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Instant Messengers Grow Up and Go to Work

Microsoft's MSN Messenger 7.5 ranks highest among free instant messaging packages, with Qnext's 2.1.0.46 beta not far behind.

Laura Blackwell

Check boxes to
Last Rated: December 16, 2005	1. Microsoft MSN Messenger Voice quailty: Superior, Video quality: Very Good, Startup time: Very Good, Free Bottom Line: Always-intelligible audio sets this easy-to-use IM client above the rest. You can check Hotmail from it, too. Full Review • Test Report • Download MSN Messenger
Last Rated: December 16, 2005	2. Qnext Voice quality: Good, Video quality: Good, Startup time: Fair, Free Bottom Line: This universal messenger connects to major networks, and peer-to-peer Zones let Qnext subscribers share content. Full Review • Test Report • Download Qnext
Last Rated: December 16, 2005	3. Google Google Talk Voice quality: Good, Video quality: n/a, Startup time: Superior, Free Bottom Line: Simple design and speedy startup make this basic client easy to use. Works with Jabber/XMPP-based clients. Full Review • Test Report • Download Google Talk

Last Rated: December 16, 2005	4. Yahoo! Yahoo Messenger with Voice Voice quality: Fair, Video quality: Good, Startup time: Very Good, Free Bottom Line: Features and customization options abound in this fast-loading client. So do program windows and bundled software. Full Review • Test Report • Download Yahoo Messenger
Last Rated: December 16, 2005	5. Cerulean Studios Trillian Basic Voice quality: Poor, Video quality: Good, Startup time: Good, Free Bottom Line: Tabbed interface lets you track different conversations on several networks. Wikipedia lookup adds context. Full Review • Test Report • Download Trillian Basic

CHART NOTES: Ratings are as of 12/28/05. Versions are those most recently available as of 11/10/05.