Miranda IM
Miranda Instant Messenger is a minimalistic, open source (GNU GPL) instant messaging client for Microsoft Windows.
Miranda provides a basic client framework and an advanced plugin architecture. Support for various IM protocols and additional features is implemented through optional plugins, some of which come bundled with Miranda by default while the rest can be downloaded from the . This keeps Miranda lean and fast, since non-used protocols can be removed. There are currently over 250 plugins for Miranda.
Through a little effort, Miranda can be customized to look and function to each individuals needs due to its flexible design. It is easy to manage hundreds of IM buddies on an assortment of IM networks with convenient built-in features such as contact renaming as well as plugins such as QuickSearch which simplify organization of contacts. All instant messages are stored to file and can easily be recovered at a later time, or deleted automatically or manually with either the DB Tool or the History Sweeper plugin. Miranda can be configured to display photos and buddy details the mouse is held over a buddy on the buddy list. Miranda is free of advertising and free of charge, both forever. Miranda is worked on both by the core developers and the plugin developers.
Miranda probably appeals most to people who like to tweak software due to its extreme flexibility, but no special skills are required. More advanced users may wish to dig deeper into the Miranda IM database files with one of the available .
Connectivity
Protocols supported via plugins include:
Miranda began as a minimalist ICQ clone and was first released in 2000. It has been actively developed ever since. Miranda IM version 0.3.3.1 was released on 19 April, 2004.
While smaller bugfixes and minor features are still being implemented in the 0.x codebase, the developers have announced that the next major release (1.0) will feature a completely rewritten codebase to allow new features and functionality beyond what the current architecture is capable of. For example, it is expected that there will be easier handling of multiple accounts of the same protocol and a better multi-user chat in ICQ. There is no current timeframe for the 1.0 release, but work continues and the developers insist "it will be done when it's done."
See also
