People still actually use AIM?  I only know 2 people that have this and they are NEVER on lol

This is one that was very popular in college. It is easy to use and fairly popular, however it doesn't match up with Yahoo Instant Messenger.

AOL is total crap... it's like a bad copy of ICQ which is pretty useless.
Yahoo and MSN Messenger's still the best.

well i have it add me i'd love to meet girls only thanks. papisangel52005

Can't really say many negatives about it, it works, easy to use. If most of your friends/family have it, use it, if they use something else like MSN or Yahoo, use that. One negative is the annoying pop-ups with sound that occasionally come up, but besides that it works very well.

aol is not letting me get insant messaging why? i have been tring for 4 days

My favorite messenger. :D It has the best chatrooms, as well as a variety of programs to go with it, like applesauce that helps you change your font to any colors you want.

frikn best! yahoo stinks, msn stinks, etc stinks...

Cheap ICQ knockoff. AOL turns everything they touch to crap.

Simply the best instant messaging program around. I love every single feature of it - especially the brief popups stating when my buddies have signed on, signed off, are away, are idle, etc. I also love the unique buddy icons and AIM expressions!

Pretty good messenger. I like the updates that they have made to it, like letting you know when the other person is typing, and the windows that pop up when someone logs on or off. One thing I don't like about online messengers in general is that sometimes it is very hard to convey your feelings by just typing words, as you can do easily by tone of voice, facial expressions, etc.

I like AIM somewhat. I only use it at work because yahoo isn't available there. But AIM does have a few good qualities like the icons and emoticons. But sometimes it will affect an installation of programs on my computer. I have to uninstall AIM, then install the program I want, then re-install AIM. What a freakin' hassle!!!

There is one thing that can always be said about Aol Instant Messenger - it works. It's simple enough for anyone to understand and get their voice across, while not being overcomplicated with things that many people don't use. Sure, Yahoo has games, and MSN has more smilies, but AIM is the starting model for all instant messengers to follow.

For those few who have not used an online messenger, AOL Instant Messenger (ie AIM) is a utility program that allows users to send typed messages over the Internet to other online users like a private chat room. One merely downloads and installs the free software, signs up with a screen name, and finds others using the program with whom to chat. (One does not have to be an AOL subscriber.) As other comments have noted, there is (or at least was) no option to sign on as invisible (ie you can see them, but they cannot see you). I would also add as a complaint that one can only login with one profile at a time. Personally, I find Yahoo! Messenger better as one can surf invisible and all your profiles are shown when visible.

Had AIM since 1998, no complaints other than what's this thisnamealreadyexists@love.com thing that I can't make go away??

AIM works great! it is awesome!

AOL Instant Messenger is a good IM prog. I wouldve given it 5 stars except AOL wont allow another companies' IM programs to communicate with those on AOL. I have AOL's IM on my Tmobile Sidekick and the service is great it works in real time like it should but again, you can only communicate with people on the AOL network. Trillian on the other hand is a great IM prog that allows AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and IRC chat all in one program. Although you do have to have an account for each instant messenger, Trillian allows them all to be accessed from one program...AND ITS SKINABLE!! which is always cool :)

great instant messenging program. It is basically like others but intergrated with netscape. this is the only good product from AOL. It could use some work. runs faster than ICQ and can work with trillian.

A great way to stay in touch with people..and addictive!

Truly remarkable- an excellent communications tool. If you are online and do not want to be bothered, you can turn on your Away Messege which is basically like an answering machine, in which if it is important they can leave you a messege. A great feature!

Addictive and distracting, but a killer application. Be careful who you give your "name" to.... if you give it to the wrong person, you will find yourself being harassed constantly throughout the day. It also makes me a little uncomfortable that if you activate your AOL Instant Messenger, everyone on your "buddy list" knows that you are online - it's a mild invasion of privacy, in my opinion. Yahoo Instant Messenger offers you an "invisible" feature which addresses this, I am not sure if AOL is doing this yet.

I talk to my grandma all the time on instant messenger, and it's a real life saver. I would recommend getting it even if you don't have aol....if that's at all possible.

Truly unbelievable. Excellent tool..can be distracting, but you have the option of typing in your "away message" or signing off. The "Warnings" are great, in case you do get messages from unwanted parties.

I really like instant messenger and use it all the time. It's a great way to just touch base with people you live apart from. It doesn't come close to a real conversation but it's a nice way to just say hello. I usually don't stay on it for more than a couple of minutes at a time and then the nice thing is I can just shut down the program, so it won't tell others who might have me on their list, that I'm on line. This is a nice feature that it didn't use to have because it keeps people from continually popping into your screen which can get to be pretty annoying if it happens too much.

I was really intimidated when I first started using Instant Messenger (and I haven't used it in over a year, I used it when it first came out) but it was really easy. It is basically like talking on the phone but you are writing. The challenges of Instant messenging is that you can't write fast enough (and I am a fast typer) and that you can't read and write at the same time. It is like you have too many thought processes going on at the same time. It is fun though for casual conversations but save the deeper stuff for the phone.

I love this product. It's free, it works through firewalls, and it is quick and easy to download. Really easy to use; even beginners can use it.

Changed the internet for me. I never thought I would look at regular email as slow.

ICQ - I seek you, gives you so many more opportunities! :o(

I'm furious that AOL Instant Messenger seems to be a plug-in with damn near everything you download from the Net. I must have deleted it half a dozen times and it keeps popping back up.