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Chat, VoIP & Email

You'll find all the latest e-mail software and chat clients at CNET Download.com, as well as e-mail utilities and spam filters, VoIP software, Web phones, Webcam applications, and everything else you'll need to reach out and touch someone. See all 3,082 products in this category. See all 3,082 products in this category.

for the week of: October 12Downloads
  1. 1.
    Camfrog Video Chat

    Webcam & Video238,799

  2. 2.
    mIRC

    Chat192,976

  3. 3.
  4. 4.
    Trillian

    Chat45,152

  5. Share photos and videos directly to the desktop.
    Defragment disks, free up space, optimize system performance
  6. 5.
    Yahoo Messenger

    Chat40,238

  7. 6.
    ManyCam Virtual Webcam

    Webcam & Video25,033

  8. 7.
    Digsby

    Chat24,230

  9. See, hear, and chat live in video rooms.
    Start backing up your files in less than 60 seconds.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
    Miranda IM

    Chat16,296

  12. 10.
    Skype

    Net Phones15,295

See all most popular software

  1. Compile different file types into one for easier sharing.
    Detect and remove adware and spyware from your computer.
Release date
  1. Popcorn Oct 13

    Clients

  2. Send Later Oct 13

    Plug-ins

  3. eM Client Oct 13

    Clients

  4. AV Webcam Morpher Oct 13

    Webcam & Video

  5. Robot Benri Oct 13

    Webcam & Video

  6. Vyke Direct PC Soft Phone Oct 13

    Dial-up & Connectivity

  7. IMVU Oct 12

    Chat

  8. Live Signatures Oct 10

    Plug-ins

  9. MailWasher Pro Oct 10

    Spam Filters

  10. Delete Duplicates for Outlook Express and Windows Mail Oct 10

    Plug-ins

See all new releases

  1. 1.
    ICQ

    Communicate instantly using the latest version of this popular chat client.

  2. 2.
    Trillian

    Chat with all your friends on mIRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger.

  3. 3.
    mIRC

    Chat with other people and participate in group discussions.

  4. 4.
    Yahoo Messenger

    Communicate instantly with your friends on Yahoo IM using custom avatars, PC-to-PC calling, and lively emoticons.

  5. 5.
    Skype

    Experience free, unlimited, high-quality voice communication over the Internet.

  6. 6.
    Active WebCam

    Webcast video from your camera and turn it into a surveillance system.

  7. 7.
    ePrompter

    Check several e-mail accounts simultaneously and retrieve received e-mails.

  8. 8.
    ManyCam Virtual Webcam

    Add graphics and effects to your Webcam and broadcasts on messengers.

  9. 9.
    WebcamMax

    Add videos, screens, and effects to your Web camera and broadcast on all messengers.

  10. 10.
    Mozilla Thunderbird

    View e-mail and news the way you want it, with intelligent junk controls and personalized themes.

See all editor's picks

from the download blog

Skype 4.0 beta 2 gives you more say

Posted by Jessica Dolcourt on Sep 30, 2008
Skype's second attempt to preview version 4.0 of the VoIP calling application adds several changes that beta users have been clamoring for.
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an introduction to Chat, VoIP & Email

The Internet is all about communication. From e-mail software to chat clients to the latest in VoIP software, Download.com's Communications category has everything you need to reach out and touch someone.

Of course you use e-mail, but which e-mail program should you use? A number of e-mail programs are free, from the venerable Microsoft Outlook Express to our current favorite, Mozilla Thunderbird. Thunderbird supports IMAP and POP mail protocols and can handle all your RSS feeds. It features cutting-edge antiphishing and spam filters in addition to advanced security features such as S/MIME, digital signing, and message encryption.

You'll also want to download all the latest e-mail extensions, such as spam filters and programs that notify you when e-mail is sent to your online accounts.

If you're too impatient for e-mail, chat software allows real-time communication between any two PCs. Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, MSN Messenger (soon to be Windows Live Messenger), and AOL Instant Messenger are the major players in the chat market, with ICQ still a popular choice among hard-core chat fans.

If your friends use different clients and you don't want to install them all, Trillian lets you chat with everyone regardless of chat platform, including IRC-based chat rooms.

Of course, why bother typing e-mails when you can just talk to someone over your PC? Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, allows you to turn your PC into a Web phone to call other Internet-connected PCs and talk as long as you want at no charge. Programs such as Skype, GloPhone, and BuddyTalk are painless to install and easy to use, and all three allow you to place calls to regular phones by signing up for a calling plan. For more information, check out the Download.com guide to Net Phones.