Instant Messaging Solutions for Linux

KMess

KMess is another alternative to Windows Live Messenger client for Linux. Generally it’s supposed to be used on Linux distributions with KDE desktop environment. It has a really nice looking and easy-to-use interface. It should be mentioned that the project is still developing, so some of the features are not available yet. However developers do their best to increase the usability and the functionality of the application.

Here are some of the features available in the current version of KMess:

• File trasfers with the preview
• Full MSN and custom emoticon support
• Offline message
• Nudges and winks
• Group chatting
• Microsoft’s Live Mail support, with inbox count, new email notifications, and direct link to the user’s inbox

Moreover developers are currently working on implementation of some really important and nice features in the future releases. The most noticeable of them are: tabbed chatting, support for drawn messages, chat history, receiving and sending of webcam streams, audio conversations, voice clips, plugin system and etc.

Thus despite the fact that at the moment this application can attract users just with its usability and nice looking interface, it has a significant potential to become a really decent and popular IM client.

Emesene

Emesene is an instant messaging client supporting Microsoft’s .NET messenger service. Emesene is the Spanish pronunciation of MSN. It supports both Linux and Windows platforms. As it’s stated on the developer’s website the main goal of this application is “to replicate the functions of the official Windows Live client in a simpler, cleaner and easier to use interface”. To my mind, though there are some features to be implemented, this goal was already achieved, because it has an extremely use-to-use and clean user interface.

As regards the features of the client here are the most important of them:

• Tabbed chatting
• Offline messages
• Webcam support
• File transfer (some users complain about its speed)
• Nudges
• A lot of plugins (Gmail checker, POP3 mail checker, spell checker, YouTube videos, now playing and others)
• Window and icon themes
• Fully customizable main and chatting windows
• Multilingual support (16 languages)
• Emoticon themes and etc.

Despite the fact that I really liked the application as a whole, there is a significant disadvantage (again), consisting in the fact that Emesene does not support any other protocols. However it’s just subjective point of view, so those who don’t need (or don’t use) other protocols will like this client for sure.