mIRC is an Internet relay chat (IRC) program for Windows. Just as you need a browser to surf the Web, you need an IRC client to chat. mIRC is highly configurable and perfectly stable and has a lot of goodies hidden inside. mIRC offers multiserver support, full color control, DCC-file-sending and Get capabilities, aliases, remote command and events-handling capabilities, scripting, place-sensitive programmable pop-up menus, Web and sound support, and a lot more. But most important, to use mIRC you don't have to understand anything of the above. Simply install mIRC and chat away. mIRC is shareware and can be downloaded freely and evaluated for 30 days. If you enjoy mIRC, please register your copy. Your registration licenses you to use your copy of mIRC and helps support our continued work.

Yahoo Messenger (formerly known as Yahoo Pager) is a free service that allows you to see when friends come online and send them instant messages. It can also alert you to new e-mail in your Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Personals account, or when you have upcoming events recorded in Yahoo Calendar. Yahoo Messenger offers firewall support, a standby mode that minimizes the program until an Internet connection is made, the ability to save and print your conversations, and a tabbed interface that provides quick access to your favorite stocks, news, and sports scores. Other features include the ability to create a chat room automatically, stock price alerts, the ability to send messages to friends, even if they're not online when you are, a Quick Compact mode that hides the Messenger tools to maximize your viewing area, Messenger Themes, and voice chat, which allows you to talk for free to anybody else on the Internet. Using a Webcam, you can see who you are chatting with or view the Webcam of any Yahoo member who has granted you access.

Trillian is a multinetwork chat client that currently supports mIRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger. It supports docking, multiline edit boxes, buddy alerts, multiple connections to the same medium, a powerful skinning language, easy importing of your existing contacts, skinnable emoticons, logging, global away/invisible features, and a unified contact list. It has a direct connection for AIM, support for user profiles, complete type formatting, buddy icons, proxy support, emotisounds, encrypted instant messaging to ICQ and AIM, AIM group chats, and shell extensions for file transfers.

Windows Messenger lets you communicate instantly with co-workers, friends, and family all around the world right from your computer. With Windows Messenger you can communicate using text, voice, and video, and enhance your productivity even more with the ability to share applications or a whiteboard. Windows Messenger gives you control over who you talk to and when by letting you block specific users, view the typing status of buddies, and deciding who adds you to their contact list.

ICQ Pro 2003a is the latest release of ICQ, the instant-messaging program that lets you communicate with friends and colleagues in real time. To seek out a friend on the ICQ network, simply enter his or her ICQ number, name, nickname, or e-mail address. Once your contact list is set up, you'll be notified when your friends are online so you can chat; send instant messages, files, and URLs; play games; or just hang out. ICQ Pro includes ICQphone, a feature that incorporates IP telephony functions into the ICQ program. Users can initiate and participate in PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calls. In addition, users can also utilize SMS technology, send wireless-pager messages, view up-to-date information on ICQ channels, and integrate ICQ with Outlook.