multi-purpose chat program built into the OS

So my girlfriend has a Mac and iChat is built into the OS. It works not only

with other iChat users but also with AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, and a variety of

others. Why is it that Vista doesn't have a client like that built into the

OS? There's Windows Live Messenger, but that doesn't manage other IM clients

that my friends use and I can't join in a video chat room where a host of

people are all video chatting, rather than just a two-way conversation.

Also, I know that programs like Gaim (which now has a new name that escapes

me) manage multiple IM clients, but they're not feature complete. I would

think that a feature that a competing OS has had for so long would be a

priority for Microsoft.

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