In addition to sending instant messages to your buddies, you can also use the AOL Instant Messenger to exchange voice messages and to participate in group chats. In order to talk with other users, both your computer and the recipient's must be able to support voice communications. Both half duplex and full duplex modes of communicating are available, and sound quality is, while nowhere near perfect, above average.
Hundreds of chat rooms can be explored with AIM. Separated into categories like computing, entertainment, finance, sports, and news, and then further into individual subjects like TV shows, music groups, and sports teams, the AOL chat groups are almost always lively and entertaining. A list of chat rooms is available from the AOL Chat site.
