I’m an AIM guy. In fact I use the very-very current AIM 7 Beta 3, which I’ve found works great so far. The service does what I want it to do and it’s a reliable network. But I have read on more than one occasion that Windows Live (formerly MSN) is the most-used IM on the planet – maybe.

The Big Question to you, the reader: What IM do you use the most?

I say “the most” because many of you use multiple services. If you do, which do you use most often? Post a comment below and let us know.

Also, which IM client do you use? Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, Pidgin, Kopete, etc.? Or do you not use a client at all and use the browser instead?

What’s available for IM now?

This, to the best of my knowledge, is a near-complete list of all the IM services available. It does not include SameTime or GroupWise because those are mainly used in-enterprise only, such as businesses, colleges and universities. Bonjour not listed because that’s usually meant for LAN-only use.

• AIM
• Windows Live
• Yahoo
• ICQ
• Jabber / LiveJournal / Google Talk (all use Jabber)
• MobileMe
• MySpace
• Facebook (can be used outside browser with Pidgin)
• QQ (main site, Chinese only)
• Gadu Gadu (Polish only)
• Meebo (is a true IM, does have Meebo-to-Meebo chat)
• Steam
• Xfire
• Skype

(If I missed any IM services, list what’s missing in a comment.)

What do you use? Post a comment below.

Bonus question (optional): What’s the worst IM you’ve ever used and why do you think it sucks?