YM vs Skype vs MSN vs Gtalk
Tuesday, June 20th, 2006As you can read in the title, they are the most successful instant messaging application in the world.
Why we can not only have one type of instant messaging application? 
Although there are some client software that can be used for several instant messaging application in same time, we still need to have different username and password for each of them.
Currently, i use all of them, why:
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1. My original instant messaging is Yahoo Messenger, i have a lot of friend there and since YM only able to handle max 300 friends in the list, since two years ago, i must deleted on of my incative friend to be able add one new friend. YM is the most popular instant messaging application in Indonesia and some other countries especially for the one that not always using MS Windows as their operating system.
It is not recommended to use YM as pc-to-pc calling application since the payload (audio/video) traffic is redirected first to Yahoo communication server. It gives us to much delay especially for who that connected via low speed internet access.
2. Skype
Previously, i only use skype for pc-to-pc call or pc-to-international phone call. Some of my colleagues that live abroad prefer use skype so they can only have one application for instant messaging and voip phone call.
For pc-to-pc calling, i think skype is not the best application anymore. The voice is good but the bandwidth requirement is still high enough. And there is no skype client in Symbian UIQ yet.
3. MSN messenger
I rarely use this application, but i need this, especially to contact my friends that come from a country that has different font letter, such as Japannese. MSN messenger is very popular in Japan, Thailand, etc because MSN messenger can provide their local font/letter.
4. Google Talk
This application becomes more and more popular since its capability to have pc-to-pc audio call with very good quality even both of the client is located behind the firewall. Although this application is not capable to have PSTN call yet, it is not a big problem. The other things that make many people interested is the gmail feature that combine the gtalk client inside gmail website. We just need to open the gmail website and we are automatically provided the googletalk client.
So, which one must I choose? Or which one do you prefer?
Do we need to have IETF standard to regulate the standardization?
We don’t need to have interoperability voice or video call between them, we only need to be connected each other, see everyone status(of course we must keep the “invisible” feature) and chat together using different type of instant messaging application.
Or, maybe friendster or any other community based application are also preparing their own messaging application?
-rendo-
