I started using ICQ when it was dishing out 7-digit UINs. Which should be around 10 years ago as far as I can tell.

The ICQ client (the front-end GUI program, versus the back-end program running on the servers) was good for a time. It was lean and unobstrusive. But it started to become slow and bloated, when Mirabilis tried to clamp more and more new features and advertisements into it.

Around the time of 2003b (or version 4...?), I decided to find an alternative among the "unofficial" IM clients - Those that are not developed nor supported by the owner of the IM network like AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft.

Miranda IM - Classic Contact List

Using unofficial IM clients at that time used to be a hit-and-miss experience - Last week they connect, but next week they can't. Time has changed - I have had solid experience using Miranda in the last few years.

I've used several unofficial IM clients over the years, such as Trillian and Gaim (now Pidgin). Somehow, I went back to Miranda and kept using it.

Some of the reasons why I like Miranda...

• It's lean and small - The installer takes about 1.5MB.
• It's light on resources - Typically uses 3-6MB memory on my box, YMMV.
• It feels right at home on Windows - It's a native Windows program afterall.
• It can connect to multiple IM networks simultaneously - The installer has support for AIM (AOL), Gadu-Gadu, ICQ, IRC, Jabber, MSN and Yahoo. And you can make it work harder.
• It's extensible and customizable - The default install gives you a minimal interface and basic functions, but you can extend it by installing additonal plug-ins, themes, skins... Etc... Case in point, there are 3 actively maintained contact lists available at this moment.

Miranda IM - SRMM

Before going further, something should be noted as well: It (officially) runs only on Windows; It doesn't do voice nor video chat natively; The default install may look dull, weird and unfamiliar; It probably misses some features available on the official client (but it does messaging and file transfers admirably); And most importantly, while it's customizable and extensible, it takes time and effort to learn and configure it to your liking.

I would like to go through the process from installing it, to the final click to make it work and look like on my box in future, if time allows. Meanwhile, you can download the latest installer right away.

There's a portable version too. Useful if you just want to give it a tryout.

Links

• The official website of Miranda IM
• Instant Messengers: A Brief History on About.com
• The Instant messaging entry on Wikipedia

Other Parts

Part 2 - Installation
Part 3 - Core customization
Part 4 - Plugin customization