A file transfer or two might be nice as well. Enter the world of AIM . I just got gaim running on my workstation. It's really pretty spiffy. Simple, intuitive, and reliable.
Group chats are easy.
I really like knowing instantly when my 'buddies' are available for consultation. The point is, gaim is easy. Which I suppose is the whole point of America Online. I'd love to cut AOL out of the IM loop and run my own in-house IM server.