My Thoughts
FEATURES

• File transfers
• Send messages on & off-line
• Normal chat
• E-mail
• Interest groups
• Send greetincs cards
• Send URL's
• Contact\group lists
• Message archive
• Random chat

A chat program full of extras. I'd have to say this my fav when it comes to chatting. It has loads of users. How many exactly, I couldn't say. The chatting is quite interesting - there are actions and emotions like in web chatrooms. You are told when your chat partner has stopped looking at your chat and can even BEEP them! Another nice feature, although not major is the abilty to trigger a laughing sound on their computer intead of the traditional LOL.
URL FORWARDS - Altogether, I like the chatting part and the messaging. Beware though as you will get spam through the URL messages. People lihe to advertise their homepages alot. And if you hate chain-mail, like me, you'll hate all the ones you'll get with URL messages. Of course porno doesn't leave this part of the net alone either. You'll get the odd link through ICQ.
THE WEBSITE - A big part of this program can be accessed through the website (www.icq.com) There's loads of ways to search for people with similar interests and stuff like that. You can chat to people in ICQ chatrooms or speical interest rooms. To tell you the truth there's so much there it's almost scary.
FINAL NOTES - If you're intimidated by many options stay away from ICQ. On the other hand if you're more used to computers or are willing to get used to the program, get it. The simple mode should be managable for almost everyone.

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What Computer Active said:
This Is the mother of all instant messengers - and so much more besides. Millions of people use ICQ to chat, exchange files, send email find new friends, seek help, play games and more. For features it simply can't be beaten. Thankfully, and very sensibly, the program vomes with two readily interchangable modes: simple and advanced. We'd suggest sticking to simple mode, at least for starters, and what better way to get going than the 'find random chat partner' feature? It does exactly what it says on the buttin. The downside to ICQ is similar to IRC - so many people ae so proficient in its use that newcomers are bound to feel a bit sheepish at fiest. However, in our experience, an unashamed desperate cry for help tends to draw a favourable response. The home website is also excellent. And who now owns ICQ? Why, AOL, of course.

Download.com's review:
ICQ 99b beta is the latest release of ICQ ("I seek you"), the popular instant messaging program that lets you communicate with friends and colleagues in real time.

This major update includes a variety of new features, including a new ActiveList feature that lets you create or join ICQ communities based on a topical interests. In addition, improved email-handling features allow you to check more than one email account and cancel incoming email messages you don't want to download. You can also view up to 99 lines in the email header message and decide which messages you'd like to download. Another new feature, E-ICQ, lets you join interest groups and receive information about interest-related issues directly in your Contact List.

Other features include Web searching from within ICQ; support for an unlimited amount of text in messages; a variety of font styles and text and background colors to choose from; a pop-up menu of built-in services such as reminders, to-do lists, notes, and email options; and a convenient tabbed chart of ICQ networks, including Sports, Students, and Science and Technology. In addition, a Groups feature makes it possible to organize large contact lists into manageable categories--great for those with tons of buddies.

To seek out a friend on the ICQ network, simply enter his or her ICQ number, name, nickname, or email address. Once your contact list is set up, you'll be notified when your friends are online so that you can chat; send instant messages, files, and URLs; play games; or just hang out.

Info on ICQ from Softseek.com:
ICQ (32-bit) lets you communicate with other users who are online by chatting, sending messages, sending e-mail, exchanging files, playing games, and more.
ICQ (I Seek You) lets you know in real-time when friends or colleagues sign on, and lets you quickly launch any application, including voice and video applications. ICQ runs in the background, taking up a minimum amount of memory and net resources. While you work on other applications, ICQ alerts you when friends and associates sign on, allowing you to work efficiently while having a whole range of Internet functions at your fingertips. Among the functions available are: multi-user chat, message, e-mail, e-mail checking, and URL and file transfer.

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