Different options we can use to chat with our contacts from Facebook outside the browser

In the past few weeks, Microsoft has announced that Windows Live Messenger’s new version will support Facebook chat. This news has been received with enthusiasm by the fans of this social network. However, the service itself is not a novelty at all. There are client applications, like Digsby, Pidgin and Trillian Astra, just to name a few, that already do this.

One of the most common options when it comes to choosing an alternative messaging client is Digsby. A classic among social network enthusiasts, this application allows simultaneous access to Facebook, Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger chat rooms, among others. In addition, we can change the settings of its interface so that it connects us to other e-mail accounts and even watch the updates of our contacts, friends and followers, depending on the social network. Though not very complete, its interface is very organized and it separates the different services clearly. Its only drawback may be that we must register in order to use its services, although they are free.

Another program with which we can chat in Facebook without using the browser is Pidgin . This multi protocol client app doesn’t offer any functions beyond messaging. This characteristic makes Pidgin simple than the rest of the programs of this kind. Its interface is extremely simple and functional, though it offers different theme options. An advantage of Pidgin over other programs is that it enables us to set different types of commands and notifications according to the contact. For beginners, the fact that Pidgin doesn’t include Facebook chat installed by default can be considered a negative aspect. However, the add-on that enables it gets installed automatically.

Finally, Trillian Astra is a desktop application with which we can not only connect to Facebook chat, but also numerous social networks and messaging services. In addition, we can see the news of our wall and the messages we receive by e-mail. Trillian Astra enables us to carry out statistical studies about our friends’ connection trends and a conversation history. On the other hand, it has a modern interface, it includes numerous skins for us to choose and it organizes the conversations in tabs within the same window. Undoubtedly, the looks is a strong point of this application, although at first it may seem chaotic because of all the information it provides. As Digsby, Trillian Astra requires that you register.

As we have seen in this brief description, there is already more than one program that can do what Windows Live Messenger’s next version will do: chat in Facebook from our desktop. If we focus on managing the contacts only for chat, we will probably choose Pidgin . However, if we want to have extra functionalities and we want to combine the different social networks we may choose Digsby or Trillian Astra.

Related posts:

1. Integrate social networks and instant messengers: ICQ 7, Digsby and Pidgin
2. ICQ 7: now it’s possible to integrate different social networks
3. Digsby: instant messenger and social networks on a single program
4. Now we can chat with our Facebook contacts in Windows Live Messenger
5. Facebook reached 500 million users