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Instant messengers can bring your friends to your Desktop. But with so many programs on offer, which one should you choose?
Communicating with friends, family and colleagues remains one of the net's greatest attractions. Email has changed the way we communicate with people, whether they're in the other side of the world or the office. It's much faster than sending a letter and cheaper than making long-distance phone calls.
But even email isn't perfect. For starters there's no way of guaranteeing that the person you're sending an email to is going to be online at the same time as you-essential if you need to be sure of a quick response. Also, some communication needs to be conversational, which can't be handled quite so easily using email's formal letter-like format.
Instant messengers are the answer to this.
While they'll never replace email, used alongside it they can broaden your internet experience, providing a whole new way to keep up with your friends online. If you fancy giving it a go, our round-up of the latest instant-messaging programs should get you chatting-quick-sharp.
Instant Messengers
