Top 10 Web-Based Instant Messengers

Kool IM
Kool IM comes right after Meebo in terms of functionality, but it’s the most unpopular of the lot, and there’s a few reasons why. Like Meebo, it let’s you login to all the popular messenger services – MSN/Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk—at the same time. It does, however, pop out the actual contact list window, and each conversation gets its own window, but this may be convenient to those who are used to conventional instant messengers that each take up a task bar item, but not to those who prefer to tuck away all their conversations in one window for easy dismissal. It looks quite nice, but beyond that, it’s a very basic messenger. It doesn’t support smileys!

Messages Sur Le Net 2 Go
This relatively unknown service only does MSN/Windows Live Messenger, and that too, via a Java applet. This one is also basic, supporting no smileys or colors in the conversation window or even the contact list window, which is devoid of any icons. MSN2Go claims to have HTTP proxy support, which is nice, but this is only important because it’s a Java application. The other services work within the browser, so they automatically take your HTTP proxy. But since it’s so unpopular, you might just be able to get this one working if your office sysadmin has blocked everything else.