Trillian 5.1.0.18

In this day and age, when you have so many ways of staying in contact with the people close to you, the need for a software application that can handle multiple instant messaging (IM) programs is more stringent than you might think. If you have set up an account with Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, AIM, ICQ, and even mIRC, you can keep an eye on all these accounts with just one software application: Trillian.

What you need to know about Trillian is that it will work on any Windows-based operating system, and if you go for the basic version you will not have to pay in order to use this product. Trillian Pro on the other hand will set you back a few dollars. In exchange for getting paid Trillian version Cerulean Studios, the company that developed the multiple IM messagin program, will not only give you the Trillian Pro software, it will also give you a one year subscription to tech support, upgrade protection, software patches, and the chance to chat in Member Only forums.

There are other features in Trillian that must be noted, besides the fact that it will let you access several IM accounts. You have things like group and audio chat, chat rooms, customizable skins, buddy icons, data transfers, and a few more. If you would like to video chat, you must get Trillian Pro since this feature is not available in Trillian Basic.

If all this convince you to download and install Trillian, there are a few things you need to be made aware of. The download time will depend on how good your internet connection is, but the installation process of Trillian will be a bit lengthy, no matter how powerful your computer is. You will now be welcomed by a set-up wizard that will act as your guide through the installation process. At this point you get to choose your avatar picture, your alias, and the networks you want Trillian to keep an eye on.

Once the installation process is complete, Trillian sheds its sluggishness away and loads pretty quickly. You can now chat with friends from multiple networks, you can select separate status messages to be used on separate networks, and you can establish on which accounts you want to be visible.

Pros
You can connect to Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, AIM, mIRC
Installation wizard
- Multiple customization options

Cons
Installation process is a bit sluggish
You have to get the paid version for video chat

Trillian has been reviewed by George Norman on 17 Sep 2009. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated Trillian 5 out of 5 stars, naming it Essential