Pidgin FAQ
Having multiple windows open at one time on your computer can slow the speed of your PC. It can also be hard to manage all of the programs necessary to chat with your friends. Luckily, Pidgin can help streamline use of the many chat clients you have for work or fun. It works on Windows, Linux as well as other UNIX operating systems.
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What is Pidgin?
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Pidgin is a free universal chat client that combines different chat applications into one program. A user can log in and chat with different friends through different messengers without having multiple programs using up his computer's resources. This makes chatting much simpler and saves the user time and frustration. Pidgin's functionality includes notifications, file transfers, away messages, smilies and icons. It also has a "psychic mode," which alerts a user that someone is writing him a message before he receives it.
What Chat Programs Does Pidgin Cover?
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A user of chat programs such as AIM, MSN, Yahoo and Google Talk can use Pidgin for all of her accounts. Pidgin also works with lesser-known chat applications such as Zephyr, Bonjour and Gadu-Gadu. Pidgin supports more than 15 chat networks, although the service adds new programs regularly.
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What Languages Does Pidgin Support?
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Pidgin supports more than 60 languages, including American English, UK English, Korean, Greek and Spanish. This means a user can include special characters specific to a certain language while chatting with another person. The person a user is chatting with will be able to see these characters and understand what the writer is saying. A user can also read menu items directly in the Pidgin program using his chosen language.
Does Pidgin Import My Friend Lists?
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Pidgin lets a user import friends lists when adding chat accounts. By using the import feature, a user will not have to re-enter any names and she won't lose key contact information. Pidgin will also remember list names--so if a user groups friends into lists such as "family" or "work," Pidgin will maintain that grouping.
Is Pidgin Better Than Gaim?
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For years, Gaim was the chat aggregator of choice for those who wanted to combine different chat accounts. Gaim got its name by adding a 'G' to AIM. Not to be confused with AIM, Gaim was asked to change its name. Gaim became Pidgin in 2007. Pidgin is essentially the same program as Gaim, and it has continued Gaim support and updates.
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- Photo Credit gnuchris2/Flickr.com
