- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: October 25, 2007
- Total Downloads: 547,051
- Downloads last week: 1,577
- See full specifications
A newer version of Pidgin is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 220 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
Your mother uses AOL Instant Messenger. Your spouse prefers MSN. Your office insists on Yahoo. What are you going to do? You could run all those chat clients at once, or you could use Gaim, now renamed Pidgin. Like Trillian, Fire, and other third-party IM clients, this open-source messaging application lets you access multiple IM networks from one window, including Google Talk and MySpaceIM as well as lesser-known protocols such as Jabber and Gadu-Gadu.
Pidgin's biggest change is the redesigned interface. The Buddy List can be viewed in Basic or Advanced mode, and the most important features, including the Plug-in List, have been graduated from the Preferences window into their own panes. Twenty-two plug-ins come prepackaged as Pidgin repositions itself as a highly extensible chat client.
The IM features are unimpeachable: smileys (you can find tons of emoticons on the developer's site), file transfers, and multiperson chats. The Buddy Pounce feature lets you automatically perform certain actions (play a sound, execute a command, open an IM window) when a contact signs on or off. Pidgin also gets lots of intangibles right: logging and time-stamping, for instance, are well-executed and easy to access. However, it lacks IP telephony and video conferencing, and there are still some bugs--most notably in the Help menu. Still, Pidgin remains a highly recommended text-only messaging app.
Publisher's description
From Pidgin :Pidin (formerly known as Gaim) is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM (Oscar and TOC protocols), ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr networks.
Pidgin users can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on AOL Instant Messenger, talking to a friend on Yahoo Messenger, and sitting in an IRC channel all at the same time.
Gaim supports many features of the various networks, such as file transfer (coming soon), away messages, typing notification, and MSN window closing notification. It also goes beyond that and provides many unique features. A few popular features are Buddy Pounces, which give the ability to notify you, send a message, play a sound, or run a program when a specific buddy goes away, signs online, or returns from idle; and plugins, consisting of text replacement, a buddy ticker, extended message notification, iconify on away, and more.
Version 2.2.2 adds Aspell memory leak fixes, support for Bonjour and various other bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Various bug and memory leak fixes.
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User reviews of Pidgin 2.2.2
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 220 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 8 user reviewsSee all 8 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Pidgin 2.2.2
Pros: Here are a few reasons why I like it:
- It doesn't use a lot of RAM or resources so it's very light.
- It has everything every other client has such as a bunch of free smiley sets to download.
- Very smooth and professional.
- Very easy to setup and has NO ADS at all!
- You can use almost any network you can think of!
- It's FREE. Saves log files, pictures, and a lot of free plugins and very useful tools!
Cons: I didn't like how it was complicated. When you sign on two users at a time, the buddy list joins in into one which was a bit of a downfall. Also, you will need to download GTK for it to work since it's a Linux based program from the beginning included in Ubuntu Linux. I also don't like how it's required to save buddy icons from users, I usually have to clear it myself because it gets VERY cloggy in the "icons" folder somewhere in the application data folder. Also, it gets very annoying how any away message you make is automatically saved. Sometimes it gets a "windows socket error" which I never found out why.
The fonts aren't the same as normal fonts that were used in AIM 5.9 which made more sense. (8pt looks more like 7pt on this client) Also the direct connection to send picture files have no status bar telling you where you are up to on your download/upload, and sometimes never really specify whether you are connected with the buddy or not. I know this might sound like a lot of downfalls, but even with all these flaws, it's still VERY useful and very good. I rather use this than AIM 6.x any time!
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Pidgin 2.2.2
"Great Instant Messaging program !"
Pros: Ability to connect to all networks ( MSN, Yahoo!, ect )
Nice interface.
Easy to use.
Cons: Nothing.
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2 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Version: Pidgin 2.2.2
Pros: great
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2 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Version: Pidgin 2.2.2
Pros: good
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Pidgin 2.2.2
Pros: As with the earlier version, it does what it is supposed to. for what I use it for, I haven't noticed any difference in performance or usage
Cons: none
- See all 8 user reviews Write review
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