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Digsby Merges IM with Social Networks

by Terrence O'Brien on May 20, 2009 at 05:16 PM


Digsby

What it does: Digsby is a multi-protocol chat client that connects you with friends on various instant-messaging networks, including Yahoo!, AIM, and Google Talk.

What we like about it: In addition to supporting nearly every instant-messaging platform on earth (including Facebook Chat), Digsby can also check your e-mail and pull in updates and messages from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

All of Digsby's functions work as advertised. Transferring files to AIM friends was flawless, our Twitter status updated correctly, and we were able to preview Gmail right from the application (though composing message requires opening a browser window). And like any IM client worth its weight in RAM, Digsby organizes chats into a single tabbed window so your desktop is never overrun with conversations.



Digsby also includes a bunch of themes you can select from to customize its appearance. The four offerings (two skins, one with three different color schemes) for your buddy list are very limited, but the tabbed chat window's dozens of options are almost overwhelming. We're partial to the "Modern Bubbling Alternative Glass" theme (shown above).

What we don't like: Digsby hogs a lot of system memory for an instant messaging program -- about 50 Megabytes. Memory usage has come down dramatically as the app has evolved, but it still uses more than twice as much as Pidgin and Trillian Astra, its two main competitors on a Windows desktop.

Also, we were appalled at the amount of software and services the Digsby tried to make us download and install on the initial set-up. Just make sure to unclick all of this junk and you'll be on your way to an otherwise satisfying chat program.

And the program lacks key features--including integration of group chats and chat rooms (so forget chat rooms on AIM, for example), MySpace IM, and Skype - that are supported by its closest competitor, Pidgin.

We'd also like to see the ability to synchronize status across networks, so settings in Digsby would automatically update Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, not just your instant messaging accounts. In all fairness though, no multi-protocol client is currently able to do this, unless you count a very hairy kluge with Pidgin.
Mac and Linux users are out of luck with Digsby. Digsby's developers promised over a year ago that a Mac version was coming "soon," but they still haven't provided even a general time frame for its release. (And a Linux version appears to be even more remote.)

Bottom line: Digsby is a top-notch IM program for Windows that matches or even beats its rival Pidgin, depending on your needs. If you require access to MySpace IM or group chats, Pidgin is your program. But if you're a social networking junkie, Digsby's support for Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace make it a must-have. And if you're a Windows user still relying on standalone apps like AIM and Yahoo! Messenger, go download Digsby now. You'll wonder how you lived with out it.

Download Digsby Here

Digsby

Tags: chat, digsby, downloads, featured, features, free, im, instantmessaging, social networking, switcheddownload, top

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