AOL Releases AIM 6.0 Beta

The first beta edition of AOL's version 6.0 of its Instant Messenger client was released for public testing today. When the beta cycle is completed (AOL has yet to set a date), it will likely replace AIM Triton 1.5 and become the company's primary consumer IM product.

Under the Triton system, users chose what kind of conferencing they wanted using tabs, and then chose their participants. With the AIM 6.0 front end, there will be a single, integrated buddy list. This way, the user's attention is centered on the target of the message. Buttons along the bottom of the AIM panel denote what context of chat the user wants to launch: audio, video or text.