FEATURES

· See who's online right now
· Send free, private instant messages
· Join group chat rooms, or make one of your own
· Personalize the colors and fonts in your messages
· Share pictures and documents with other users
· Find your friends by name, e-mail address or interest

What Computer Active said:
This nifty little program can be found on its own on the AOL website or as an intgral part of Netscape's Communicator package. Once you manage to pick a 'screen name' not already in use (set aside a good half hour; we finally abandoned hope and settled on the snappy z345z567z) AIM is a cinch. You can easily add your family and friends to your contact lists and have the program tell you when they come online. A ticker feeds you constant (American) news and sport, you can set up a chatroom at will to gather your friends together, and help is clear and concise. You can even have a conversation with yourself! Top marks for simplicity of approach and sheer usability.

Download.com's review:
You don't have to be an America Online member to experience the immediate cross-Internet communication made possible by AOL Instant Messenger. This program allows Internet users to communicate via private, personalized text messages, and indicates when friends, family members, and business colleagues are online. AOL Instant Messenger combines AOL's popular Buddy List and Instant Message features, enabling users to send and respond to messages immediately. Other features include a user directory and buddy chat capabilities, personalized news, and a Neighborhood Watch feature so that you can disconnect when crank chatters contact you. New features in this version include tickers that stream news headlines and stock quotes through a separate window, "Buddy Icons" that allow you to use graphics to represent yourself in your buddies' Instant Messaging windows, and a feature that lets you stay connected to the service even if your Internet connection is briefly cut off. After downloading, be sure to register a screen name.

Info on AIM from Softseek.com:
AOL Instant Messenger (32-bit) allows you to communicate with anyone on the Internet or anyone on America Online.
AOL Instant Messenger allows you to exchange private, personalized text messages with anyone currenty online, either one-on-one or in a group of your friends. The program alerts you when friends, family members, or business colleagues are online, and allows you to create a personal profile that others can view. AOL Instant Messenger can also deliver personalized news to your desktop.
The program is identical to the Buddy List and Instant Message features of AOL.

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