While users cannot always download IMs to computers at work or school because of administrative control, they can utilize these portable applications by downloading and installing them to a USB/Flash Drive; once installed, the program can be run from the portable drive connecting users to all their favorite IM contacts.
Here are just a handful of portable IM options available to keep us connected:
- Pidgin Portable: This multi-protocol IM allows support for AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo!, MSN/Windows Live Messenger, ICQ and Jabber networks; in addition to offering access to all your favorite IM contacts on one contact list, Pidgin Portable also supports the Pidgin-Encryption 3.0 and Pidgin-OTR 3.1 plugins for secure communications, regardless of the computer you are using. Get Started with Pidgin Portable.
- Miranda Portable: Similar in nature to Pidgin Portable, Miranda offers access to a number of popular IMs, with the added bonus being a richer user experience, thanks to the IM’s large plugins library. The initial application is also smaller, at 2MB download size and a final 4MB after installation. Get Started with Miranda Portable.
- PixaMSN: For MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger users, third-party portable app PixaMSN is as close to on-the-go as it will get for this client, for now. This MSN clone is a free download[/a] and is small enough to fit on your USB drive. Get Started with PixaMSN.
- TerraIM: AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ users also have their own third-party clone for now in the form of TerraIM; in addition to access to all your favorite contacts, this portable IM offers invisible login, remote IM capabilities, window tabbing and a low usage of RAM. Get Started with TerraIM.
- MiniAIM: Don’t like TerraIM? MiniAIM is comparable in nature, and offers all the same features in addition to event/Buddy Sounds and conversation logging. Get Started with MiniAIM.
- YahELite: Dubbed as a “tiny Yahoo! Instant Messenger,” this portable application brings Yahoo! wherever a user wants, when they want it. Requires a little set-up, but once complete, this freeware abounds in all the goodness of regular Yahoo! Get Started with YahELite.
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Find a new portable IM the world should know about? Tell Brandon about it or share them with all our readers on the IM Forums! (Membership is free, but required to post.)
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