Video chat and more with the new and improved AIM

AIM Preview is the newest version of the popular instance messaging program, now with video chat capabilities.

Released unofficially on its own website, AIM Preview is not yet replacing the old AIM everyone knows and enjoys using. Instead, it seems to be marketed as an entirely new and improved messaging client, with a built-in video chat feature.

AIM Preview’s interface is relatively simple to navigate. There are a few changes, however. First, Lifestream, which encompasses the basic status updates your friends saw on their buddy lists on the old AIM, has been replaced. AIM Preview comes with actual status updates now, like what you’d be accustomed to on Facebook.

In fact, Facebook has now become integrated with AIM. You can log in to AIM Preview with your Facebook account, for one. You can also chat with Facebook buddies on AIM Preview, as wells as buddies on Google Talk. While this isn’t technically a new feature to AIM itself, it’s a lot easier to figure out how to use with AIM Preview.

In addition, you can access chat histories from virtually any device you have AIM Preview installed on as the histories are now remotely stored. While this allows for synchronization, it also might bring up some security issues. There’s a news feed that links to AOL-owned Huffington Post articles as well.

The biggest difference is the new availability to video chat either one-on-one or in groups, which is very similar, if not identical, to what Skype offers now. If not for the ability to connect to your buddies via Facebook and Google Talk though, the feature might seem a little useless, considering AIM doesn’t generally boast as many users as other IM clients.

AIM Preview adds some new features and functionality, although it still doesn’t really compete with video chat frontrunner Skype.