Which Instant Messenger is Right for You?

AOL announced in early May that they are prepared to offer the 41 million users of its instant messaging system a phone number that allows anyone to call them from a regular phone. The number is free, and the user can pick up the call from their computer. This move to capitalize on the popularity of their messaging software isn't the only one AOL is making - they are also introducing AIM Pages in an effort to compete with MySpace.com, a rapidly growing social networking community.

With all the options on the table, it is no longer a matter of choosing which messenger you use based on what your friends are using. At one time, it was easy - and feasible - to grab the AOL instant messenger and install it right alongside Yahoo! messenger and MSN messenger. That way, you could always talk to the person you needed to talk to because chances were you had them on at least one of your buddy lists.

There's much more to consider now, and this dilemma will only grow more heated in the next several months as popular services unleash their new additions - MySpace, for example, is releasing its own instant messaging system. So before you go banging your head against the keyboard in sheer frustration, here's a rundown of three of the most full-featured services and what they offer (or soon will).

AOL Instant Messenger

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is a free download that continues to lead the instant messaging arena with 38% of the market, followed by Yahoo! and Microsoft, according to the research service comScore Networks. The new introductions AIM plans on unveiling is an offensive measure to protect their messaging business - the market is getting more and more competitive, with even Google entering the ring with Google Talk.