Communications

for the week of: November 15Visits

1.
Yahoo Mail
E-mail Software311
2.
eBuddy
E-mail Software193
3.
Windows Live Essentials
Chat139
4.
Meebo
E-mail Software119
Xilisoft Video Converter Platinum

Convert video files between various video & audio formats.

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5.
Phonezoo
E-mail Software25
6.
Imo.im
E-mail Software17
7.
Talkster Free World Dialing
E-mail Software15
PC Starter Kit

Because what good is a new computer without the right software?

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8.
ZYB
E-mail Software12
9.
FlyTunes
Web Phones & VoIP Software11
10.
YouCams
E-mail Software11

See all most popular software

RoboForm

Reduce multiple passwords to one single item.

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Release date

Trillian for Web Nov 11
Chat
Intra Communication Solution Aug 25
E-mail Software
1-2-All Email Marketing Software Aug 06
E-mail Software
Flamingo Email Jul 17
E-mail Software
iTickleMe Email Tickler Jun 09
E-mail Utilities
Pilot Newsletter Software May 21
E-mail Software
BigResponse Apr 16
E-mail Software
TrioLive Apr 07
Chat
Omnistar Tell-A-Friend Feb 24
E-mail Utilities
Windows Live Essentials Jan 07
Chat

See all new releases

1.
Windows Live Essentials
Stay connected, feel protected, and share your files from anywhere online.
2.
Yahoo Mail
Check for messages you get via Yahoo! mail.
3.
eBuddy
Chat with your MSN, AOL, and Yahoo buddies without any program or Java applet.
4.
Meebo
Chat with your friends in popular IM networks via Web-based interface.
5.
Imo.im
Send instant messages to AIM, Google Talk, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger users.
6.
Gmail
Check for messages you get via Gmail.
7.
Jaxtr
Call and hear your online friends from your landline or mobile phone.
8.
Phonezoo
Personalize your phone with custom ringtones created from music you own.
9.
Yahoo Messenger for the Web
Communicate with your friends in online mode.
10.
Talkster Free World Dialing
Make free international and long distance calls from your regular phone.

See all editor's picks

an introduction to Communications

The Internet is all about communication. From e-mail software to chat clients to the latest in VoIP software, Download.com's Communications category has everything you need to reach out and touch someone.

Of course you use e-mail, but which e-mail program should you use? A number of e-mail programs are free, from the venerable Microsoft Outlook Express to our current favorite, Mozilla Thunderbird. Thunderbird supports IMAP and POP mail protocols and can handle all your RSS feeds. It features cutting-edge antiphishing and spam filters in addition to advanced security features such as S/MIME, digital signing, and message encryption.

You'll also want to download all the latest e-mail extensions, such as spam filters and programs that notify you when e-mail is sent to your online accounts.

If you're too impatient for e-mail, chat software allows real-time communication between any two PCs. Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, MSN Messenger (soon to be Windows Live Messenger), and AOL Instant Messenger are the major players in the chat market, with ICQ still a popular choice among hard-core chat fans.

If your friends use different clients and you don't want to install them all, Trillian lets you chat with everyone regardless of chat platform, including IRC-based chat rooms.

Of course, why bother typing e-mails when you can just talk to someone over your PC? Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, allows you to turn your PC into a Web phone to call other Internet-connected PCs and talk as long as you want at no charge. Programs such as Skype, GloPhone, and BuddyTalk are painless to install and easy to use, and all three allow you to place calls to regular phones by signing up for a calling plan. For more information, check out the Download.com guide to Net Phones.

from the download blog

First Take: Microsoft Office 2010 beta

an introduction to Communications