While users cannot always download IMs to computers at work or school because of administrative control, they can utilize portable apps for IM by downloading and installing them to a USB drive; once installed, the portable apps can be run from the USB drive connecting users to all their favorite IM contacts.
Here are just a handful of portable apps 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 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.
- Trillian Anywhere: For Trillian users looking to access all their friends on a lighter client they can take with them, this portable version cannot be beat. Access friends on AIM, Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ and IRC contacts with ease on this portable app built to emulate Trillian's easy-to-use client. Get Started with Trillian Anywhere.
- 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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