Alternatives to Trillian?

[Ellatrue]

I'm a Trillian user, and I really love the program. However, as of late I've found the connection with MSN breaks almost constantly, and it has been a long time between updates. It is much worse than when I use the normal MSN program.

Does anyone know of another, similar program that allows chatting on AIM, MSN, IRC (and ideally ICQ)? I need something stable and free of spyware, and would like to know of any recommendations you may have. Using a separate program for each is not an option.

[Invisigoth]

I use GAIM, but apparently that is now obsolete and it is called Pidgin now. I haven't used this new shiny version, but it claims to do everything you want and more. It might be worth a shot, I really like GAIM, so I imagine that hte new version will be good, too.

[Zazazu]

Oh, that's why I couldn't find it when I was searching. Our main IT guy is almost orgasmic about GAIM, but I use Trillian because it's prettier. Used...can't really chat at work anymore.

[Tyraa Rane]

I use Pidgin regularly...but I've been thinking of switching over to Trillian. Ever since the 2.2.something update (or thereabouts), the stupid thing's been crashing on me at least once a day. I haven't had much luck tracking down what the problem is, either, and subsequent updates haven't fixed it.  That issue aside, though, it is a nice little program...though I liked it better back when it was in its GAIM days.

[Ellatrue]

I thought GAIM went pay, and that it only works for AOL Instant Messenger. Am I wrong?

[Invisigoth]

I don't know anything about it going pay. The ancient version that I have still works. It can do AIM/ICQ, IRC, Yahoo, MSN, Jabber, and some other stuff I've never even heard of.

[Venusy]

I thought GAIM went pay, and that it only works for AOL Instant Messenger. Am I wrong?

Completely, you might be thinking of DeadAIM or something (I don't use AIM). Pidgin covers multiple clients, and is completely free. If you want to use MSN though, you will need to upgrade to one of the latest versions, as they changed how the protocol worked a couple of months ago, making all non-official clients stop working properly (it even stopped Microsoft's own client in the Xbox 360 from working!), but it's fixed in the latest version.

[Gwill]

I might give pidgin a go too.  I've used trillian for a long time, but there are many features that have never worked for me, and they never update.

[nekonoai]

People still use ICQ? 

Hmm, I'll hafta check out this Pidgin. I don't talk to that many people on MSN, but I hate seeing notices that something is broken.

[reese]

I love Pidgin, but I stick with Trillian because I use the us-intl keyboard layout, and Pidgin doesn't handle it well at all. For the few weeks I used it, I had to stop using contractions and just spell everything out, because the apostrophe would attach itself to every letter. 

[Milhouse Trixibelle Saltfucker III]

Normally I just lurk, but I have to suggest Meebo.
It allows you to connect to a number of messaging services, and it's entirely browser-based (no software to install [read: take up valuable space]!)
www.meebo.com should do the trick.