Multiple Language Multi-protocol Mac Chat / Instant Messenger

FIRE
http://fire.sourceforge.net/
= interesting, promising
Software Utility (Mac OS X)
FREE

Fire is an open-source multi-protocol Internet instant chat client that can handle simultaneous connections to AOL, ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, Jabber and IRC.

If you want to communicate simultaneously with friends that use different Instant Messengers on PCs and Macs, FIRE supports all of the above mentioned IM services.

You can import your contacts to Fire from other applications or manually create a buddy list. Fire displays both online and off-line buddies utilizing a different icon for each IM service (MSN, Yahoo, etc.). Fire's logging features allow you to keep track of what you have talked about in different chat sessions.

Fire is also a good choice if you want to chat with people who speak different languages since it supports on-the-fly translation of messages into several languages.

Fire is ads-free, allows for chat encryption and offers you also some options to customize your chat window. As it is open-source, it is continuously being further developed and improved. Be aware that Fire is not able to support all features of each individual IM service.

If you want to read more about personal experiences with FIRE, you should have a look at the user opinions on Cnet:
http://download.com.com/ 3302-2146-10184676.html

If you are interested in alternative single-protocol and multi-protocol chat clients compatible with the Mac, read Robin Good's article on New breeds of instant messengers.

A complementary article, focusing exclusively on instant messengers for the Mac, has been published by Rob McNair-Huff:
http://www.whiterabbits.com/ MacNetJournal/stories/ 2002/03/14/ osXChatClientsSoManyProgra.html

A set of screenshots of FIRE Mac interface is accessible at:
http://fire.sourceforge.net/screenshots.shtml

 

 

A comprehensive FAQ list is accessible at:
http://fire.sourceforge.net/faq.shtml

Detailed info about the FIRE software development project:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/fire

You can download a Mac OS X 10.1-compatible version of FIRE at:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/fire/ Fire.app0.32.c.dmg?download

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