin’ and Profilin’, Take a picture – just update photos with you and your friends, make albums and so on. Also if you remember Skype and their Weemees you can create your own Weemee here too.

Also you can fight with other users by using AIM fight.

You can change your personality:

set your buddy icon – you can choose from dozens of pictures categorized by seasons, holidays, animals and so on. Set your buddy wallpaper – as the buddy image you can choose your background Set your buddy sound – whenever you receive an IM this sound will pop-up; also you can choose your sound as you choose your images

Set your emoticons – they are set on categorized portfolios so you can choose whatever you want; feel the holidays and pick up the Christmas emoticons. Instead of showing the standard yellow happy faces, you will see x-mas trees kissing, ginger bread hugging and so on.

If you are tired of your music you can add their. They have a radio incorporated with tones of special genres, or you can just listen what’s new. Also you can watch some videos from the AOL videos.

You can save all your logs just to remember cool conversations or to mark some important data. They have a special folder in the path where AIM was installed but you can access it right from the AIM application.

Cool for the newest version is that you can change the skins. You have many options of two colors combined.

Easter eggs

Something real exclusive is when you send emoticons you will see the specific yellow faces popping on the IM window. The bad part is that you will always see yellow faces, not the special emoticons you’ve selected for yourself.

If you’re not home you can send IMs to your friends thru AIM Express. You don’t have to install it, so like this you stay in touch with your friends.

Get the Acronym Dictionary! You can see faster is better. What do you say about ATW (Around the web), IMHO (in my humble opinion), IRL (in real life), JIC(just in case) IOW (in other words) and so many others.

Set some Alerts on! You can change some options so when one of your buddy is available, idle, offline, away on mobile to be noticed. Also you can set it to alert you only this session, every time and you can select a special sound for each friend.

System Requirements

The last version runs on Windows Vista, Windows XP or Windows 2000 and you need at least 128MB of RAM and Internet Explorer 6.5 or later. They also have AIM service for Linux, Win 98 and Macintosh

History

From 2.0 version AIM has person-to-person instant messaging, chatroom messaging and it can share files with buddies. Versions 4.x allowed some where over 600 buddies to be stored and they added WildTangent engine so buddies can play games. At version 5..x it was supported by Windows XP and it allowed video conference between users. The latest versions have compatibility with address book programs and sites through a "Universal Address Book" powered by Plaxo, Windows Vista support, you can set to be invisible to your buddies, they added Buddy list docking and they support inserting imags into Buddy info.