Check out Textual: https://github.com/Codeux/Textual

(No affiliation, just a happy user)

I for one don't feel the need for an all-in-one communication app. I'm happy to use an app like Textual for IRC and Flamingo for IM.

Understandable, some people do, some people don't.

I'm one of those people who do. For $10, if this thing included IRC, I would switch over in a heart beat. If it also included SKYPE? Oh man, the things I would do to the developer who made it...that would be heaven.

Less apps open usually means less memory consumption, and overall less clutter on my desktop.

I recommended LimeChat http://limechat.net