Quote Originally Posted by Adamdc
Dumb question----if I use iChat or Meebo, can he communicate with others who are using AIM or some other AOL variant? Also, why are the ones you mention better than AIM?
Yes. The "official" AIM client is one of the worst clients ever. It comes with spyware AND adware bundled in for your convenience.

If you want something simple, just use Meebo. If you want more advanced functions like file transfer and such, use GAIM or iChat/Adium(OS X only).