I actually began using Digsby by chance as my Google Talk program was once having issues connecting to the internet. And I have never looked back. Today, Digsby is the most important software I have on my computer to manage all my IM, email & social networking accounts and I highly recommend it to each & all. Here’s why.
Digsby: A superior Google Talk client
Digsby is a multi-protocol IM client that lets you chat with all your friends on Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AIM besides Google Talk. It even logs you to Facebook Chat. Probably the only service of note missing is Skype. If one of your friends has more than one IM account you can combine them into a single merged contact to eliminate duplicate buddies.
The most popular IM service today is arguable Google Talk and Digsby is a very superior client as compared to Google’s own program.
1. Google has chosen not to update its own Google Talk program for many years now. So while it remains a lightweight chat client it misses some of the advanced features found in its competitors.
2. If you have multiple Google Talk accounts such as a regular Google account & a Google Apps account, then you can use Digsby to connect to both your accounts simultaneously!
3. Digsby also has a feature whereby if you hover your mouse over your contact’s name in the contact list, it shows you the client which your friend is using to connect to Google Talk. If Digsby shows that your contact is using a client such as Fring or Nimbuzz, then you know that the user is online on a mobile device.
4. While the Gmail integrated chat client has an option to login in invisible mode, the Google Talk application does not. You can login to Google Talk in invisible mode with Digsby though we do not recommend to do so at all times.
Note though that Digsby does not support the File Transfers & Voice Chat features provided by Google Talk application, so if you are using either of this then you may have to think twice before switching to Digsby. Hopefully, these features will be added to Digsby shortly.
Digsby: A Convenient Twitter Client
Digsby may not have all the features of TweetDeck or Seesmic Desktop, but its just so convenient! Just hover your mouse over the Twitter section of Digsby and you can read all your tweets in your timeline. You can add multiple Twitter accounts, read, reply & re-tweet. Of course, advanced features such as following or un-following an user are unavailable but the convenience it provides of not having another application launched at all times is invaluable.
Digsby: A Powerful Facebook Client
You can set your Facebook status right from within Digsby. You can follow news feeds of your friends & can even Comment on or ‘Like’ their status messages. You can also receive alerts of events such as pending friend requests, messages, group invites though you cannot authorise such requests from within Digsby. Digsby also displays enlarged photos uploaded by your friends & even lets you see a slide-show of their recently uploaded photo albums.
And as mentioned earlier, you can be always logged in to Facebook IM without actually logging in to the Facebook site.
Digsby: A Capable LinkedIn Client
You can set your LinkedIn status right from within Digsby. You can read status updates & connection updates of your contacts. And you can also see notifications for unread messages in your LinkedIn inbox. What more would you want in a LinkedIn client?
Digsby: A Prompt Email Notifier
You can manage your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Windows Live Mail or any other POP or IMAP email accounts right from Digsby. You can receive popup notifications when new email arrives, read snapshots of your email and perform actions such as “Mark as Read” or “Report Spam” or “Delete” right from Digsby.
Conclusion
I have happily replaced our Google Talk (and all other IM clients), TweetDeck (and Seesmic), Gmail Notifier with just one program: Digsby. Its a powerful application which has become an integral part of my social life.
Don’t get me wrong. TweetDeck is a far superior Twitter & Facebook client as compared to Digsby. But when you have the combined power of Gmail, Google Talk, Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn in just one application, it makes a difference. You don’t need to keep multiple applications open at all times in exchange for losing some of the advanced functionality they may offer individually.
Alternatives to Digsby include Pidgin, Trillian & VoxOx. But we are more than happy to use Digsby inspite of the controversies it has had over the last few month.
Have you used Digsby with other services such as Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Mail or MySpace? Which single program do you prefer to manage your IM, Email & Social Networking? Or do you prefer using individual clients for all these? Do let us know in the comments below.
